BIG Life HQ: Recent Episodes
Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women
Matthew 13:44, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
I want you to imagine for a moment coming to the end of your life, and standing before your Creator as he shows you a life of your movie. Everything you did in your entire lifetime. And imagine realizing you missed the whole point of life.
Sadly, that will be many of us. Oh we’ll make it to heaven, we’ll gain our ticket of entrance into the Holy Gates – not because of a single thing we did, but all as humble and unworthy recipients of what the man on the cross did for us. But the time we had here on earth was wasted. We focused on the wrong things. We stressed about things that weren’t within our control. We rushed through the important things. And we quite simply missed the point.
Here, standing with God having the experience of eternity and seeing our life as a movie, we would have a new found perspective of the time we were allotted on Earth. We would see that this entire time we were spiritual beings having our human experience. Really nothing more and nothing less. We were never bodies that just happen to also have a soul. We were first and foremost souls that were gifted these bodies for just a brief moment in the history of the world.
Seeing this, knowing this, understanding this – we would be able to return to this life and get it right. With Heaven’s perspective we would know what’s truly important and what isn’t.
And what is it we would have found – TREASURE. Hidden treasure. Right here in our own lives.
Now, let’s read Jesus’ Parable of the Treasure again. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Oh that God would give us a heavenly perspective, right here as our spiritual selves have our brief human experience. We would let go of everything we’ve been holding so tightly in order to obtain the real treasure. The treasure of the time and opportunities we’ve been given here of eternal importance. Once you recognize what is truly valuable, your entire definition of a good life changes.
WHAT IF YOU COULD SEE THE TREASURE NOW?
What if God could give you just a glimpse today of what you will understand when this life is over?
What if you could see your life from Heaven’s perspective—not to make you feel guilty about what you’ve done, but to help you recognize what actually matters while you still have time to do something about it?
I think we would be shocked.
We would look at the things we spent so much time worrying about and wonder, ‘Why did I give that so much of my attention?’
We would look at the things we were chasing and say, ‘Why did I think that would make me happy?’
We would look at the things we were so afraid of losing and realize, ‘Those things were never mine to keep anyway.’
And then we would see the things we almost missed.
That conversation that was the last one, when we didn’t know it was the last one.
The sunset we were too busy to notice.
The person God put in our path.
The chance to say, “I love you.”
The ordinary Monday that we rushed through because we were waiting for something more exciting to happen.
And we would realize: THAT was the treasure.
Not the bigger house.
Not the nicer car.
Not the perfect body.
Not the job title.
Not the bank account.
Not the perfectly organized life.
Those things aren’t necessarily bad. But they were never the point. The treasure was hidden in the middle of the life God has already given us.
And isn’t that exactly what Jesus says? The man finds treasure hidden in a field. He doesn’t have to travel across the world to find it. He doesn’t have to manufacture it. He doesn’t have to earn it. He discovers something of incredible value that was already there.
I wonder how much treasure is already buried in your life.
THE TREASURE IS OFTEN ORDINARY
We tend to think God’s best things must be big things.
A big calling.
A big breakthrough.
A big adventure.
A big answer to prayer.
But some of the most eternally significant things God will ever do through you may look incredibly ordinary while you’re doing them.
A meal around your table.
A prayer whispered over someone who is hurting.
A simple phone call you make time for.
A child who knows they are loved.
A stranger who experiences kindness.
A person who comes to Jesus because they watched you live differently.
A quiet morning where you opened God’s Word instead of opening your phone.
These moments don’t look impressive on Instagram. But Heaven doesn’t measure life the way Instagram does. Heaven knows the value of things Earth overlooks. And that changes the question we should be asking.
Instead of: “How can I make my life bigger?” Maybe the better question is: “How can I make my life matter?”
Instead of: “What can I accomplish?” Ask: “Who can I love?”
Instead of: “What can I accumulate?” Ask: “What can I give?”
Instead of: “How can I protect my time?” Ask: “What is God asking me to do with the time I’ve been given?”
Because someday, every single one of us will discover that time was the most valuable thing we ever possessed—and we were spending it every single day.
WHAT ARE YOU TRADING YOUR LIFE FOR?
The man in Jesus’ story discovers the treasure and then does something radical. He sells everything he has. Why? Because he finally understands value. He isn’t making a sacrifice because he’s miserable. He does it “in his joy.”
That’s important. When you really understand the value of the Kingdom, surrender doesn’t feel like losing. It feels like trading up. You aren’t giving up your life. You’re finally learning what your life is for.
And maybe that’s the question Jesus wants to put in front of us today: What are you trading your life for? Because you are trading it for something.
Every day.
Your time is being spent.
Your attention is being spent.
Your energy is being spent.
Your thoughts are being spent.
The question isn’t whether you are spending your life. The question is: Are you spending it on what is actually valuable?
Because you can spend your entire life building something that disappears in an instant. Or you can spend your life investing in things that outlive you.
HEAVEN’S PERSPECTIVE CHANGES TODAY
And here’s the beautiful part: We don’t have to wait until Heaven to get Heaven’s perspective. We can ask God for it now.
“God, show me what I’m missing. Show me what I’m holding too tightly. Show me what I’m worrying about that doesn’t matter. Show me where I’m wasting time. Show me who needs me. Show me what I need to release. Show me the treasure that is already buried in the life You’ve given me.”
Because maybe your life doesn’t need a complete overhaul.
Maybe you don’t need a new house, a new job, a new relationship, or a new body. Maybe you need new eyes.
Maybe the ordinary life you’ve been overlooking is the very life God wants you to live intentionally.
Maybe the people you’ve been taking for granted are the treasure.
Maybe the time you’ve been wasting is the treasure.
Maybe the season you’re complaining about is carrying something God wants to teach you.
Maybe the field you’ve been looking past is the field where the treasure is buried.
SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS TODAY?
Look at your life today and ask: What matters for eternity? Then do more of that.
Who matters for eternity? Love them.
What relationship needs attention? Give it attention.
What conversation have you been putting off? Have it.
What grudge are you carrying? Release it.
What’s keeping you distracted? Put it down.
What has God been asking you to do? Stop negotiating and do it.
What are you constantly worrying about that you cannot control? Give it to God.
And what ordinary, beautiful thing have you been rushing past? Slow down long enough to see it.
Because one day, we will see this life differently. We will understand what mattered. We will understand what didn’t. And I don’t want to wait until then. I want to recognize the treasure now. I want to live today like the woman I will wish I had been when I see my life from Heaven.
Because the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. And perhaps the most incredible thing about the parable isn’t that the treasure was there. It’s that the man found it. Maybe that’s what Jesus is inviting us to do today. Look again. Look at your life. Look at your people. Look at your time. Look at your opportunities. Look at this very ordinary Monday.
There is treasure here. Don’t miss it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever made homemade bread with yeast? How much yeast do you put in with the flour and water? Just a tiny amount. How much of a difference does the yeast make? ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
As Jesus was teaching, he knew everyone listening understood this because bread wasn’t something they picked up at the grocery store. It was made every day in their homes. The women especially knew exactly what He meant. They had watched a tiny handful of yeast disappear into a massive bowl of flour, only to come back hours later and find every bit of dough changed.
So Jesus said…
Matthew 13:33, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
How much of the dough was affected by only a little yeast? EVERY PART OF IT. And how many of you have personally experienced the impact of little things over your entire life? Really, that’s all of us. Looking back, we see how little things changed the entire trajectory of our lives.
Sometimes that can feel overwhelming because what if you mess up that one little thing that would make all the difference? Before you get all anxious about the enormity of this – please remember your life is under the divine direction of an all-knowing God, IF you surrender to his ability to guide you exactly where you need to be.
Surrender is the key. Without surrender – you’re a bowl of flour sitting flat wondering why your life isn’t rising up.
I wonder if you can see how in your own life some of your biggest blessings didn’t come from one big decision you made, but a combination of tiny turns left and right with split second perfect timing. Did you do that on your own? Oh no you didn’t girl. God was leaning over the rails of heaven, watching your life with great delight, aligning things you didn’t even know to ask for, and sprinkling in a little yeast to make his good plans for you grow. And as you grew, the angels cheered!
Here’s our problem – when we don’t surrender. When we think we don’t need God because we can make our own plans, force our own way, and direct the timing of it all to fit our liking. We try to make our own yeast, but guess what – YOU CAN’T.
Yeast has to come from a start. And you are not that start. GOD IS!
Here’s what surrender really is. It’s opening your clenched fists and saying, “God, you have permission to work anywhere you want.” IT STARTS THERE!!!!!
Most of us try to first hand God one part of our lives. “God, here’s my marriage, fix this. But, don’t touch my priorities. Don’t touch my habits. God, I just want you over here.” But Jesus says the yeast doesn’t stop at one corner of the dough. It permeates every part.
God loves you too much to leave any part of your life untouched. If you invite him into your marriage, he will be there – but he will also go right for YOUR HEART. All while you just want him to work on your husband’s heart, he first starts with yours.
You’ve been praying for your kids, and before he works on them, he works in YOU! Sometimes I wonder if my family’s 7 year journey to healing took so long because I was delaying the work in my heart first.
Which part of your life have you been asking for God to take over? You know that one very well, don’t you?
Now, let me ask – which part of your life have you been holding back from God? Yeah – that one. That one that you’ve been trying to hide or excuse or separate – God says, “I WANT TO GET ALL UP IN THAT TOO!!!!!”
If you surrender your life to Him, He will begin working in places you didn’t even invite Him. But my sister, you can trust him. Remember, he is for you, not against you. His plans for you are to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
In this parable, notice what Jesus doesn’t say – He doesn’t say, “The Kingdom of God is like bread.” No, he said it’s “like yeast”. There’s a difference. Yeast gets INSIDE something before it changes anything on the outside.
My mama taught me how to make homemade yeast rolls as a young girl. You get the water and milk temperature just right, then you sprinkle in the tiniest amount of yeast. And then you lean in real close and you watch. Guess what – Nothing happens. You ever so gently stir in the yeast. Still nothing happens. Then you let it sit for a bit. Still nothing. Next you add in the flour and create this messy sticky dough. Nothing looks radically different. But you come back an hour later and your little ball of dough has risen ten times in size to overflow the edges of your bowl.
How did it happen? Gradually from the INSIDE.
That is exactly opposite of how most of us try to change. We start with the outside.
• I need to lose weight.
• I need to stop yelling.
• I need to stop cussing.
• I need to be read my Bible more.
• I need to get organized.
• I need to stop shopping so much.
So we try harder. Jesus says, “That’s not how My Kingdom works. I don’t start by changing your behavior. I start by changing your heart.” Everything else grows from there.
He isn’t trying to improve your circumstances first. He’s trying to transform you.
I really don’t think God cares about the size of your butt or the jiggle of your belly. He’s not impressed by that tiny little ab you’ve been working on. Your bank account isn’t his primary concern. HE IS GOING STRAIGHT FOR YOUR HEART.
Why? Because the heart is the yeast. If he changes your heart, it will affect EVERYTHING!!!!
But here’s the warning – YOUR ENEMY KNOWS THIS TOO! Your enemy knows if he can make you insecure, it will affect everything. If he can twist the way you feel about yourself, he can keep you in the corner. He knows if he infects the way you think about everyone else, he can render you bitter, cynical and ineffective.
Bad yeast makes bad bread sis. Check what is growing in your life!
Finally, notice there’s something specific Jesus mentions in this story. He says the woman mixed the yeast into 3 measures of flour. Anytime you see something this specific, take notice – it’s a deeper lesson. Here, 3 measures of flour means about 40 to 50 pounds of flour. This large amount of flour when mixed with a little bit of east would be enough to feed a hundred people.
Why would Jesus mention that detail? Because the amount is intentionally extravagant. A tiny handful of yeast transforms an enormous amount of dough. That’s the Kingdom.
One life surrendered to Jesus can influence far more people than you ever imagined. One praying Mama. One teacher. One girl in the office who shares a devotional. One friend who points a hurting soul to Jesus. That’s just one little bit of Kingdom yeast. AND IT GROWS and grows and grows. Bigger and bigger and bigger.
Generations are changed as a result of one surrendered life. That’s yeast! And let me tell you something, I think God wants YOU to be that surrendered life. He wants to start with YOU. His Spirit at work within you, changing you from the inside out, starting with your heart then flowing onto every area of your life, every single relationship, in every way.
Imagine one day arriving to Heaven and meeting a whole line of people waiting to tell you how YOU helped them get there too. How the Jesus in you was the light showing them the way. How what God grew in you flowed over onto them and grew in them. And because of your surrender, they learned surrender, their children learned surrender, their grandchildren surrendered – and now there’s an entire corner of Heaven crowded – and it started with ONE.
And that my friends, is how the Kingdom of God is – It’s like yeast. Tiny, working in unseen ways from the inside, affecting EVERYTHING!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
The next parable Jesus tells is one of the most debated in Scripture. Unlike some of the other parables, Jesus never explains this one. That means faithful Bible scholars have reached different conclusions.
Let’s read it for ourselves.
Matthew 13:31-32, “He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
So…what do you think?
Is this story about the beautiful growth of God’s Kingdom?
Or is it a warning that evil can quietly grow alongside it?
So what do we do when Scripture isn’t immediately clear? We go to Jesus. Because Jesus didn’t just tell the truth… He IS the Truth. John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” So I asked Him, “Jesus, what do you want me to see here?”
Here’s what I believe the Lord showed me. This parable has two sides. Like a coin. If I flip a coin and it lands on heads, does that make tails false? Of course not. Both are always there. I believe this parable contains both a beautiful promise…and a loving warning.
So the heads side of this parable is a story of growth. The mustard seed is known as a tiny seed. This isn’t the only time Jesus talks about the mustard seed. There’s a much more familiar scripture many of us remember. Jesus says to his disciples in Matthew 17:20, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.'”
Throughout Scripture, the mustard seed represents something tiny that carries incredible potential. God specializes in starting with what everyone else overlooks.
A tiny seed.
A shepherd boy.
A teenage girl.
Twelve ordinary fishermen.
Five loaves and two fish.
Heaven has never been impressed by size. Heaven has always been impressed by surrender. The mustard seed is something that is so small and seemingly insignificant, but within it is potential for big things. Even the tiniest grain of faith can move mountains. So, this tiny grain of the mustard seed can be planted in a garden and become larger than all the other plants in the garden and grow to be a tree where birds make their nests.
What begins so small, with God, can grow to become greater than you can possibly imagine. Zechariah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”
We all love the idea of doing something BIG for God. We dream about changing lives. Writing books. Starting ministries. Launching businesses. But most of us don’t love the tiny assignments that produce those things.
We want the tree. God hands us a seed.
“God, send me across the world as a missionary…” …but I don’t want to pray with my neighbor. “Lord, use me in powerful ways…” …but I don’t want to serve where nobody notices. We want significance. God offers faithfulness.
Most of us woke up today holding seeds from God. The problem is… Seeds don’t look impressive. They don’t look like the future God sees. And because we can’t see the tree… we underestimate the seed. We’re not willing to start small. We want big full blown trees, not tiny seeds.
People ask me all the time how to build their own mentoring, or a podcast, or retreats. They usually don’t like my answer. I tell them…
Start with the seed.
Do it when you’re unsure.
Do it when you’re uncomfortable.
Do it when nobody applauds.
Do it when almost nobody shows up.
Do it for free.
Keep planting.
Keep watering.
Keep showing up.
But we want to be great from day 1. We want immediate success. We want a full blown tree by day 2 please. But Jesus says, “from this tiny seed, something big can grow.” GROWTH TAKES TIME.
We all want overnight success. God almost always chooses faithful consistency. Trees don’t explode into existence. They grow. Slowly. Quietly. One ordinary day at a time.
There’s one way you grow something great … be willing to be bad at it long enough to get good!
I remember my first ever mentoring session in 2012. I was cutting edge hosting live videos before live videos were a thing outside of the nightly news. Facebook live didn’t exist. There was no zoom. I had a full blown studio set up in our master bedroom, special lights and cameras and programs. That first live mentoring session I had like 12 people watching and I was a nervous wreck. I taught my lesson, then I thought I was done. But there was one problem – we had practiced how to start the live broadcast, however we had failed to practice ending the broadcast. We literally didn’t know how to stop recording.
My husband signaled to me to continue as he frantically searched for a way to stop recording. By this time I had said absolutely everything I knew to say and I had nothing left. So you know what I did … I started dancing. Yip, just me in front of a live camera dancing. Y’all, I cannot dance. It was so awkward. Finally in desperation my husband just unplugs the entire thing from the wall and cuts power.
We both looked at eachother and said, “Whew, now that was a mess! I never want to do that again.” Then the next week, we did it again. And again, and again. Over 700 weekly mentoring sessions later, we’re still just showing up and doing it again.
Looking back now, that wasn’t embarrassing. That was a seed. Seeds are awkward. Seeds are unimpressive. Seeds are hidden underground where nobody celebrates them.
But without the seed… there is never a tree. It was a small seed and a messy process, but with God, it has grown into more than we could have ever imagined.
Again, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
This is how God has always worked. He works through small beginnings. He works through ordinary obedience. He works through people who are simply willing to keep planting. Never underestimate what God can do with one tiny act of faith repeated over and over again.
He works in small beginnings. He works in unseen potential.
Don’t let unseen potential become unmet potential because you’re not willing to put in the ground work.
But every coin has another side. The same principle is true of evil.
Sin rarely shows up looking dangerous. It usually arrives looking small. Harmless. Easy to justify.
One compromise.
One lie.
One bitter thought.
One secret.
One click.
One missed opportunity to forgive.
They’re just tiny seeds…
Until they aren’t.
Left unattended, what began as something small quietly grows in the dark until it takes over far more of your life than you ever intended.
Be careful what you’re planting. Tiny seeds always become something bigger.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In our study of the parables of Jesus, we find the next story he tells. Remember, that’s what a parable is – it’s a story along with a teaching. It’s earthly stories with heavenly meaning told for a purpose by Jesus.
Matthew 13: 24-30
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’
Okay – now what does that mean exactly? Once again a planting story to tell us more about the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples were unsure what this meant, so they asked him. WOW – what a concept. When you don’t understand, ASK JESUS.
Really, have you done that?
What uncertainty are you facing right now? What confusing situation are you in? Where are you right now that just doesn’t make sense and you don’t know what the next right step is? You honestly don’t know the solution. You don’t know the right thing to do? You don’t know what to think or what to say. Well, there’s one place to turn for that – YOU GO TO JESUS!
Jesus, I don’t understand this – please help me to understand. Jesus, I don’t know what to do, but you tell me that YOU ARE THE WAY and I’m trusting you. Show me the next step in your way.
When the disciples ask Jesus what this parable meant, guess what happened? HE EXPLAINED IT TO THEM! Wow, just like that. They didn’t have to sit around arguing about it. They didn’t have to wander around confused and perhaps getting it wrong. They just asked Jesus!
Girl, just ask Jesus! Have you done that yet?
So, here we go – Still in Matthew 13:36-44:
Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom.
Thank you Jesus for making that clear. Thank you for helping us understand these heavenly things with this earthly story. Now, because we may be slightly removed from the experience of growing wheat today, let’s dig deeper so we really get it.
The farmer is Jesus.
The field he is working in is the world.
The good seeds he plants are his people.
The enemy is the devil.
The weeds he plants are those who reject God’s kingdom and oppose Jesus’ work.
The harvest is the end of the world.
The harvesters are the angels.
There are 2 eternal destinies:
• The fiery furnace
• The Father’s radiant Kingdom
My friends, there is evil among us. There are counterfeits all around us, sent by the enemy do to evil. There is a real spiritual battle taking place all around us. Wherever God plants truth, the enemy plants deception. Wherever God brings life, the enemy tries to sow destruction. Wherever God grows wheat, Satan tries to plant counterfeits. They were sent to destroy us, but God won’t let that happen. The work of the enemy is to destroy all God’s good work. God plants good seed, then the enemy sneaks in and sows weeds in the field. But God is wise and he will NOT allow the enemy to succeed.
So here’s what God does – he waits. Oh how patient our Lord is. He waits for the good seeds to grow. And he waits for the weeds to grow. He allows it.
It’s easy for us to question why. Why would God allow evil? Why would he permit for the enemy to be trompsing around in this field doing his nasty work? Well first, remember this, the world we live in has been given over to Satan. This is a fallen world and the prince of this world is the devil. How can he do his nasty work here – well girl, this is where he reigns. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS – his reign is temporary and he’s already been defeated!!!! He knows his destiny and it cannot be undone. Jesus promises victory!
1 John 5: 18-19, “We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.”
You and I are just passing through this world. This isn’t our home. We’re on our way to a radically different destination – the Father’s radiant Kingdom is our destiny. We are set apart, untouched by the evil one, promised at eternal paradise on the other side of this brief life in a fallen world. Will there be evil here? Yes. Will the enemy plant weeds here and cause trouble? Yes. Do we have to worry about it? Nope. We just stay close to Jesus and remain in his truth!
The farmer delays judgment because pulling up the weeds too soon would damage the wheat. His patience protects His people. Here’s what we often overlook today – There was a weed called darnel that looked EXACTLY like wheat. This weed was poisonous but you couldn’t tell the difference as it was growing. But when the wheat started producing and the darnel started producing, you could tell the difference. Until then, they looked exactly the same. It was an imitation plant bearing poison.
And yes, that’s what we have around us. Imitations. They look like what God is doing, but they’re NOT. They are planted by the enemy to bring destruction. With time, they are revealed.
What sets the wheat and the weed apart? What they produce! When the wheat grows to maturity and begins producing, then you can tell it apart from the weeds planted by the enemy. Before then, it all looks the same.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Just as you can identify a tree by it’s fruit, you can identify people by their actions.”
You know that saying, “When people show you who they are, BELIEVE THEM!” Actually, yes. We will be known by our fruit, and our lives look completely different based on if we are God’s wheat or the enemy’s weeds. Remember our study on the fruits of the Spirit? The fruit we produce when God’s Spirit lives within us: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Over time, fruit tells the story. We all have bad days, but over a lifetime, what grows out of us reveals if we are wheat or a weed.
But here’s what the wheat is not called to do. The wheat is not called to identify weeds. We are not called to police the field. We are called to do one thing – become faithful wheat! That’s it – grow, bear fruit and trust the Lord of the harvest.
In the end, God will sort this all out. That’s not our job. Our job is grow in this field and know when we’re done growing we will be gathered into the farmer’s barn. That barn is the radiant Kingdom of Heaven where we will get to shine forever. God will take care of these weeds. We don’t have to worry about them.
So today, stop looking around the field. Stop counting the weeds. Stop obsessing over who’s fake and who’s real. Stop letting evil steal your attention. The enemy would love nothing more than for God’s people to spend their lives staring at weeds instead of becoming healthy wheat.
Jesus never said, “Go inspect the field.” He said, “Follow me.” Your assignment isn’t to expose everyone else’s fruit. Your assignment is to produce your own.
Become a woman whose life is overflowing with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Let your roots grow deep in Christ. Stay planted. Stay surrendered. Stay faithful.
Have you ever noticed that healthy wheat doesn’t spend its energy competing with weeds? It simply keeps reaching for the sun. That’s our calling too. Keep reaching toward the Son. The healthier your relationship with Jesus becomes, the more fruit your life naturally produces.
There will always be weeds in this world. There will always be deception, evil, heartbreak, betrayal, and counterfeit versions of what God intended. Don’t be surprised by that. Jesus told us it would be this way. But don’t let the weeds make you question the Farmer. The Farmer hasn’t lost control. Not for one second.
He sees every seed.
He knows every counterfeit.
He misses nothing.
He never loses one stalk of wheat.
And He has already determined how the story ends.
One day the harvest will come. One day Jesus will make every wrong right. Every counterfeit will be exposed. Every injustice will be answered. Every tear will be wiped away.
And on that day, those who belong to Him “will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom.”
Can you imagine that? No more weeds. No more temptation. No more evil. No more fear. No more tears. Only the radiant Kingdom of our Father.
So until that day… Keep growing. Keep trusting. Keep producing good fruit. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Because the field is temporary… but the harvest is forever.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
While Jesus walked this earth, he taught us the truths of God and the secrets of living well. In just 3 years of ministry he said everything he needed to say, and he said it perfectly. Now, over 2000 years later, his words are our perfect guide for life.
Some of Jesus’ teachings were on deeply spiritual things that he knew we would struggle to understand. Not all things needed to be understood, but for some things we would need to understand so we could live well. For these things, Jesus often taught in parables.
Parables are stories. The word parable means “to throw alongside”. So, Jesus is teaching using a story thrown alongside a truth. These are earthly stories with Heavenly meaning.
Today, we begin our study of the parables of Jesus. We will read the stories he told, understand them, and apply them to our lives so we grow and get better. Through these parables we will see how a holy God speaks to ordinary people with everyday stories we can see, understand and remember. Some things God says are mysteries and simply cannot be figured out – but these are not. God essentially leaned down and brought his wisdom in a way we would actually get it.
(Now you will notice with these parables, they are often found in a few of the gospels. Remember the 4 gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the accounts of 4 of Jesus’ disciples as they walked with him. They are retelling everything they saw, experienced, heard and learned from Jesus. So, you may read the same parable in the gospels and that’s why. For simplicity, I’ll just be choosing one of the gospel accounts and reading it. You could also study the other books to see if there’s any special differences noted by the authors.)
Ready to get it? Let’s dive in to the Parables of Jesus!
——————
Part 1: The Parable of the Sower
Scripture: Matthew 13: 1-23
Here’s the setting. Jesus is in his 3 years of actively teaching and preaching here on earth and more and more people are beginning to follow him. On this particular day Jesus was staying at a house near the sea and when he walks outside a large crowd starts gathering around him. So, Jesus gets in a boat, goes out a little on the water and sits down in the boat to start teaching. The crowd of people stood on the beach to listen.
First, just knowing that the King of the Universe, the Savior of the world, the divine Creator in human form didn’t choose a fancy synagogue like all the other teachers. He didn’t choose a formal stage or a platform. No, he chose a boat floating on the sea, wearing his ordinary robe and sandals like everyone else there that day. We see through this example that Jesus really didn’t come to judge the world, he came to save it. In humility, he met us right where we are to teach us the highest of lessons.
And here, in this boat, is where Jesus begins teaching in parables – again earthly stories with heavenly meaning.
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
That was Jesus’ story. But what was the point in this? Was he giving a gardening lesson?
For some listening, it would seem like nothing more than that – but for those God was calling to follow him and setting apart as his people, he was speaking in a way they could truly understand.
Everyone in this day understood farming. Everyone had to grow crops to survive. Their survival depended on a successful harvest. They knew seeds, they knew soils. And for those who were called as followers of God, he was about to open their minds to how his word works in their lives through the example of the sower, the seed and the soils.
The disciples heard Jesus’ story and came to him asking why he was speaking in such a different way, then Jesus explains the story.
The seed is the word of God. This seed falls on 4 different types of soil, and it is the soil that makes all the difference. It’s the same seed. The same sower. Different soil.
—————
Soil #1: The Path
Verse 19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
Do you ever read your Bible, skim the words, get through the whole chapter so you can check the box, but not actually understand it? Yip, that’s seed hitting the soil along the path. That’s seed that won’t grow. That’s knowledge that quickly gets snatched up by the evil one. He swoops in like a bird and takes the surface level seed.
Growing in God’s word isn’t about speed reading and getting through chapters. That’s just the path – that’s where everyone is walking – that’s ground that can’t really grow anything. If it’s worn with traffic, fast moving ground, it’s not growing ground. Surface level knowledge of God’s word will get snatched up every time by the evil one.
Satan knows the life changing power of the Bible even more than you do – that’s why he continually tries to hinder you from really diving into it. He’s perfectly fine with you keeping it on the surface, speed reading to check a box, and never have it actually grow in your life. Life doesn’t change on the soil of the busy path.
The seed never changes. The Sower never changes. The harvest is determined by the soil.
—————
Soil #2: The Rocky Ground
Verses 20-21, “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Rocky soil is shallow dirt mixed in with rocks. This little bit of soil warms quickly with the sun and the rocks, creating fast growth of the new seed, but it simply won’t last. The rocks keep the seed from ever growing roots. While it sprouts up fast, the first hard rain will wash it right out.
That can be us. We can get all excited about what God says to us, we can be all gung ho in the beginning, convinced we’re going to really do it this time, but as soon as life gets hard and the storms hit, we just get washed right out. Life hits and we’re out – why? Because our soil was rocky and allowed for no permanent growth. Everything was temporary and short lived.
Have you noticed how you get excited fast but fizzle? That’s rocky ground. There’s ground work to be done.
The seed never changes. The Sower never changes. The harvest is determined by the soil.
—————
Soil #3: Thorns
Verse 22, “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
Notice something. The seed actually grows here. This isn’t the path where nothing happens. This isn’t the rocky soil where it dies immediately. The plant starts growing, it just never produces what it was created to produce.
Why? Because something else is growing right beside it.
Jesus says the thorns are “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t have to plant weeds. Have you ever noticed that? You can spend all weekend pulling weeds out of your flower beds, and two weeks later they’re back like they own the place.
You never planted them. You never watered them. You never invited them. They just showed up. Our hearts work the same way.
Nobody wakes up and says, “Today I’d really like to become anxious.” Nobody decides, “I’m going to slowly make my job my identity.” Nobody plans to let social media steal their contentment. The weeds just grow.
The bills. The schedules. The kids. The comparisons. The endless to-do lists. The pursuit of more. The fear of not having enough. The pressure to keep everyone happy. None of these things may be sinful by themselves… But together they quietly choke what God is trying to grow.
Notice Jesus didn’t say the thorns killed the believer. He said they made them unfruitful.
You can know Jesus, love Jesus, go to church, read your Bible… And still have a life where God’s Word never reaches its full potential because everything else is competing for your attention.
Maybe today isn’t about planting more seed. Maybe it’s about pulling weeds. Sometimes growth doesn’t require adding one more Bible study. Sometimes it requires removing what has been choking the life out of the one you’re already doing.
The seed never changes. The Sower never changes. The harvest is determined by the soil.
——————
Soil #4: The Good Soil
Verse 23, “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
This is beautiful. Notice Jesus doesn’t say good soil is perfect soil. He simply says it receives the seed. It welcomes it. It protects it. It gives it room. It lets it sink deep. It keeps coming back day after day. And eventually… Fruit.
That’s God’s goal. Not information. Transformation.
God isn’t trying to make you a Bible trivia champion. He’s trying to make you look more like Jesus.
Fruit takes time. An apple tree doesn’t apologize because it didn’t produce apples the week after it was planted. Growth is slow. Roots grow before fruit shows.
Sometimes you’ll wonder if anything is happening at all. Keep showing up. Keep reading. Keep praying. Keep obeying. The roots are growing even when you can’t see them. And one day the fruit everyone sees will simply be the evidence of what God has been growing underground all along.
So today… Which soil are you? Actually… That’s the wrong question.
The better question is… Which soil is your heart today?
Maybe today you’ve been living on the busy path. God’s Word has stayed on the surface because you’ve been rushing from one thing to the next.
Maybe today your heart is rocky. You love the excitement of following Jesus until life gets hard.
Maybe today you’ve got weeds. Not terrible sins. Just too many things competing for your heart.
Or maybe… By God’s grace… Your heart is becoming good soil. Not perfect. Just open. Soft. Hungry. Ready.
Here’s the best news of this whole parable: Soil can change.
A hard path can be broken up. Rocks can be removed. Thorns can be pulled. The condition of your heart today does not have to be the condition of your heart tomorrow.
So before you close your Bible today, don’t just ask, “What did I learn?” Ask, “God, what kind of soil is my heart today… and what do You want to do with it?”
Because the seed never changes. The Sower never changes. But when the soil changes… Everything changes.
“Lord, soften whatever has become hard. Remove whatever is keeping me shallow. Pull whatever is choking my growth. Make my heart good soil so your word doesn’t just inform me – it transforms me.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
It’s back-to-school time. Today, I have friends walking their baby into kindergarten for the very first time. And I have other friends helping their baby move into a college dorm.
Those two days feel worlds apart… until you’ve lived them.
Those of us a little farther down the road know the truth. One day you’re zipping a backpack that’s almost bigger than they are. The next day you’re hugging them goodbye in a parking lot, trying not to cry until they can’t see you anymore.
The days are long. The years are unbelievably short.
And that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. We aren’t raising children to keep them. We’re raising them to release them. But before that day comes, God gives us something incredibly sacred.
Influence.
During the school year, our children will spend nearly half of their waking hours at school. Nearly half.
Half of their conversations.
Half of their friendships.
Half of their victories.
Half of their disappointments.
Half of the voices speaking into their lives.
As moms, that realization can make us want to tighten our grip. We want to protect them from every hurt, every bad influence, every disappointment, every temptation. But we can’t. We can’t walk beside them every minute.
God can.
He’ll be in the classroom before they arrive.
He’ll be standing in the hallway when they feel alone.
He’ll be at the lunch table when they’re wondering where they belong.
He’ll be on the bus ride, at practice, during the test, in the hard conversation, in the moment they need courage, and in the split second when they have to choose right over wrong.
There isn’t one place your child will go where God cannot meet them.
But here’s the beautiful and really really important thing… We get to invite Him there.
We’ll buy the new shoes.
We’ll pack the lunches.
We’ll label the notebooks.
But before we send them out the door… Let’s send them covered in prayer.
Our my greatest assignment as a mother was never to control my children. It is to continually talk to God about them.
Not lecture them more.
Not yell louder.
Not worry harder.
Prayer is the most powerful thing you will ever do for my children.
James 5:16, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Do we actually believe that? If we do, then let’s pray like it.
One of my favorite pictures of bold prayer comes from Joshua and the walls of Jericho. Jericho looked impossible. The walls were too high. Too thick. Too strong. Humanly speaking, there was no way through. But God didn’t hand Joshua a cannon to blast through the walls – He gave him marching orders.
“Walk around it.” Once a day for six days. Seven times on the seventh day. After the 7th circle on the 7th day, have the priest blow their horns, let the people shout, and those walls will just fall down.
Read the story in Joshua chapter 6. The battle plan from God sounded foolish. Marching doesn’t knock down walls. Trumpets don’t break stone.
But obedience invited the power of God. And when God’s people obeyed, the walls that looked impossible suddenly came crashing down.
Ever since reading The Circle Maker, I’ve loved the picture of praying circles. Sometimes I literally walk around the thing I’m praying for.
Sometimes I simply picture it in my mind. Not because there’s something magical about circles. There’s not. The power isn’t in the walking. The power is in the God we’re walking with. The circle simply reminds me that I’m surrounding something with persistent, believing prayer.
Mama… This school year, your Jericho may be the very building your child walks into every morning. So go make a circle. Walk around that school. Pray over every classroom. Pray over every teacher. Pray over every coach. Pray over every bus. Pray over every lunch table. Pray over every child who walks through those doors—including the ones who have no one praying for them.
Pray that truth would be louder than lies. Pray that kindness would overcome cruelty. Pray that lonely kids would find friends. Pray that teachers would have wisdom and patience. Pray that they would have JESUS! Pray that your child would have courage to stand for what’s right. Pray that God would place divine appointments in their path. Pray that lives would be changed. Pray that walls would come down.
But this isn’t just a call for mom’s with kids in school – this is a call for every single one of us listening. Listen to me – at a school near you, there are children inside those walls who desperately need someone talking to God on their behalf. THEY HAVE NO ONE PRAYING FOR THEM!
Someone is carrying burdens no one else knows. Someone is terrified. Someone is lonely. Someone is one encounter away from discovering Jesus. Someone needs heaven to move. And prayer still has the power to move heaven. WHY NOT BE THE ONE WHO PRAYS FOR THEM?
So let’s get to marching. Let’s get to praying. Let’s circle our schools until the God who brought down the walls of Jericho does what only He can do.
Because while our children may spend nearly half of their waking hours at school, they never have to spend one moment there without the presence of God going before them.
Could your prayer really make a difference? Absolutely. Read James 5:16 again: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Do you know who that righteous person is? You. Not because you’ve done everything right, but because Jesus made you right with God. Through Him, you have been given the incredible privilege of approaching the throne of God with confidence. You don’t have to wonder if you’re worthy enough to pray. Jesus settled that once and for all.
Now pray. Pray boldly. Pray specifically. Pray expectantly.
Your prayers aren’t empty words floating into the air. They are powerful conversations with the God who moves mountains, breaks chains, opens doors, and brings down walls.
So start praying your circles.
Circle your children.
Circle their school.
Circle their teachers.
Circle the principal.
Circle the coaches.
Circle the staff.
Circle the lonely kids.
Circle the hurting families.
Invite the presence of God into every classroom, every hallway, every bus ride, every friendship, and every decision. Because your prayers have great power and God still produces wonderful results.
If you don’t know what to pray, you pray scripture! Yes, pray God’s own word, declare his promises over the school. I have a easy guide in the transcript of this devotional at biglifedevotional.com. (Thank you, Darlene!)
Prayer Circle:
Jeremiah 29:11 – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
School Entrance & Main Gates: Welcome and Protection
Psalm 121:8 – “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Deuteronomy 28:6 – “You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.”
Prayer Focus: Pray for a hedge of protection around the building, safety from violence, and that everyone entering feels welcome
Classrooms: Wisdom, Truth, and Learning
James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
Prayer Focus: Pray for academic integrity, clarity of mind for students struggling to learn, and that truth and wisdom prevail in the curriculum.
Teachers: Strength and Patience
Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Proverbs 16:24 – “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Prayer Focus: Pray against teacher burnout. Ask God to give educators an extra measure of grace, renewed energy, and the tools to reach every unique child.
Hallways, Lockers, & Common Areas: Peer Influence and Identity
• Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Proverbs 13:20 – “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”
1 Timothy 4:12 – “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Prayer Focus: Pray against bullying, isolation, and peer pressure. Ask that Christian students find a godly community and have the courage to stand strong in their faith.
Cafeteria & Playgrounds: Kindness and Light
John 13:35 – “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Prayer Focus: Pray for students who feel lonely or sit by themselves at lunch.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Is there something from your past holding you back? It could be 50 years ago, or 5 days ago. Regardless, past regrets, guilt, and shame have a way of holding on to us. We replay the stories we have no way of changing because what is done is done. You can’t go back. You can’t undo it. So, what do you do?
Too many of us are serving life sentences for sins Jesus already died for. We keep dragging yesterday into today and wondering why it’s so hard to move forward. We allow our worst moments to become our identity. We introduce ourselves to God with our failures, while He calls us by our name.
Maybe you wish you had made different choices. Maybe you stayed too long, left too soon, trusted the wrong person, or became someone you’re not proud of. Maybe you did things that still haunt you. Or maybe things were done to you that have created a deep shame. Maybe you’ve asked God to forgive you a thousand times, but you’ve never forgiven yourself. You’ve accepted His grace for everyone else while withholding it from yourself.
Regret has a way of convincing us that our past gets the final word. Shame whispers, “This changes everything.” But grace declares, “No, Jesus does.”
Once, there was a woman caught in a shameful act of sin and brought before a crowd for Jesus to judge. Now imagine that for a moment. You know what you did, but imagine standing before a crowd with your sin announced and Jesus looking right at you. You have no excuse. No justification. It’s just the truth of what you’ve done as your full identity.
What would Jesus say to you?
You don’t have to guess. What He said to one daughter about her guilt and shame is what He says to every daughter about her guilt and shame. Hear Jesus today.
John 8: 2-11, “At dawn Jesus appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, which with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’
‘No one, sir’,’ she said.
‘THEN NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU.’ Jesus declared. ‘GO NOW AND LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN.’
How incredibly remarkable. Jesus didn’t turn away. He didn’t shame her. There was no condemnation in the presence of Jesus—not by Him or anyone else.
And don’t miss this. Jesus knew everything.
He knew the details no one else knew. He knew every choice that led her there. He knew the things she was ashamed to say out loud. There were no secrets remaining before Him. Yet Jesus did not condemn her. Instead, He invited her to leave it all right there and walk away without that burden. Without that secret. Without that regret. Without that shame.
A woman set free from the very mess she had created. A woman given a new life as fully forgiven. And that is you.
How do I know that’s you? Because not a single one of us is without sin. No one has gotten this all right. We’ve all failed and fallen short. Every single one of us deserves condemnation, but praise God, we don’t receive what we deserve. We receive what Jesus purchased for us instead.
There are two things Jesus says to this woman, and I believe we often embrace one while completely missing the other.
First, He says, “Neither do I condemn you.”
We love that part. We underline it in our Bibles. We thank Him for it. But then we spend the rest of our lives condemning ourselves. Isn’t that strange? Jesus releases us while we keep ourselves imprisoned.
Jesus says, “I don’t condemn you.” And we reply, “Thank you, Jesus, but I do.”
He says, “You’re forgiven.” We say, “Yes, but I’m ashamed.”
He says, “I’ve removed your sin.” We say, “Yes, but I still carry it.”
Can I lovingly tell you something? It is not humility to carry what Jesus died to remove.
Some of us have made self-punishment our penance. We secretly believe if we carry our shame long enough, somehow we’ll finally pay for what we’ve done. But my sister, that’s not repentance—that’s pride dressed up as punishment. You cannot pay for a debt Jesus already paid in full – stop trying. If Jesus doesn’t condemn you, then who gave you permission to condemn yourself?
The second thing Jesus says is, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Notice He didn’t say, “Neither do I condemn you, now stay here and live defined by what you’ve done.” No. Grace never leaves us where it finds us. Jesus didn’t simply free her from condemnation, He freed her for transformation.
He drew a line in the sand that day. Everything before this moment was her past. Everything after this moment would become her future. And do you know what Jesus refused to allow? He refused to allow her past to cross over that line.
I wonder if that’s what Jesus is doing for you today.
Perhaps He’s drawing another line in the sand – not because He has grown weary of forgiving you, but because He is weary of watching you carry what He has already removed.
How many times has He offered you this forgiveness? Every single day of your life. And every day you’ve picked it back up again.
You’ve brought Him the same regret. The same shame. The same failure. Not because His forgiveness isn’t enough, but because you’ve struggled to believe it really applies to you. Today can be different. Today can be the day you finally realize that you cannot change what you did, but it has never changed the way Jesus sees you.
You think what you did changed everything, but you’re wrong. WHAT JESUS DID CHANGED EVERYTHING.
Your choices are not more powerful than His cross. Your failures are not more powerful than His forgiveness. Your past is not more powerful than His grace.
He hung on that cross to forgive you. Not partially. Not temporarily. Completely. And now He asks you not to carry this beyond the line He has drawn. He already died for this, and He doesn’t want a part of you dying too.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” That includes you. Not someday. Not after you’ve punished yourself long enough. Not after you’ve finally become who you think you should be.
Today.
And my sister, that doesn’t merely include you – it is about you. If you were the only person in the world, Jesus would have died for you. He would have stretched out His arms on that cross simply so you could hear Him say, “Neither do I condemn you.” He drew the line to create a boundary for your past. Don’t drag your past across the line He has drawn.
He meant it when He said, “I do not condemn you.” And He meant it when He said, “Go now and leave this.”
The enemy wants you looking over your shoulder, grieving what cannot be changed. God invites you to lift your eyes and look ahead at what can still be redeemed.
You may not be able to rewrite the story, but God is able to redeem it. He has never once looked at a broken life and said, “There’s nothing I can do with that.” In fact, broken pieces are often His favorite place to begin.
At some point, you have to stop visiting the graveyard of your past and start walking into the purpose of your present. What happened matters, but it doesn’t get to matter most. God’s grace is greater than your greatest regret.
You cannot change yesterday, but you don’t have to keep carrying it into tomorrow.
So today, I want you to picture Jesus bending down and drawing a line in the sand for you. On one side is everything you’ve done. Every regret. Every failure. Every shame-filled memory. And on the other side is the abundant life He died to give you.
Hear Him say it one more time:
“Neither do I condemn you.” And then hear the rest of His invitation: “Go now.”
Leave it here.
Leave it forgiven.
Leave it buried.
And walk away free.
And you know what free women do … they help set others free. There are others just like you. Others dragging around that same guilt and shame. Others who have suffered too. And now you, with the power of the Holy Spirit within you, and the personal experience of forgiveness and freedom, you can lead those women to the same encounter with Jesus and the line he has drawn for them. LET HIM USE YOU NOW!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Maybe you’re living out a story that doesn’t look like you imagined. You had dreams, you had desires, you had plans … and your life seems to have fallen flat. You’ve been left wanting – left waiting – left wondering.
When will things change for you? How much longer do you have to wait? What if what you want will never happen? Then what? Will you just be miserable?
Or what if it does change? What if your waiting is over. What if the very thing you’ve always wanted is on it’s way to you now, it’s literally happening. Then what? Will you finally be happy?
One thing I know for sure – we’re in a continual pursuit of what we think will make us happy, and that mark constantly moves. Most of us literally woke up surrounded by answers to the very prayers we once prayed. Yet we didn’t wake up feeling like we have it all. The mark moved. The distant land of happiness is still just out of your reach. But you tell yourself when you finally get there life will be so good.
It’s almost like the end of the rainbow. It looks like it’s just right over there. Like you can walk right to it. But when you get there, the end of the rainbow has moved on you, so you never quite arrive.
Within our Bible is the story of a woman who waited well. A woman who was brutally honest with God instead of faking her way through it. And a woman who finally got what she wanted and shows us precisely what to do then.
That woman is Hannah. Her story is found in 1 Samuel chapters 1 and 2. Hannah was married to a man with one of those really hard to pronounce names, so we will just call him E. E had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah was the one E really loved, but Peninnah was the one who had given him children. Verse 5 says, “The Lord had closed her womb.”
Why wasn’t she able to have children? It’s actually very clear. The Lord had closed her womb.
Now of course to us that doesn’t seem fair. Why? That’s what Hannah was asking as well. And guess what? God didn’t fault her for asking. He doesn’t find fault in our asking either. You can ask God why.
Why are you left waiting? Why has your life turned in a direction you would have never asked for? What do you have to do to get this to change for you?
Here’s what I notice in these stories in our Bible – if our questioning is directed to God, it is always handled with care and powerful resolve. God always makes a way, or He reveals how His way is for a greater purpose. It’s never left unresolved. He answers.
But the issue becomes when we’re turning to anyone or anything other than God for solutions to our problems. In your wait – in your struggle – in your trial – who are you bringing your questioning to? Where are you going when you are seeking? Those self-help books are not your answer. That relationship isn’t your answer. That promotion isn’t your answer. That number on the scale isn’t your answer. That next accomplishment isn’t your answer.
Your answer is God.
Hannah could have become bitter. She could have become resentful. She could have given up on God altogether. Instead, she ran to Him.
At this time in history, once a year you could go up where the priest was and offer a sacrifice and worship the Lord. Yes, just once a year. Every year when Hannah would go to worship the Lord, there E’s other wife would be as well. And there, Peninnah, the wife with children, would poke at her. Verses 6-7, “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.”
Every time Hannah went to worship God, she was only reminded of what she didn’t have. Reminded of what she wanted but still lacked. Reminded of her struggle, her short-coming, and her future that looked nothing like she had imagined. Year after year. Prayer after prayer. Disappointment after disappointment.
But you know what she didn’t stop doing – she didn’t stop going to worship God. She didn’t sit in her hurt, wallow in her disappointment, and give up on God. She kept going to worship. Even when this awful woman would be there. Even when she was reminded of what she didn’t have. SHE KEPT GOING TO GOD.
Girl, whatever you’re waiting on, you keep going to God. Don’t let anyone discourage you. Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way of going to God.
Now, this part of the story shows us our most important move. Verse 10, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.”
She didn’t hold it in. She didn’t pretend like she was okay. She let it all out. She was desperate before the Lord.
Jamie Macdonald has a song called Desperate. Girl, cry out those words to God if you’re waiting for him. Don’t hold it in. Don’t pretend like you’re okay when you’re not.
I’m at the end of myself and I’m
Tired, I’ve tried all that I know to do
Right now it’s just by a thread but I’m
I’m hanging on to you
I’m running out of hope
I need a miracle
And if I ever needed you, it’s right now
Oh God, I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from heaven
‘Cause that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking, I’m begging
Lord, come through for me
I need heaven and I’m
Desperate
Get desperate before God.
Hannah was so desperate before God, praying, begging, crying, the priest thought she was drunk. No, Hannah wasn’t drunk, she was desperate.
Girl, let yourself be desperate for God. Stop trying to hold it all together. Stop pretending you’re okay. Stop with the facade. Get real before the Lord. If you’re not fine, stop saying you are.
Somewhere along the way we’ve gotten the idea that faith means pretending we’re fine. Hannah would disagree. Faith isn’t pretending you’re okay. Faith is bringing your honest heart before a faithful God.
God can handle your questions. He can handle your tears. He can handle your disappointment. He’s not intimidated by any of it.
And perhaps this is what you need to hear today—you don’t have to fake contentment while you’re waiting. God isn’t asking you to pretend you don’t care. He’s asking you to bring what you care about to Him.
Notice what happened after Hannah prayed. She didn’t immediately become pregnant. Her circumstances hadn’t changed. God hadn’t yet answered her prayer. But here’s what she did after she cried out to the Lord – verse 18, “She went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.”
Something shifted in Hannah. She no longer carried this burden. She had left this in the hands of God.
Let me tell you something—whatever you’re waiting on, whatever you’re hoping for, whatever you’re desperate for—it is perfectly held in the hands of God. PUT IT THERE. And when you do, your circumstances may not change immediately, but you can feel different. You can feel lighter. You can live better.
At that point, nothing had changed, but Hannah had. She walked into God’s presence carrying her burden, and she walked out having left it there.
I wonder if that’s what God is inviting some of us to do today—not to stop wanting what we want, but to stop carrying what He has invited us to surrender. You don’t have to know what God is going to do next. You simply have to know where to go while you’re waiting. Go to Him.
So how does the story end? Well, it’s easy to say the story ends with God giving Hannah what she had begged Him for. Verse 20 says, “So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.'”
The end of the rainbow? No.
This isn’t the end. Let me tell you what Hannah did after she got what she had waited for so long. Let me tell you what she did when the Lord answered and her story changed.
Verse 27, Hannah goes to worship the Lord and she once again prays, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I GIVE HIM TO THE LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”
In chapter 2, her prayer continues, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. I delight in your deliverance.”
Who is Hannah worshiping? The Lord.
And here’s where we often mess up—God gives us what we asked for, our prayers are answered, we’re living in His blessing, and that thing becomes our god. Our focus shifts to what God gave us instead of the God who gave it to us.
Whatever God does for you, make sure you give it back to Him. Don’t let your blessing take the place of the Blessor.
And maybe that’s been God’s invitation all along.
When you don’t have it—trust Him.
When you’re waiting—trust Him.
When He says no—trust Him.
When He says not yet—trust Him.
And when He says yes—trust Him still.
Hannah teaches us that contentment isn’t found in finally getting what you’ve always wanted. If it were, she would have ended her story in chapter 1 holding Samuel in her arms. Instead, she begins chapter 2 with her hands lifted in worship.
Her greatest joy wasn’t that she had a son. Her greatest joy was that she had her God.
Perhaps that’s the secret of contentment. It’s not found in getting the life you imagined. It’s found in knowing the God who is writing your story.
Whether you’re in chapter 1 weeping bitterly or chapter 2 singing joyfully, He is still worthy. He is still good. And He is still enough.
So bring Him your waiting. Bring Him your questions. Bring Him your disappointments. Bring Him your answered prayers. Put it all in His hands and leave it there.
Because the greatest gift God will ever give you isn’t what comes from His hand—it’s His hand itself.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Last week we talked about valleys and mountains. Valleys being those dreaded low places in life, and mountains being those beautiful highs. We all want to stay in our mountaintop experiences, but we can’t. Do you remember why? Because nothing grows on top of a mountain. If you go high enough, the view is breathtaking, but the air is too thin for anything to grow.
And that’s the way we are.
The highs are beautiful, but we’re not growing when we’ve reached the pinnacle. God wants His girls continually growing. Don’t you realize there is so much more potential in you? God loves you so much, He won’t allow you to remain in a place where that potential becomes stagnant. So, to the valleys we go.
The valley is where everything grows. Down here, sis, in these trenches, is where you grow. God’s greatest desire isn’t simply for you to be happy or comfortable. It’s for you to know Him, trust Him, and become the fullness of who He created you to be.
Can you see that? Your valley isn’t evidence that God has forsaken you—it’s often evidence that He hasn’t. He loves you entirely too much to leave you standing on that mountaintop.
Where would I be if I hadn’t struggled with my health and faced death? Where would I be if I hadn’t gone through financial disaster and lost it all? Where would I be if I hadn’t been crushed on this journey to the point of wanting to quit? Where would I be if my family hadn’t endured seven years of division and separation?
Would I be happier? Actually, no.
Would I be further along? Absolutely not.
Without those hardships, those struggles, and those deep valleys, I wouldn’t have discovered I could really trust God. I would still be so full of myself—convinced my success was something I had earned. I would think the house I owned, the car I drove, and the clothes I wore defined me. I would have missed the miracle of waking up to another day of life. I would still be standing on my mountain, looking down on those who were struggling, quietly assuming they must have done something wrong while I had somehow done everything right.
Thank You, Lord, for not leaving me there.
Because on that mountain, I would have missed the sweetness of humility. I would have taken so much for granted. I would have remained trapped in my performance, my striving, and my self-importance.
And perhaps most tragically of all, I would have walked through this life with knowing ABOUT God, but not really KNOWING him, not really TRUSTING him, not really LEANING on him, not really changed by him, and not really truly LOVING him.
Here, in the middle of those struggles and hardships, I found something I never would have discovered on the mountain:
He didn’t leave me here.
He’s growing me here.
So why am I coming back around to this valley teaching? Quite simply, because that’s exactly where the Holy Spirit led me this morning. And I believe this message isn’t just for someone out there—it’s for someone listening right now. Here’s what He put on my heart…
Someone woke up today feeling incredibly alone.
Someone is dealing with people who are exhausting, difficult, and beyond their ability to change.
Someone is married to an unbeliever and wondering how much longer they can carry the weight of that burden.
Someone is watching their aging parents face decisions they never wanted to make, navigating circumstances where every option feels impossible.
Someone is crying out for their prodigal, wondering when they’ll finally come home.
Someone is facing financial devastation and doesn’t know how they’re going to make it.
Someone is standing in the middle of a mess they cannot fix, no matter how hard they try.
Someone is walking through the darkest wilderness season of their life and quietly wondering, “Am I ever going to get out of this?”
Sis, if that’s you, I want you to hear this clearly: You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. You are not stuck in a place where God cannot reach you.
The same God who meets you on the mountaintop is the God who walks with you through the valley. And maybe, just maybe, this valley isn’t where your story is falling apart. Maybe it’s where God is growing something in you that could never grow anywhere else.
So for you, my sweet sister, God knew you would be listening today. And for you, He asked me to remind you once again of the growth in the low places. The fruit you will produce because of your time in the valley.
Remember those fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Yes, here in the valley of loneliness. Here in the valley with difficult people. Here in the valley with an unbelieving spouse. Here in the valley with aging parents. Here in the valley with your prodigal. Here in the valley with no money, messes you can’t fix, and this dreaded wilderness—God is drawing closer and closer to you.
Why?
Because it’s here that you realize you need Him. It’s here that you hit your knees. It’s here that you draw near to Him because He is your only way, your only refuge, and your only hope.
And James 4:8 promises, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
This is the valley of closeness. This is the valley of abiding. This is the valley of dependence.
This is where your prayers change from rushed and routine to desperate and real. This is where His Word becomes more than words on a page—it becomes your daily bread. This is where worship becomes your warfare and peace becomes your victory.
This is where you stop asking, “Lord, how do I get out of this?” and begin asking, “Lord, what are You growing in me here?” This is where you discover that Jesus really is enough.
And isn’t that what we’ve wanted all along? Not merely a better life, but a deeper one. Not merely God’s blessings, but God’s presence. Not merely a mountaintop experience, but a relationship so intimate that we can whisper, “Whether I’m on the mountain or in the valley, it is well with my soul.”
Sis, don’t waste your valley wishing you were somewhere else. God has fruit growing here that couldn’t grow anywhere else. One day you’ll stand on another mountaintop and realize you didn’t get there in spite of your valley – you got there BECAUSE of it. Yes, what’s growing in you HERE will take you to greater places next than you’ve ever imagined.
This is where you learn a deep abiding faith and trust that creates a HOLY YES to God’s next invitation. An invitation you would dismiss if you didn’t first grow here in this valley. An invitation to higher ground which you would have been to afraid to accept if you wouldn’t have see the hand of God in this low.
Grab your Bible and open it to 2 Corinthians. This is a book written by Paul as he was suffering greatly. He was being beaten, being imprisoned, facing constant turmoil and threats, all because he knew Jesus, he loved Jesus, and he was spreading the teaching of Jesus. He’s not writing about these things for pity, he’s sharing of his valley because he’s personally experiencing the growth and change within.
Chapter 1, verse 8-9, Paul writes, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure and we thought we would never live through it.”
Okay – let’s pause right there. Is that how you feel? Are you questioning how you’re going to live through this? Do you feel crushed? Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you feel you simply don’t have the ability to continue in what you’re going through? Yes? KEEP READING!!!!!!
The next thing Paul says is “BUT AS A RESULT …”
Underline that. Highlight it. Circle it. Draw arrows to it. Paul is saying this horrendous valley he went through, uncertain he could even make it through produced a result. It caused something in his life. It wasn’t meaningless. It was all for a purpose. What resulted?
“AS A RESULT, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”
And what this says is if God can raise the dead, if he can defeat the most final of all finals which is death itself, then he can bring life, bring hope, bring light back to whatever hard, dark, overwhelming, and too far gone thing you’re dealing with.
Through this valley, through this hardship, through this thing you question if you’re going to be able to even make it through, something is going to shift and you’re going to change. That change is you will STOP RELYING ON YOURSELF AND LEARN TO RELY ONLY ON GOD.
Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, “For with God, all things are possible.” Not without him. You’ve tried that. BUT WITH GOD – have you tried that yet? WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
This is you learning to rely only on God.
I love to study different translations of a scripture to really understand it. Using the Bible app, I have my preferred translations set to NLT, NIV, TPT, and MSG. Then, when reading a specific scripture in the app, I can just hold down on it, then hit “compare” and it will show me that exact verse in all those different translations. If you’re not using that tool, try it.
So, for example, that same scripture, 1 Corinthians 1:9 in the MSG translation says this, “As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. WE WERE FORCED TO TRUST GOD TOTALLY.”
Well doesn’t that explain this season of your life? This wilderness, this hardship, this struggle. This isn’t because God has forsaken you here – this is because God is working here. He’s growing you. He’s literally allowing the best thing that could ever happen. What’s that … he’s allowing you to experience first hand that you can trust him totally.
God knows most of us wouldn’t just naturally trust him totally. God knows we will have to experience that impossible situation for ourselves, come to the very end of ourselves, sit in the mess without a way to fix it, and then call out to him. And when we call out to him, he comes running! He comes running with power that can strengthen you, give you peace, and bring every dead thing back to life. And then you know – YOU CAN TRUST GOD TOTALLY.
As a result of your low valley, you are learning more about God than any class could ever teach you. And perhaps the greatest gift of all won’t be what God DID FOR you in the valley. It will be what He did IN you. HE GREW YOU!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Here’s what Jesus didn’t say – “Only a select few, super spiritual will hear my voice.” No, he said, “My sheep listen to my voice.”
Jesus calls himself our Good Shepherd. What does that mean? In ancient Israel, a shepherd wasn’t just the owner of sheep – a shepherd was the one who lived with the sheep. His entire life was dedicated to his sheep. He slept near them at night. He protected them from danger. He led them to green pastures to eat and water to drink. The shepherd of this day knew each one of sheep individually. He knew which one was stubborn. He knew which one was prone to wander. He knew which one would lollygag and get lost. He also knew the dillydallyer that would inevitably get stuck in a ditch somewhere.
A shepherd wasn’t like a cattle rancher driving a herd from behind. A shepherd led from the front and the sheep followed him. My friends, THAT’S OUR JESUS.
He could have called himself anything. He could have called himself the General of the Army of followers. He could have called himself King. He could have given himself a crown of immeasurable value. But instead, he chose to be a shepherd to his sheep. To lovingly stay close.
Shepherds in Jesus’ day would often bring their sheep into a communal sheep pen at night. Several flocks would be together in one place with one gatekeeper watching over them. The next morning multiple shepherds would come to collect their sheep. There weren’t separate sections. They weren’t color coded.
The shepherd simply called his sheep. And his sheep got up and followed him. The others didn’t move.
Can you imagine the noise? Hundreds of sheep. Multiple shepherds calling out. Yet somehow each sheep knew which voice belonged to the one they trusted. They knew because they had heard it thousands of times before. They learned their shepherd’s tone, their shepherd’s call, their shepherd’s character. Their shepherd wasn’t a stranger to them – the other voices were.
A shepherd would continaully speak to his flock while leading them. He wanted his sheep to know his voice so if they wandered, they would return. A study was once done testing a flock of sheep to see how they recognized their own shepherd above anyone else trying to lead them. Thinking perhaps it was the scent of their clothes or their appearance, they dressed another man in the shepherd’s clothing and had him call to the flock of sheep. They would not listen. But their own shepherd, in completely different clothing could call out, and all the sheep would come running to his side. There was one thing they recognized – one thing they followed – HIS VOICE.
Jesus doesn’t say his sheep will always make the right decisions. Sheep are generally rather ignorant and they continually get themselves into perdicaments where only their shepherd can rescue them. But what matters is his sheep know his voice. They know when he calls. They know when he directs.
But I know the question we all have – DO I REALLY HEAR GOD’S VOICE? Am I good enough to know when it’s him guiding me?
The sheep has no qualification here. The sheep just naturally know. The work is of the shepherd. The sheep simply listen.
And isn’t that our problem – sometimes we’re simply not listening. We live in a world that is so busy and loud that we can’t hear our shepherd. We’re so quick to turn to anyone and anything that might give us immediate answers. We’ll turn on a podcast, we’ll call a friend, we’ll look for a sign, we’ll seek anything for a little guidance, but we won’t get still. We won’t get quiet. We won’t just sit with our shepherd and be close.
So we miss it.
Can we hear him – YES. We are sheep and the one thing we have the ability to do is hear our Shepherd. We don’t have the ability to figure things out on our own. We don’t have the ability to navigate our own way. We don’t have the ability to fix or change things. But we have the ability to listen and hear the voice that guides us. But we often don’t because we’re won’t … We won’t be still. We won’t be quiet. We won’t wait for his voice.
Here’s what we often do – “God please speak to me. Tell me what to do.”
While God is saying, “Would you please just spend time with me?”
When an audiable voice becomes more important than a close relationship, we’ve missed the point. The sheep weren’t just wanting the voice of their shepherd to make them feel more confident. The sheep wanted the closeness of their shepherd because it was their way of life!
What if instead of asking God to speak to us, we begin by saying “God, I just want to draw near to you.”
The goal isn’t to get better at hearing voices. The goal is to spend so much time with Jesus that you become familiar with him. When you’re familiar with him, you’ll know his ways. You’ll know his rhythm. And when he speaks, you will KNOW it’s him. Relationship produces recognition.
Ask anyone who truly receives the promptings of the Lord and his clear directions and I guarantee you they have a RELATIONSHIP build from a foundation of TIME spent with God. When you spend time with the Shepherd, you become familiar with his voice and you won’t be fooled by other voices – including your own.
Relationship changes our ability to recognize Him.
Our Good Shepherd says in John 10:5, “My sheep will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” And that’s our problem. We’ve spent too much time with strange voices. We’ve wandered off into flocks we don’t belong in with shepherds who are not our own. So we’ve gotten confused. The voice of the world is no longer a stranger to us – it’s so familiar that we don’t run from it. Social media is loud. Our own voice of fear and shame and comparison has been listened to so often that it’s just normal for us to do the stupid stuff our own mind comes up with. We’ve crowded out the voice of our shepherd and that’s why we’re confused.
So what do you do? TURN OFF THE NOISE. GET BACK TO YOUR SHEPHERD.
Where do you find your shepherd? Verse 4 tells us, “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” HE’S AHEAD OF YOU. Look forward. Don’t look back. Don’t wander in circles. He is in front of you, making a way, clearing the path for you.
Wherever you’re walking today, Jesus has already been there. This isn’t about asking Jesus to hurry up and catch up with you – this is about looking up and seeing where he is in front of you.
What if today we changed our prayers a bit. What if today we prayed, “Jesus, where are you already going? I simply want to follow you.”
It’s never about the sheep charting their own way. Sheep aren’t bucketlist destination diving out there. They’re following where the shepherd leads and finding the most perfect green pastures along the way to enjoy. The shepherd was already going great places, the sheep simply had to follow.
I assure you, Jesus, your Good Shepherd, is going to better places than you have ever imagined. His plans are higher, better and bigger than anything your human/slash/sheep mind could ever dream up. If you will just follow him, you’ll get to experience the most beautiful things this life has to offer.
Jesus, where are you already going? I simply want to follow you.
Are you already going over here to this new job opportunity – I want to follow you. If you have something else in mind, then Jesus I don’t want to wander off into fields of my own. I want to stay close to you.
I’ve decided I’m just following Jesus. His voice is heard when I stay close. His voice is heard when I am still and quiet.
When I stay close, I don’t have to wake up every morning worrying if the voice I’m hearing is my shepherd. If I’m close, then I know. But if I’ve been scrolling all night, watching countless videos, reading the posts of strangers, then I am confused. I’ve drawn close to strangers and their voices may be calling me.
Girl, get yourself back to Jesus. Stay close to him. That is truly your answer. Shut out everything else.
The sheep don’t follow because they understand everything. They follow because they trust the One who is speaking.
We tend to put all the pressure on ourselves. What if I miss him? What if I make the wrong decision? What if I’m just making this up? All while Jesus is saying, “I’m a shepherd. This is what I do!”
He knows how to lead sheep. He isn’t intimidated by stubborn sheep. He isn’t surprised by wandering sheep. He isn’t confused by lost sheep. That’s His specialty.
The pressure isn’t on the sheep to become brilliant navigators. The pressure is off because we have a brilliant Shepherd.
The shepherd is speaking to you. He’s calling you to just go where he goes. Decide now you simply want to follow your Shepherd.
Friend, perhaps you’ve made hearing God’s voice far more complicated than Jesus ever intended. He didn’t say His sheep would have extraordinary wisdom. He didn’t say His sheep would never wander. He didn’t say His sheep would always make the right decisions. He simply said His sheep know His voice.
If you’ve wandered, come back.
If you’ve grown confused, come back.
If you’ve filled your mind with stranger’s voices, come back.
He’s not disappointed that you’re returning. He’s a Shepherd. This is what He does.
He goes before you. He calls your name. He lovingly leads. And all He’s asking of you today is what sheep have always done—simply follow.
Jesus, where are You already going? I simply want to follow You.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Life is full of mountains and valleys. One day we’re standing on the mountaintop, taking in the view and thanking God for how good life feels. The next, we’re walking through a valley we never saw coming, wondering how we got here and how we’ll ever make it through.
That’s life. No one gets a permanent address on the mountaintop, and no one stays in the valley forever. We all experience seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow, seasons of abundance and seasons of struggle. There are moments when we feel strong, confident, and full of faith, and there are moments when we’re tired, discouraged, and simply trying to take the next step.
The mountains and the valleys are both part of the journey.
Does this mean we hate the valleys and only live for the mountaintops? If so, we’re wasting much of our lives. It’s like the person who chooses misery all week long and only lives for the weekend. Or the person who is continually chasing greener grass, only to get there and find it’s always greener somewhere else. They’re waiting for life to begin when life has been happening all along.
Sometimes I wonder if we’re guilty of doing the same thing spiritually. We endure the valleys and merely survive them while we wait for God to get us back to the mountain. We decide the mountaintop is where God is blessing us and the valley is where he’s forgotten us. We assume one is good and one is bad.
But what if we’re wrong?
What if God never intended for us to love one and despise the other? What if he designed both?
God is in control of all things, so why does he allow these low valleys in life? Why doesn’t he take us to the mountaintop experiences and let us stay there? Why not total bliss all the time? Why can’t everything just be good and stay good?
My husband and I have often joked over the years of raising three kids that when the rare moment comes along when all three are doing great at the same time—with no problems—we hold our breath. Experience has taught us it doesn’t last long. It’s our mountaintop. It’s bliss. It’s rare. We know we’re here, but we also know we probably don’t get to stay here. Before long, back down into the valley we’ll go with at least one of them.
Have you ever noticed that’s the way life seems to work? We just can’t keep things at their very best for very long. The job is good, then the job is hard. The marriage is happy, then the marriage is struggling. Our bodies are healthy, then suddenly they aren’t. The bank account is full, then an unexpected expense arrives. We finally catch our breath, and then life takes it away again.
The mountains are beautiful, but they’re temporary.
The valleys are difficult, but they’re temporary too.
And that’s not a flaw in God’s design. It’s part of it.
If mountaintops became permanent, we would begin to worship the view instead of the God who brought us there. If valleys never came, we would never learn surrender and trust. The mountain gives us perspective, but the valley gives us depth.
God has never promised us a life of uninterrupted mountaintops. What he has promised is something far better—His uninterrupted presence.
He’s God on the mountain, and he’s God in the valley. He isn’t waiting for you at the top. He’s walking with you wherever you are.
And perhaps that’s the invitation—not to spend our lives trying to escape the valleys or cling to the mountains, but to learn to look for God in both.
1 Kings 20:28, “The LORD says, ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.”
If you just pluck this one scripture out, it won’t make sense. So, let’s study the context and see what God is telling us.
Israel are God’s people who seek him and trust him. They have enemies constantly trying to defeat them. One of those enemies is the kingdom of Aram who’s King is Ben-Hadad. The Arameans greatly outnumbered the Israelites, yet the Israelites had just defeated them in battle. As the Aramenas were trying to understand their battle and how they could have lost to an army so beneath them, they came to the conclusion it was because of the Israelites’ God. Verse 23, they said “Their gods are gods of the mountains. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them in the valleys, surely we will be stronger than them.”
With that in mind, the Arameans planned their next attack on God’s people in a valley. A valley, a low spot, where the Israelites’ mountaintop God would have no reign and no power. They didn’t doubt God’s existence, they doubted his authority over both the mountain and the valley. BUT THEY WERE WRONG!
Our LORD isn’t just a mountaintop God. He’s not limited by good experiences and positive outcomes. He’s not just in the highs – he’s in the lows. His jurisdiction is not limited by location or circumstance. And this is why the LORD said in verse 28, “Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.”
Essentially God is saying, “You’ve seen me work on the mountain, NOW WATCH ME WORK IN THE LOW VALLEYS TOO!” This is a lesson not only for the enemy, but for God’s people. “Stop thinking I will only give you victory up here, I can work in the lows too!” This was more than God winning a battle, this was God revealing himself.
What? You think God has boundaries? You think there’s somewhere he doesn’t rule? Somewhere out of his reach? Somewhere his power isn’t effective? Something too hard or too big and beyond his dominion? You think there’s a place God can’t give victory. GIRL, JUST WATCH HIM.
Today, we often live exactly as the Aramean’s who thought God was only the God of the mountain. We believe:
God is with me when my marriage is good!
God is with me when my body is healthy!
God is with me when the money is there!
God is with me when all the kids are doing well!
God is with me when my prayers are answered!
Yes, he’s with me … I can see him … look at all this goodness in my life! I’m on the mountaintop!
But life doesn’t stay there, and soon we’re in a low valley and we begin asking:
Where is God?
Why isn’t he helping me?
Has he left me?
Did I do something wrong?
Is he punishing me with this deep dark valley of hardship and struggle?
And really what we’re wondering is if God stayed on the mountain and he’s not with us in the valley.
But I want to give you one memorable fact that will stay with you forever. NOTHING GROWS ON THE MOUNTAINTOP.
Have you ever climbed a really tall mountain – I’m talking a legit mountain. Have you noticed the higher you go, the thinner the air gets. And as you continue the climb, it just becomes rocky. No trees. No fruit. No grass. No flowers. The view is remarkable and it feels great to stand on top of the mountain, but NOTHING GROWS UP THERE.
That, my friends, is life. You don’t grow in your moutaintop moments. When everything is so perfectly good, you’re not growing. And that’s why God doesn’t leave you up there. He lovingly brings you back down to the valley because in the valley is where YOU GROW!
Trees grow in the valley. Fruit is produced in the valley. Flowers are in abundance in the valley. It’s the low places where we grow.
I find it interesting that God could have simply prevented the second battle altogether. Instead, He allowed Israel to go right back into another fight. Why? Because there was something about Himself He wanted revealed that could only be revealed in the valley.
God isn’t better on the mountain. He’s simply different there. The mountain may reveal His majesty, but the valley reveals His faithfulness.
What God is showing us is regardless of the place we are in life, regardless of the highs and lows, he is the LORD over every place. Just as the mountain doesn’t make him God, neither do the valleys of life diminish him. He is just as present, just as powerful, and just as soverign in the lowest and hardest of valleys in your life as he is on the highest and most victorious mountain.
I have a beautiful friend currently battling a relentless and ugly cancer. This cancer has dragged her through one heck of a dark valley. But here in this valley, she has discovered God’s presence unlike ever before. She has learned He is her only hope. She has learned peace that doesn’t make sense. She has learned full surrender and unwavering faith. That’s what valleys do to us, and I have to believe that’s one of the reasons God allows them. He reveals Himself in such personal and powerful ways.
Perhaps her mountaintop moments will come and she will stand whole, healthy, and healed with a long, beautiful life ahead of her. Oh, how I pray she experiences that. But here’s what I know—she won’t grow up there. She’s growing down here.
And maybe that’s why God doesn’t allow us to permanently live on the mountaintops. We would enjoy him there, but we wouldn’t NEED him there. We would celebrate him there, but we wouldn’t CLING to him there.
It is in the valley where we discover he really is enough. It’s in the valley where we learn he wasn’t kidding when he said he would never leave us or forsake us. It’s in the valley where we find his strength made perfect in our weakness. It’s in the valley where we discover his peace isn’t dependent on our circumstances and his goodness isn’t diminished by our suffering.
Mountaintops are where we often celebrate God. Valleys are where we come to know him.
So perhaps we’ve had it wrong all along. Perhaps the goal isn’t to spend our lives desperately trying to escape the valleys and cling to the mountains. Perhaps the goal is to stop asking, “How do I get out of here?” long enough to ask, “Lord, what are You revealing here?”
Because He’s still the LORD here. The valley has never been outside of his jurisdiction. It has never been beyond his reach. It has never been beneath his attention.
And just as He told the Arameans thousands of years ago, I believe he is still saying to his people today, “You think you’ve seen me work before? Just watch me work here too.”
So, if you find yourself standing on a mountaintop today, breathe it in. Thank him for the view. Celebrate the joy. Receive it as a gift.
And if you find yourself in a valley today, don’t despise it. Don’t assume you’ve been abandoned there. Don’t waste this season merely trying to survive it. Look for him there.
Because he isn’t just waiting for you on the next mountaintop. He’s already standing beside you in the valley. He is the LORD of both.
Don’t spend your life trying to escape the valleys or trying to cling to the mountains, but learn to look for God in both.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What do you do when it’s over?
Not when it’s hard.
Not when it’s uncertain.
Not when things could still work out.
What do you do when it’s OVER?
When the divorce papers are signed.
When the prodigal still hasn’t come home.
When the doctor’s report confirms your worst fear.
When the bank account is empty.
When the addiction wins again.
When what was already bad somehow gets worse.
What do you do when you’ve prayed, believed, hoped, waited, and fought … and the situation is now lying in a grave of impossibility? Because if we’re honest, every one of us will face something that feels dead.
A dead dream.
A dead relationship.
A dead opportunity.
A dead hope.
A dead part of ourselves.
Life happens. Hell attacks. Hearts break. And there are moments when we simply cannot see a way forward.
Maybe that’s where you are today. Maybe you’ve reached the place where you’ve stopped asking, “How will God do it?” and you’ve started wondering, “CAN God do it at all?”
If so, I want to remind you of something that has never changed: Our God is not stopped by the grave.
The grave is where human ability ends, but it is not where God’s power ends. In fact, throughout Scripture, God has a habit of showing up where things appear most hopeless.
When Sarah’s womb was too old.
When Israel was trapped at the Red Sea.
When Ezekiel stood in a valley of dry bones.
When Lazarus had been dead four days.
When Jesus Himself was placed in a tomb.
Again and again, God steps into situations everyone else has declared finished. Because what is impossible with man has never been impossible with God.
Matthew 19:26 says: “With God all things are possible.” And hidden inside that one sentence are three life-changing truths.
With God.
All things.
Are possible.
- With God. Not without him, but with him.
Whatever you’re going through, are you going through this WITH God? Or are you trying to do this on your own? Are you pushing through with your own strength, looking for your own answers? Are you relying on someone else, but that someone else isn’t God? You will fail and so will everyone else. This is ONLY WITH GOD.
So, how do you do this WITH GOD? You seek him. You talk to him. You read his word. You fill your life with nothing but God, then every area of your life is under his power. I’m talking about the music you listen to, the friends you talk to, the books you read, the things you watch.
Have you heard that song, “Dusty Bibles”? It says:
We got dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones
No wonder why we feel this way
We walk with our eyes closed, blind leading blind folks
And I’m done with those idols and dusty Bibles
Is there dust on your Bible? Yeah – no wonder why you feel this way. You’ve been trying to do this with WITHOUT God, and my friend, it simply won’t work.
Looking back on my own journey, I realize just how patient the Lord has been with me. I tried to do this without him for so many years. I even used him to make my things grow. But it wasn’t about him, it wasn’t for him, and it wasn’t really with him. And yet, he allowed me to do it my own way. He didn’t strike me with lightening. He didn’t even publicly shame me. But what he did do, is he allowed me to create my own messes and struggle. And through his gracious allowance of struggle, I finally came to realize I don’t even WANT to do this without him.
Is that where you are? Are you finally seeing through God’s gracious allowance of messes and struggles that you no longer want to do this on your own? Are you finally at the point of surrender in your life where you’re truly praying, “God, if you’re in it, I want it … but if you’re not, I don’t.”
Yes, girl, this is learning to do life WITH GOD. And with God, ALL THINGS …
- All things. Not just some things, but truly all things.
This means the things that have always been too big and too hard. The things that seem too far gone, too late, too hopeless. The things that are buried, without life, without a future. That’s ALL things.
There has never been a moment when Jesus looked at a situation and said, “Well, that’s beyond me.”
Cancer isn’t beyond Him.
Addiction isn’t beyond Him.
A prodigal isn’t beyond Him.
A broken marriage isn’t beyond Him.
A shattered heart isn’t beyond Him.
Death itself isn’t beyond Him.
In fact, one day Jesus walked directly into a funeral procession and completely interrupted it.
Luke 7:11-15, “Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.”
The funeral was already under way. They were walking this young man’s body to the grave. His life was over. And not only his life, but his mother’s life. Notice the detail is given that this woman was a widow and this young man was her only son. In this culture, that meant not only grief, but this meant desperation. Yes, it was the death of a child, but it was also the absolute crash of her future. Without a husband or a son, she was left without care and faced a life of extreme poverty.
And when Jesus became aware of this need, His heart overflowed with compassion. No one asked Him to step in with His power. No one expected Him to change the situation. But His heart responded to her broken heart. The miracle began because Jesus was moved by compassion.
Jesus sees what nobody else sees. He sees the tears you hide. He sees the burden you carry. He sees the disappointment you don’t talk about. He sees the thing that keeps you awake at night. And just as His heart overflowed with compassion for that widow, His heart is moved by your pain.
He’s not indifferent. He’s not distant. He’s not unaware. He is responding. The miracle—YOUR miracle—begins with the compassion of Jesus.
Now understand the true significance of this scene. The body isn’t being carried in a closed coffin; it’s more like a wooden stretcher. The young man is likely wrapped in burial cloths. Under Jewish law, touching something associated with a corpse brought ceremonial uncleanness.
Everyone else was moving away from what was dead. Jesus moved toward it. Everyone else saw a corpse. Jesus saw an opportunity for resurrection. Everyone else saw an ending. Jesus saw a beginning.
Without even being asked, Jesus walks right up to the body and touches him. Not a coffin as we imagine, but an open stretcher where the dead man is lying.
Yes, that’s our Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, we see Him touching lepers, touching the sick, and touching the dead. And never once did the uncleanness spread to Him. Instead, His life spread to them.
That’s what happens when Life Himself shows up.
“With God all things ARE POSSIBLE.”
- Are possible.
ARE POSSIBLE.
Not probable. Not likely. Not easy. Not immediate. But possible.
Because the possibility doesn’t depend on you. It depends on God. And if God is involved, the story is never over. If God is involved, the grave never gets the final word. If God is involved, what appears dead today may be alive tomorrow.
Yes, your too-far-gone situation.
Your without-hope circumstance.
Your dead dream.
Your untouchable mess.
Your shame.
Your struggle.
Your brokenness.
When it is brought to Jesus and touched by Him, it can receive His life. I assure you this is your answer.
That thing you’ve been struggling with for years and seem powerless to change—it needs the touch of Jesus.
That relationship everyone has given up on and left for dead—it needs the touch of Jesus.
That habit you keep fighting but never seem to defeat—it needs the touch of Jesus.
That dream you buried because disappointment convinced you it would never happen—it needs the touch of Jesus.
That part of your heart that has grown cold, weary, and numb—it needs the touch of Jesus.
The same Jesus who walked into a funeral procession and interrupted death is still interrupting impossible situations today.
Then Jesus spoke these simple words: “Young man, I tell you, get up.” And death had to let go. The young man sat up. He began to speak. Life rushed back into what moments before had been lifeless.
What if the thing you’ve declared dead is only waiting for the voice of Jesus? What if the story isn’t over? What if God is not standing at a distance from your impossible situation, but is already walking toward it?
What if the marriage isn’t beyond Him?
What if the prodigal isn’t beyond Him?
What if the diagnosis isn’t beyond Him?
What if the dream isn’t beyond Him?
What if your story isn’t over?
The widow thought she was walking her son to a grave. She had no idea she was walking him into the presence of Jesus. And maybe that’s where you are today. What feels like a funeral may actually be the setting for a resurrection.
Because our God has never been intimidated by dead things. He speaks to dry bones and they rattle back to life. He stands before Lazarus’ tomb and calls him out. He steps into a funeral procession and sends everyone home stunned. He walks out of His own grave on the third day.
And He is still the God who brings life where everyone else sees death. So don’t bury what God is still breathing on. Don’t abandon what God is still working on. Don’t give up on what God hasn’t given up on.
Because with God…
ALL THINGS…
ARE POSSIBLE.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Here’s my prayer for you today: May you be led by what is in you, not by what is around you.
Because what is around you is loud.
Distractions.
Drama.
Disappointment.
Fear.
Bad news.
Negative people.
The invitation to live a small, defeated, mediocre life is everywhere. But daughter of God, you were never created to live looking down.
Downcast.
Downtrodden.
Down in the dumps.
Down is not your direction. And here’s how I know: Because of what is in you.
Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.”
Then just a few verses later, Romans 8:15 says, “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.”
Did you catch that? God’s Spirit lives in you. Not beside you. Not near you. Not occasionally visiting you. In you.
The mountain-moving, sea-parting, chain-breaking, prison-shaking, death-defeating power of Almighty God lives in you. Let that sink in. Because the enemy works overtime trying to make you forget it. He wants your attention on your failures instead of your Father. He wants your focus on your flaws instead of God’s power. He wants you obsessing over your weight, your money, your job, your house, your image, your circumstances—anything that keeps your eyes off the greatest reality of your life: The Spirit of God lives within you.
If you’re consumed by what you see in the mirror, you’ll forget what Jesus placed inside of you. If you’re focused on your problems, you’ll forget you already have access to the power to overcome them. If you’re drowning in negative thoughts, you’ll start believing you’re stuck.
But you’re not stuck. You’ve just forgotten what’s in you. The Spirit of God has already given you power to rise. Power to heal. Power to overcome. Power to keep going.
Don’t sacrifice your power by entertaining pitiful. I know I’ve done it. I’ve had seasons where I focused more on my problems than my power. More on my circumstances than my Savior. And every single time, I felt defeated. Because when I play pitiful, I stop walking powerful.
So let me ask you: Have you been focused on your problems? Have you been rehearsing your disappointments? Have you been sitting in self-pity? Because here’s something I learned a long time ago: You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you cannot be both. (Thank you Joyce Meyer.)
At nineteen years old, I suffered a massive stroke. I was unable to walk or talk. While I was in the hospital, my newlywed husband kept my family away. He told them I was okay. At the time, I couldn’t understand why my mama and daddy weren’t by my bed. But he understood something I didn’t. Pity would have paralyzed me. Pity would have kept me in that bed. Pity would have convinced me I was a victim instead of a victor. My parents would have given me pity.
So my young husband pushed me. He challenged me. He refused to hand me pity. And today I walk, talk, and live whole because I was offered God’s power instead of people’s pity.
So why would we choose pity now? Girl, pity never looks good on you. But God’s power? That looks absolutely beautiful on you.
Because of the Spirit living in you, defeat is no longer your identity. Mediocrity is no longer your calling. Fear is no longer your master. You don’t wake up expecting less. You don’t settle for surviving.
Jesus didn’t die so you could live a little life. He came that you might have life—and have it abundantly. So stop sitting in pity over everything that’s wrong. Not when the Spirit of the Almighty lives in you. Oh no.
You have every reason to get excited about today. Every reason to expect good things. Every reason to believe that what stands before you is smaller than the God within you.
Why? Because God’s Spirit lives in you.
You are not controlled by your feelings. You are not a slave to fear. You are a daughter of the King. And daughters of the King don’t walk through life defeated. They walk with authority. They walk with confidence. They walk knowing who they belong to.
So remember this today: Nothing you face is greater than the Spirit within you. You are not helpless. You are not hopeless. You are not stuck.
And if you feel that way, you’ve believed a lie that was never yours to carry. Don’t buy what the enemy is selling. A daughter of the King should never settle for the leftovers of a defeated devil.
Remember what’s in you. The same power that spoke the universe into existence lives in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. The same power that shattered prison walls and broke chains lives in you. The same power that turned water into wine lives in you.
That means life is in you. Healing is in you. Freedom is in you. Victory is in you. Change is in you. Hope is in you. Power is in you.
So don’t let what is around you make you forget what is in you. The circumstances are real. The challenges are real. The obstacles are real. But none of them are greater than the Spirit of God dwelling within you.
That Spirit does not make you a fearful slave. That Spirit makes you a daughter. He brings you into the family. He places a crown upon your head. He declares, “You belong.” So straighten your crown, girl.
Life may have knocked you around, but it has not changed who you are.
You are chosen.
You are loved.
You are redeemed.
You are a daughter of the King.
And the power of Almighty God lives within you.
So today, be powerful.
Not pitiful.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There are probably things you do every day without really knowing why you do them.
Think about it.
When we meet someone new, we shake hands. But why? The original purpose was to show that your weapon hand was empty and that you came in peace. Most of us aren’t checking each other for concealed swords anymore, yet the handshake remains. We do it because it’s what we’ve always done.
Or take Daylight Saving Time. Twice a year, many of us change our clocks and grumble about losing an hour of sleep or it getting dark too early. Ask the average person why we still do it, and most aren’t quite sure. We just know it’s time to change the clocks again.
Even the phrases we use have outlived their original purpose. We still say, “Hang up the phone,” even though most people haven’t hung a phone on anything in decades. And let’s be honest—tapping the “End Call” button just doesn’t have the same satisfaction as slamming down a receiver!
One of my favorite examples comes from a friend of mine. Every holiday, she cut the end off the ham before putting it in the oven. One day I asked her why. “Because that’s how you’re supposed to do it,” she said. I told her that’s not the way I do it. Unsatisfied with that answer, she asked her grandmother why she taught her to cut the end off the ham. Her grandmother laughed and said, “Because my baking pan was too small.” For 50 years, a tradition had been passed down from generation to generation, long after the too small baking pan no longer existed.
It got me thinking: How many things am I doing simply because I’ve always done them? How many things have I been taught that I’ve never really stopped to examine?
And then one practice came to mind. Prayer. More specifically, ending a prayer with the words, “In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Do you do that? I do.
Since I learned to pray as a teenager, I have ended my prayers that way because that’s what I was taught to do. It’s what I heard in church. So I said it too.
“In Jesus’ name, amen.”
But have you ever stopped and asked yourself why? Why do we pray in Jesus’ name? Is it simply a religious phrase we attach to the end of our prayers? Like a Christian version of saying “goodbye”? Or is there something deeper happening? What authority are we invoking when we pray in Jesus’ name? What did Jesus mean when He taught His followers to ask in His name? And what difference does it make when we truly understand it?
Girls, let’s dig deeper together. Because when you understand what you’re saying, why you’re saying it, and whose authority you’re standing in, prayer becomes far more than a routine. It becomes powerful.
And when understanding meets faith, prayer changes.
The simple answer of why we pray in Jesus’ name is because Jesus told us to.
John 14: 13-14, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
As Jesus is explaining to his disciples that he is about to die and no longer be with them in physical form, he says in John 16: 23-24, “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
Yes, Jesus told us to pray in His name. But if that’s all we understand, we’ve missed the deeper meaning.” This isn’t like cutting the end off your ham because your grandma’s old baking pan was too short 50 years ago. This isn’t continuing something that no longer really applies to our lives today. This is of paramount importance still today – we pray in the name of Jesus. We ask the Father in the name of Jesus.
But has it become nothing more than words you add to the end of your prayer – or are you REALLY approaching the Father through Jesus?
1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” Jesus is our mediator.
A mediator is someone who stands between 2 parties and brings them together. Think of a negotiator helping 2 people who are separated by conflict find reconciliation.
Here’s the truth – we’ve screwed up. Every single one of us have fallen so short of the glory of God. We could never stand in his holy presence. Sin caused Adam and Eve to be kicked out of the garden, and we’ve been separated since. No matter how good we may try to be, in our own human effort, we simply cannot bridge that gap.
The distance between us and our holy, perfect God is massive. Only the cross could bridge it and make a way for us to God. Jesus literally stepped into the middle for us. Because Jesus is both fully God and fully man, He represents both sides. His life sacrificed and blood shed for us then makes a way for us to come into God’s presence. We are for real coming to God in the name of Jesus. Our name isn’t good enough. Only the name of Jesus grants us access to God.
But, I must admit, I’ve treated Jesus more like my heavenly mail carrier at time than my savior. Here’s my prayer request, Jesus, deliver this to God for me. Put your stamp of approval on this and maybe God will move for me.
Is that what Jesus has become to you? You pray in his name because he’s the stamp for your letter to be delivered to God? Oh Jesus, please forgive us.
JESUS IS THE REASON WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD AT ALL!!!!!! When we pray “in Jesus’ name” we’re acknowledging this important fact – I’m not coming to God based on my goodness, my worthiness, or my achievements – I’m coming to God because Jesus has made a way for me!
This is NOT a magic phrase that unlocks heaven – although we have sometimes treated it that way. The power is not in just saying the words, “In Jesus’ name”. The power is the holy One behind the name.
Jesus himself has said, “She’s with me – she has access.” So now we show up in God’s presence through prayer and we acknowledge, “I’m only here because Jesus says I can be.”
Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” There’s only one way you can do that – back up a verse and you’ll see – it’s because Jesus is our High Priest.
In the Old Testament, the high priest was the one person appointed to represent all the people before God. This one person stood in the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. Once a year, the high priest would enter into the presence of God and offer sacrifices for their sin. If an ordinary person went into the place within the temple where God’s presence was, they would be struck dead. Only the high priest could enter.
Now, we are told WE (yes me and you) can come boldly to the throne of God. We have access. We can talk to God directly. How? Because we have a High Priest who is Jesus. When you come to God in the name of Jesus, you’re remembering Jesus has already gone before you making it possible for you.
As our High Priest, Jesus continually represents us before God.
And knowing this can transform your prayers. We don’t have to end our prayers with a phrase we repeat out of habit – we can say it with understanding.
I’m praying under the authority of Jesus. I’m approaching the Father through Jesus. I am accepted by God because of Jesus.
“In the name of Jesus” isn’t a closing phrase – it’s a declaration of faith. It’s a reminder that every prayer reaches the Father because Jesus stands in the gap and makes a way for us to come near.
JESUS IS THE REASON WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD AT ALL!!!!!!
The miracle isn’t that God answers our prayers. The miracle is that we are invited to pray at all.
Have you ever prayed a prayer, even ended it with “in Jesus’ name,” and it didn’t get answered? That really causes us to struggle, doesn’t it?
It’s easy to take Jesus’ words, “Ask anything in My name, and I will do it,” and twist them to mean that as long as we add His name to our request, it’s guaranteed to happen. What a dangerous little game we can play there. We must always remember that God sees what we do not see. He holds ETERNITY while we are stuck in the right here and now, wanting immediate answers, immediate relief, and immediate results.
We see today. God sees forever.
We see the request. God sees the outcome.
We see the closed door. God sees what is standing behind it.
Sometimes the most loving answer God can give is “yes.” Sometimes it is “wait.” And sometimes it is “no.”
Not because He isn’t listening.
Not because Jesus’ name lacks power.
Not because our faith is too small.
But because a wise Father is answering from an eternal perspective while we are praying from a temporary one.
Praying in Jesus’ name is not giving God our agenda and expecting His signature at the bottom. It is bringing our requests under His authority, His character, His wisdom, and His will.
When I pray in Jesus’ name, I am essentially saying: “Lord, this is what I desire. This is what I hope for. But more than anything, I want what You want. If this request honors You, advances Your purposes, and aligns with Your will, then let it be so.”
That kind of prayer requires trust. It means trusting that when God says yes, He is good. When God says wait, He is good. And even when God says no, He is still good.
The power of praying in Jesus’ name was never found in getting everything we ask for. The power is found in knowing that the One who hears us sees the whole picture—and we can trust Him with the answer.
So why do we pray “In Jesus’ name”? Why do we end our prayers in this way? Well maybe we didn’t know before, but we know now!
John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE can come to the Father except through ME.” He’s not the mailman of heavenly requests – he is the reason for our access at all. He is the only way to our Father God. If we don’t come to God in the name of Jesus, we simply don’t get there!
The next time you pray and say, “In Jesus’ name,” don’t let it be empty words. Remember what you’re really saying: “Father, I am not standing before You because of my goodness. I am not approaching You in my own authority. I am here because of Jesus. I belong to Him. He made a way for me. And I’m only here because Jesus says I can be.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In Scripture, there is great significance behind a name. A name was much more than a label or a way to identify someone.
Today, names often carry little significance beyond what sounded good to our parents at the time. We choose names from baby books, family traditions, or popularity lists. Most people never stop to ask what their name means. It’s simply what people call us. Take me, for example. I’m Pamela. You’ve known me as Pamela for years. You’re probably not sitting there wondering about the deeper meaning of my name. Honestly, I’ve carried this name for over fifty years and had to look it up myself. It means “all sweetness.” I’ll let my family decide whether that’s accurate!
But the names in our Bible are of great meaning. Mother’s didn’t pick names based on an internet list of popularity. Names were given to reveal a person’s identity, character, reputation, purpose, and sometimes even their destiny. Names carried meaning, and they often told a story.
If you were given a bad name from birth with a bad meaning. Poor kid. Imagine being given a name that meant “sorrow,” “fool,” or “no mercy.” Every introduction would become a reminder of a negative identity. In biblical times, names carried such weight that a person could spend a lifetime either living into that identity or fighting to overcome it.
We also see throughout Scripture that when God gave someone a new calling, He would sometimes give them a new name to reflect their transformed identity. Their new names signified that God was doing something new in their lives and inviting them into His greater purpose. That name carried a calling and an identity.
Here on this podcast, we spent a few weeks studying the names of God found in our Bible. Through those names, we gained a deeper understanding of His character, authority, power, and love. We encountered Him as:
YHWH, the self-existent and covenant-keeping God
Adonai, our Lord and Master
Elohim, the Creator
El Shaddai, God Almighty
Yahweh Rapha, the Lord who heals
El Roi, the God who sees
Abba, our loving Father
Jehovah Jireh, our Provider
Yahweh Shalom, our Peace
The Good Shepherd who faithfully guides and cares for His people
What became clear through that study is that God’s names reveal who He is. They unveil His nature, His attributes, and His relationship to His people. Every name teaches us something about His character and His work.
So if names matter this much throughout Scripture, and if God’s own names reveal His character, then we should expect the name of Jesus to be overflowing with meaning.
Yet many of us hear “Lord Jesus Christ” so often that we stop hearing it altogether. It becomes a familiar phrase. But to the first-century believer, every word in that name carried enormous significance. “Lord Jesus Christ” is not merely a title. It is a declaration. It announces His authority, His mission, and His identity.
A few months ago in Venice, Italy, my friend and I knelt beside a woman who spent her days lying face down on the streets begging. I’ll never forget the moment she looked up at me and said in her language, “Jesus Cristo?”
Immediately, there was recognition. Immediately, there was connection. Immediately, there was hope.
We didn’t share the same language. We didn’t share the same culture. But we shared one name. The name above every name. The Lord Jesus Christ.
What is this name … The Lord Jesus Christ?
- LORD: This word Lord was originally spoken in Greek as Kyrios. Kyrios means master, owner, one who has authority. When Jesus said in Matthew 28:13, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”, he’s showing that he is the Lord. He has all authority – not some authority, not a little authority. ALL authority. And where is this authority? In both heaven and on earth. He’s in charge of everything. All things everywhere in heaven and on earth are under his divine authority.
We call Him Lord because there is nothing above Him, nothing outside His authority, and nothing beyond His rule.
So, when you pray to make Jesus the Lord of your life, that’s what you are affirming – Jesus is over everything in your life. He has ALL authority and you bow down to him. Quite honestly, at 15 years old when I prayed and asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life, I had no idea what that actually meant. Now I know. And so do you – He is Lord, he is master, he is above all with ALL authority.
Do you believe that? Is Jesus your Lord?
- JESUS: What a holy and sacred name chosen by God and delivered through an angel. In Matthew 1: 20-21, an angel came to Joseph and told him that his fiance Mary had conceived a child through the Holy Spirit. The angel said, “She will have a son, and you are the name him JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins.”
That’s the very meaning of the name Jesus – Yahweh saves. The name announces his life mission – To save sinners, to reconcile humanity to God, to defeat death, to bring God’s kingdom.
In this time, everyone knew the meaning of the name Jesus. It was pronounced Yeshua in Hebrew, Yahweh saves. Who is Yahweh? He’s the God who always has been, and the one who made a covenant with his people to save them. Jesus is the fulfillment of that covenant. Jesus SAVES US!
Before Jesus ever preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or went to the cross, His mission had already been announced through His name.
Do you call on the name of Jesus knowing he is the son of God sent to save you? Do you know him as your absolute only answer, only way and only source?
- CHRIST: In Greek, it is spoken Christos and means “Anointed One.”
The anointing of oil signified God’s appointment of a specific person. When someone was called to a high position of power such as a priest or King, they were anointed. So, to call Jesus CHRIST, Christos, it says this is God’s anointed one. God’s chosen one. The one God has called to a high position of power.
In Hebrew, this word was Messiah. For centuries, Israel waited. Generation after generation looked for the promised Messiah. Prophets spoke of Him. Kings anticipated Him. The faithful longed for Him. Then Paul declares with one word: Christ. The waiting is over. The Messiah has come. He is the promised one. He holds the power of God and is on an appointment.
Jesus is the King who’s rule will never end. He holds the eternal kingdom. That’s who our Christ is.
So now, when we put all these names together as 1 Corinthians 1:3 does, “Call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” we see the full picture of our Jesus.
The order is important. First, he is Lord – the exalted sovereign ruler. Then he is Jesus – the man sent to save. And finally he is Christ – the appointed and promised Messiah King.
Together, the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims fully who he is. He is God. He is man. He is savior.
And, he is ours!!!!!!!!!!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Under the direction of the Spirit and his inner influence, you live DIFFERENT. Absolutely nothing changes a person like the Spirit of God. This is change from within, change at the very core of who you are. It is lasting change that makes you into a radically new person.
The Holy Spirit leaves nothing untouched, nothing undone, nothing unchanged. Gradually and continually God’s presence within you reshapes your heart, renews your mind, and aligns your life with his purposes.
As cliche as it may sound, it’s true – JESUS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! The old self is made new. You receive a new way of thinking, new desires, new priorities, and a new perspective on life. What once controlled you no longer defines you. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”” Yeah – that’s real!!!!
As this transformation takes place, different fruit naturally begins to appear in your life. You are no longer producing the works of the flesh; instead, the life of Jesus is begins flowing through you. And that’s really what we’ve been studying – It’s less of you and more of Him. That’s what FRUIT is. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
And the beautiful thing, it all happens so naturally. This isn’t a matter of your extreme effort to try and be better – this is all because of the Holy Spirit at work within you.
The fruit of the Spirit is the visible evidence of an invisible presence. It is proof that God is changing you from the inside out. You are simply not who you once were, and the fruit your life now produces shows it.
Remember when we began this study all the way back in episode #2141? We created two columns. On the left was the column labeled “Without the Holy Spirit” from Galatians 5:19-21. On the right was the column labeled “With the Holy Spirit” from Galatians 5:22-23.
That left column was the list of yuck. It’s what naturally grows in our lives when we’re left to ourselves. When we follow our own desires, allow the world to become our primary influence, and ignore the leading of God, we drift to the left. We don’t have to strive for it. We don’t have to work at it. The acts of the flesh come naturally because they flow from our fallen nature.
The list was difficult to study because it’s painfully familiar. We’ve seen it in our own lives. We’ve watched it unfold in the lives of people we care about. We’ve witnessed the damage it causes. Deep down, we know Paul wasn’t describing “those people.” He was describing what happens to ALL people apart from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. All people, including us.
There’s an inward battle taking place, and eventually that inward reality produces outward evidence. That’s why Paul begins with sexual immorality, impurity, and lustful pleasures. How many homes have been broken, marriages destroyed, and lives derailed by those acts of the flesh? Good people become entangled in destructive choices. They didn’t wake up one morning intending to wreck everything. It happened gradually. The seeds were planted, watered, and allowed to grow because they followed the desires of the flesh instead of the direction of the Spirit.
That’s life on the left side of the page—life without the Holy Spirit’s influence.
Then Paul moves to idolatry and sorcery—our pursuit of meaning, security, answers, and power apart from God. We take the sacred place in our hearts that belongs to God alone and fill it with substitutes. We trust things more than God. We seek things before God. We look to people, possessions, experiences, success, or substances to satisfy needs only God can meet. No one has to teach us how to do that. Our flesh naturally gravitates in that direction. We self-medicate. We chase escapes. We look for shortcuts. And before long, what we thought we controlled begins to control us. We arouse the ugly demon of addiction and end up with a life that looks a whole lot like hell.
My friends, that’s life without the Holy Spirit. That’s where the flesh leads. That’s life on the wrong side of the page. That’s life in the yuck.
But Paul isn’t finished.
The list continues with hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Notice how much of this list destroys relationships. The flesh doesn’t just corrupt us personally—it fractures families, divides churches, ruins friendships, and turns people against one another. Wherever the flesh is leading, unity suffers and people get hurt.
And perhaps the most gut wrenching truth of all is this: None of these things require effort. Left to ourselves, this is the direction we naturally drift. The works of the flesh are not learned behaviors as much as they are revealed behaviors. They expose what happens when self sits on the throne and God is pushed aside.
Hell’s marketing strategy is to make the left side of the page look more fun, more free, and more desirable. But the truth is, life without the direction of the Holy Spirit is hell on Earth. It’s not freedom, it’s bondage. All that looked desirable quickly turns to destruction.
This proven reality we’ve seen play out in countless lives makes the right side of the page in contrast so beautiful. Life WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Life under the influence of God.
Galatians 5:22-23 shows us what happens when the Holy Spirit takes His rightful place in our lives. Instead of the works of the flesh, there is the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of destruction, there is transformation. And it looks like this:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
That’s MORE JESUS flowing through us. Less flesh. Less world. Less “left side” and more “right side.” The Holy Spirit is steadily, faithfully producing something new in us. These qualities begin to grow naturally as we walk with Him, changing not only what we do, but who we are becoming.
The works of the flesh are things we do because of who we are apart from God. The fruit of the Spirit is what grows because of who God is within us. Fruit is evidence of life.
An apple tree doesn’t strain to produce apples. It produces apples because that’s its nature. In the same way, when the Holy Spirit is alive and active in us, spiritual fruit begins to appear. Not perfectly. Not overnight. But steadily. Consistently. Supernaturally.
Love starts replacing selfishness.
Joy starts overcoming despair.
Peace starts calming anxiety.
Patience starts slowing anger.
Kindness starts softening harshness.
Goodness starts reshaping motives.
Faithfulness starts creating consistency.
Gentleness starts replacing forcefulness.
Self-control starts winning battles that once seemed impossible.
This is what the Spirit does. This is the miracle of transformation. He doesn’t just change our destination; He changes our character. He doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us as we are. He renews us from the inside out.
Now let’s look at the final sentence in Paul’s teaching on the fruit of the Spirit. After listing all these qualities, he says: “There is no law against these things!”
At first glance, that almost sounds unnecessary. Well, of course there isn’t a law against love. Of course there isn’t a law against kindness or goodness or self-control. Why would Paul even need to say that?
Because throughout the book of Galatians, Paul has been addressing people who were obsessed with rules, regulations, and religious performance. They believed spiritual maturity came through keeping laws. They thought holiness could be achieved by trying harder, performing better, and following more rules.
Paul is making a point. You will never legally work your way into the fruit of the Spirit. No law can make you loving. No rule can make you joyful. No regulation can produce peace. No amount of external pressure can create genuine patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control.
Laws can restrain behavior, but only the Holy Spirit can transform the heart. The law can tell you what is right, but it cannot give you the power to live right. The law can expose sin, but it cannot produce fruit. Only the Spirit can do that.
And when the Spirit produces these qualities in a person’s life, no law is needed because the very purpose of the law is already being fulfilled. A person walking in love doesn’t need a law telling them not to harm their neighbor. A person walking in self-control doesn’t need a law warning them against excess. A person walking in goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness is already living in a way that honors God and blesses others.
Paul’s point is that the Spirit accomplishes what the law never could. This life of following Jesus is not primarily about trying harder to be better. It is about surrendering more deeply to the One who can actually change us.
And that’s really the lesson of the fruit of the Spirit.
The goal was never to memorize a list. The goal was never to grit our teeth and manufacture more patience or force ourselves to be more loving. The goal is to stay connected to Jesus, yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to produce in us what we could never produce on our own.
Because when the Spirit has His way, the flesh loses its grip. The old life begins to fade. And little by little, day by day, the life of Jesus becomes visible in us.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Here it is—today we study the final fruit of the Spirit. And isn’t it just like God to save a grand lesson for last? The one fruit every one of us knows we desperately need: Self-control.
In mentoring women to pursue their God-given goals and live the life they were created for, I hear this all the time: “Pamela, I just don’t have any willpower. I have no self-control.”
Have you ever said that about yourself? But let’s stop and ask a deeper question.
Is that really true? Can someone who has been filled with the Holy Spirit truly say they have no self-control? I believe that’s one of the enemy’s favorite lies. It’s a limiting belief designed to keep us striving in our own strength instead of living from the power already at work within us. It’s a lie that makes us buy our own excuses and settle for a little life, all while we were created for a BIG Life. The very presence of God living within you PRODUCES self-control.
Let me show you how I know. Most of us refer to Galatians 5:22-23 as the “fruits” of the Spirit—as though Paul is giving us a basket filled with different kinds of fruit. Maybe you’re naturally patient but struggle with kindness. Maybe you have joy but not peace. Maybe you have love but not self-control. It’s like saying, “the basket I was given has grapes, but no strawberries. I just have to struggle through this life with never getting strawberries because I wasn’t given any.”
But that’s not what Paul wrote. Look closely. He doesn’t say, “The Holy Spirit produces these fruits.” He says, “The fruit of the Spirit is…” Let’s read it for ourselves, Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces THIS KIND OF FRUIT in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Fruit is singular. Paul isn’t describing 9 separate fruits we can pick and choose from. He is describing one Spirit-produced life that reveals itself in 9 beautiful expressions: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Think of it like sunlight passing through a prism. It’s one light, yet it displays many colors. If a prism has sunlight, then it has all the colors. There’s not one defective prism just lacking pink. There’s not another just lacking yellow. They’re all there if the prism has sunlight, just turn it to see. The fruit of the Spirit works much the same way. It is one supernatural life produced by the Holy Spirit, expressed in multiple ways.
That changes everything.
Self-control isn’t an isolated virtue reserved for naturally disciplined people. It isn’t a personality trait. It isn’t something God gives to a select few while withholding it from everyone else.
Yet somehow we believe only the super fit get self-control. Only the ones losing weight, or saving money, or with a clean house have self-control. Only those who consistently meet their goals have self-control. Isn’t that what you’ve believed? And haven’t you dismissed yourself at some point because you just don’t have the same self-control they do?
Girl, don’t let the enemy twist this. Don’t let him convince you that you’re lacking the fruit. Are you a believer and follower of Jesus? Have you placed your faith in him and surrendered your life to him? Yes? Then you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence dwells within you. And just like when sunlight hits the prism, all the lights are present when you turn it – all 9 expressions of the Spirit are growing in you! You’re not missing one. You weren’t just left out.
Self-control is part of the very character the Holy Spirit is growing in EVERY believer – and that means YOU. Self-control is growing in you right along side love and joy, and peace and patience, kindness, goodness and gentleness.
Now, does that mean every Christian demonstrates perfect self-control? Of course not. Fruit grows. No one plants an apple tree on Monday and expects a harvest by Friday. Growth is gradual. It is cultivated. It is nourished. It matures over time.
The question isn’t, “Do I already have perfect self-control?” The better question is, “Am I yielding to the Spirit who is producing it in me?” That’s an entirely different conversation.
You may feel like someone who lacks self-control because you’ve looked at your failures more than God’s promises. But your failures don’t define what the Holy Spirit is capable of producing.
If you belong to Christ, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. That means the seed of self-control has already been planted. The issue isn’t whether God has given it. The issue is whether we’re allowing Him to cultivate it.
This life isn’t about gritting our teeth and trying harder. It has always been about surrendering more deeply.
Now, let’s study self-control and see what it really means. The Greek word translated as ‘self-control’ means power and strength within. What this means is the Holy Spirits gives every believer an internal ruler stronger than external temptation. No matter what temptation you’re facing, there’s an internal ruler stronger! There’s a power within you that can turn away, resist, and overcome.
Y’all this past weekend I was at my Mama’s house and she made her award winning, best thing you’ve ever eaten in your whole life, blackberry cobbler. She had gone out and picked the fresh blackberries herself. She had made her secret pie crust that’s thick and perfectly flaky and buttery. Then, she made homemade icrecream to go with it. BUT I am committed with a healthy meal plan right now that does not include cobbler or ice cream, dad-gum-it!
So, how do you think I did? Do you think I was able to withstand the temptation of this culinary perfection? You bet your butt I did, and here’s how – I HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN ME and I KNOW THERE’S AN INTERNAL RULER STRONGER THAN THAT TEMPTATION. (I just have to listen to the right voice.)
Does God really care if I eat mama’s blackberry cobbler and homemade icecream? Nahhh, I don’t think so. But I do believe God cares about my health because this body is a vessel for his Holy Spirit. And I do believe he cares about the commitments I make and my willingness to tap into the power he has given me to follow through with those commitments.
What the Holy Spirit is growing within us isn’t the absence of desire. (I still really wanted a very large bowl of that greatness.) What the Holy Spirit is growing within us is proper rule OVER DESIRE. It’s the internal governor that says, “You don’t have to do every little thing you feel like doing. You don’t have to get everything you think you want. You don’t have to have immediate gratification. You’re not a victim to your every desire. Yield to God’s power within you.”
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”
That’s what God has given you. Now it’s up to you to abide in him and surrender to the power he has put within you!
Before Jesus saved us, our flesh ruled. We set on our throne, our desires issued commands and our minds justified them. Our bodies obeyed. But with Jesus we have the Holy Spirit, now we’re under a different command. There’s a different ruler on the throne. Jesus sits in authority. The Spirit empowers new desires. And yes, our flesh still speaks, but it is not longer the king. Self-control is evidence there’s a new king governing our heart and life.
We become a new person with the fruit of the Holy Spirit growing in us!
Now, understand this, the Holy Spirit does not merely hand us extra strength. He reshapes our loves. God’s commands come with God’s enabling grace. The Spirit writes God’s law on our hearts, creating new desires that increasingly align with His will. As we grow in Christ, we don’t just have stronger disciple, we actually grow to WANT WHAT GOD WANTS. The deepest direction of our heart is changing!!!!!!
You can’t will yourself into that change – that’s a direct result of the Holy Spirit working within you.
Now here’s what I hope you’ll never forget – Self-control is not about becoming a stronger version of you. It’s about becoming a more surrendered version of you.
The world says, “Try harder.” Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” The world says, “Get more disciplined.” The Holy Spirit says, “Walk with Me.”
Maybe you’ve spent years telling yourself, “I just don’t have any self-control.” Maybe you’ve believed that’s just the way you are. Maybe you’ve looked at other women and thought, “They’re disciplined. They’re organized. They’re healthy. They’re financially wise. They have self-control…I just don’t.” Sweet friend, that’s not your identity.
If you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within you. And if the Holy Spirit lives within you, then He is producing His fruit within you—including self-control. The question isn’t whether God has given it. The question is whether you’ll believe it’s there…and begin partnering with Him instead of arguing with Him.
Every time you’re tempted to quit…
Every time you want to say something you’ll regret…
Every time you want to give in to fear…
Every time you want immediate gratification instead of God’s best…
Pause. Remember who’s on the throne. Remember there is an internal Ruler who is stronger than every external temptation. Then choose to listen to His voice instead of the voice of your flesh.
Will you still have moments where you fail? Absolutely. But failure is no longer your identity. It’s simply another opportunity to turn back to the One who is faithfully growing His fruit in you.
Fruit doesn’t grow because we strain harder. Fruit grows because it stays connected to the vine. Jesus said in John 15, “Abide in Me.” He didn’t say, “Impress Me.” He didn’t say, “Perform for Me.” He said, “Remain in Me.” That’s the secret.
As you remain with Him, the Holy Spirit keeps doing what only He can do. He changes your desires. He renews your mind. He strengthens your resolve. He reminds you of truth in the moment you need it. He gives you power to say “no” to what steals life so you can say “yes” to what leads to life.
And one day you’ll look back and realize something remarkable. The things that once mastered you… don’t anymore. Not because you finally found enough willpower. But because the Spirit of God has been faithfully transforming you from the inside out.
That’s the fruit of self-control. Not a life of white-knuckled striving. A life that is increasingly ruled by Jesus. And isn’t that what we’ve been studying all along?
Self-control is simply Jesus ruling where our flesh used to. That’s the fruit the Holy Spirit is growing in you.
So don’t leave here saying, “I need more willpower.” Leave here saying, “Holy Spirit, have more of me.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As God’s presence takes up residence in you and becomes your guide, that harsh outer shell begins to break away. The walls you’ve built crumble. And what grows like fresh ivy taking over that old exterior is GENTLENESS.
Gentleness is not weakness, nor is it passive. This word translated into ‘gentleness’ was used to describe a powerful horse that had been trained. The horse doesn’t lose it’s power when trained, it learns discipline.
Gentleness is one of the most misunderstood Fruits of the Spirit because many people hear the word and think “weak,” “passive,” or “timid.” But in Scripture, gentleness is actually controlled strength under the direction of God. God never seeks to take away your strength, he works to direct your strength with discipline. When your strength is submitted to God, you receive gentleness. Then, just like a well trained horse, you are powerful with a purpose.
Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, GENTLENESS. You don’t produce this kind of controlled strength and discipline on your own, it grows when you surrender your life to God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Remember, the horse doesn’t train itself – it submits itself to training. It doesn’t relinquish it’s strength, it surrenders its strength to direction.
God isn’t asking you to be weak and incapable – he’s working in you to make you stronger than you ever imagined! He’s training you for great purposes.
Jesus describes himself in Matthew 11: 29 as “humble and gentle at heart.” Humble and gentle – they go together. This is how God’s Spirit works within us. First, he humbles us to help us see who we are without him. From that inward humility grows gentleness, changing how we treat others. Humility is the root, gentleness is the fruit. The life surrendered to Jesus is humble like him, and grows in gentleness.
Was Jesus ever without strength and power for a moment? Never! Yet, his gentleness was all his strength under control and all his power held in discipline, as he hung on the cross to die. Gentleness allowed him to fulfill his purpose.
So, are you called by God to be harsh and rigid? Absolutely not. Are you designed to be the angry one – the destroyer – the one who tears things down? No, his spirit prodcues GENTLENESS in you. Your strength will never be stronger than it is when it is submitted to the training of the Holy Spirit.
Gentleness doesn’t need to dominate or control. Gentleness doesn’t need to win every argument. Gentleness is strength restrained with discipline, under the direction of God.
I love spending time in Bali. The Balinese people are truly some of the most humble and gentle people on earth. On my most recent trip, my drive Panji taught me that in their culture, the angry and demanding person is not the strongest person, in fact they are the weakest person. Anger is seen as weakness. Power trips are seen as failure. Humility and gentleness are true strength.
Seeing this lived out by an entire culture is one of the most refreshing things I’ve ever seen. AND THEY ARE WITHOUT JESUS. They have to work to produce that on their own. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit living in us, naturally growing GENTLENESS, so why on earth do we fight it? Why are we trying to be the boss? Why are we trying to gain control? Why are we trying to force or manipulate? Why are we so angry and unbridled? Girl, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT DO HIS WORK IN YOU. LET HIM GROW GENTLENESS FROM WITHIN YOU.
Here’s how God’s gentleness grows within you. First, the Holy Spirit begins to expose any harshness. You start noticing your impatience. You become aware of your tendency to get defensive. You see your controlling tendencies for yourself. You hear your own angry voice and you grow to dislike it. This is holy conviction, and it’s the work of the Holy Spirit in you. This is how change happens!
As you lean into the work of the Holy Spirit, you begin to see how God changes people so much better than your force ever could have. You begin to see how your anger was never necessary. You understand how your ploy for control was always making things worse. Now, with this awareness, you grow in trust and dependence of God.
The more you grow in trust, the more Christ’s character is formed in you. As you walk with Jesus, you begin naturally walking like him. The gentleness of Jesus begins to grow within you, reshaping you from the inside.
Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Looking back, my best parenting was always gentleness. Every time I was harsh or angry, I generally made things worse. What my husband has needed was gentleness.
The Holy Spirit is growing gentleness within you – yes, let it be evident to all.
Gentleness is strength under control.
Gentleness reflects the heart of Jesus.
Gentleness makes restoration possible.
Gentleness is evidence of the Holy Spirit growing in you.
As God’s presence takes up residence in you and becomes your guide, that harsh outer shell begins to break away. The walls you’ve built crumble. And what grows like fresh ivy taking over that old exterior is GENTLENESS.
Have you ever noticed an old wall covered in ivy? This is such a picture of the Holy Spirit transforming us.
Imagine an old stone fortress. For years it has stood alone. Thick walls. Cold stones. Sharp edges. Built for defense.
And maybe those walls were necessary at one time. They were built after betrayal, disappointment, criticism, fear, rejection, or loss. They kept enemies out—but they also kept love from freely flowing in and out. Many of us become emotional fortresses without realizing it.
Then Christ comes to dwell within us. He doesn’t begin by demolishing the fortress with explosions. He begins by making it unnecessary. The walls just aren’t necessary any more.
Then, like ivy taking root in the cracks, His Spirit quietly begins to spread. At first, the ivy seems insignificant. You still react sharply sometimes. You still become defensive. You still protect your pride. Yet something new is growing within. Something is changing.
Season after season, the ivy grows. It softens every hard line. It reaches places no hammer could. It finds tiny cracks where grace can enter. Eventually people no longer notice the fortress first—they notice the living green that covers it. That is gentleness.
Not the absence of strength. Strength clothed in life.The goal is not to become more gentle by sheer effort. The goal is to abide in Christ. As His presence fills every room of your heart, His gentleness quietly overtakes the old cold walls of self-protection.
That is the quiet miracle of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is one of the clearest signs that this transformation is taking root.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Faithfulness isn’t something our culture celebrates very much. We celebrate talent, success, influence, and achievement. But heaven celebrates something different. Heaven celebrates faithfulness.
In the life of someone not under the influence of the Holy Spirit, faithfulness is a constant struggle. But in the life of someone filled with the Spirit, faithfulness begins to grow naturally. It becomes part of who they are.
Galatians 5:23, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS …” Again, it’s a fruit. It’s not something we strain for, it’s something that grows within us and is naturally produced in our lives when we are abiding in Jesus.
Faithfulness is a translation of the Greek word ‘pistis’ which means, reliability, trustworthiness, fidelity, loyalty and dependability. Yip, all the things you would look for in a partner – that’s what God naturally GROWS in US! But faithfulness is born out of trusting God. BECAUSE we trust God, we can be absolutely steadfast. We can stay the course and continue forward no matter what because of our unshakable faith in God.
Without God, we waiver. With God, we are faithful.
Faithfulness isn’t flashy. It rarely gets applause. It’s the behind-the-scenes commitment no one notices. Faithfulness quietly keeps promises. It shows up long after the excitement has faded. It finishes what it starts. It stays when circumstances become difficult. It keeps loving after feelings change. It keeps serving after recognition disappears. It keeps trusting when prayers seem unanswered.
Lasting faithfulness is impossible without Jesus. We may keep a promise here and there through sheer determination, but only the Holy Spirit can produce a life marked by consistent faithfulness. When you have Jesus, an unfaithful life feels so incredibly wrong in every sense.
The Holy Spirit lovingly refuses to leave us comfortable in unfaithfulness. He convicts us, stirs our hearts, and keeps drawing us back toward obedience. The gift of the Holy Spirit won’t let us sleep when we are being unfaithful. The Holy Spirit will stir us up, poke at us, and leave us in a state of complete unrest when we’re unfaithful. Thank you Lord, for not leaving me like I was!
Once again, recognize this is a character of God, not of humans. Adam and Eve lived in paradise. There was no sin, no brokenness, no pain. God gave them one command—just one—and they couldn’t keep it. That’s the story of humanity. Left to ourselves, we aren’t naturally faithful. We wander. We quit. We compromise. We break promises. We fail.
But God is different.
Deuteronomy 7:9, “The LORD your God is indeed God. He is the FAITHFUL God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” God has never broken a promise. He’s never abandoned a plan. He’s never walked away from His people. God is faithful. It’s who he is and what he does.
**Now here’s the miracle… The faithful God now lives in you. Think about that. The God who has never broken a promise… The God who has never abandoned His children… The God who always finishes what He starts… lives inside you through His Holy Spirit. So it only makes sense that His faithfulness is beginning to grow in you too.
So you know what you absolutely MUST do – Stop introducing yourself by your old nature. STOP excusing yourself as someone who simply can’t finish what you start. That may have been the old you, but remember the Spirit of God is now working in you to make you NEW. You’re not who you once were, you’re becoming more and more like Jesus with the character of God reshaping you.
Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful.
Maybe you’ve never stuck with anything your entire life – okay – but it doesn’t have to continue that way. Something new is growing now.
With the power of the Holy Spirit, let me tell you exactly who you are becoming:
You’re becoming the girl who is obedient when no one is watching. Yes, you’re proving you can be trusted with little, so now God is going to trust you with much!
You’re becoming the girl who is faithful in her relationships. You keep your commitments and you remain loyal – no matter what.
You’re becoming a girl who gives her best even when no one is watching. You work with your whole heart in all you do, as if you’re doing it for God himself.
You’re becoming that good and faithful servant. Maybe not always successful, but that’s never what Jesus asked for. He honors your faithfulness over your success.
You’re becoming the girl who can wait. The girl who can trust even when the answers don’t come. You’re living out Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold tightly to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” You trust God, so you faithfully wait for the fulfillment of his promises over your life.
Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful.
And let me tell you something, your life now feels different with the fruit of faithfulness growing in you. You’re stable. People trust you. You live so much deeper now, stronger now, healthier now. And most importantly, your faithfulness reflects that genuine character of God and people are continually catching a glimpse of Jesus through you.
Yip, every time you show up because you said you would – every time you keep going and don’t give up – every time you keep your promises – every time you give your best effort – every single time, you’re shining Jesus to this world.
When people know they can count on you, when you are known to keep your word, when you are consistent and steady, when you are unwavering even under pressure, when you are still there even when life gets hard, when you finish the things God asked you to begin, when you stay instead of walking away …. THAT’S THE FRUIT OF FAITHFULNESS GROWING IN YOUR LIFE.
That’s the power of God in you!
Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful.
Faithfulness looks like Abraham and Sarah trusting God’s promise for a baby for decades. Faithfulness looks like Joseph as a slave, Joseph as a prisoner, and Joseph in power with the same unshakable character. Faithfulness looks like Ruth out gathering what little food there was, doing what she could do to survive and care for her mother-in-law, when she stumbled into the field of a rich man who would love her. Faithfulness is Mary, a teenage virgin willingly accepting a miraculous pregnancy that would turn her whole world upside down. Faithfulness is Jesus – walking out his calling and purpose all the way to the cross, eyes always on the Father.
Faithfulness – you are being called to it. Faithfulness – it’s being produced in your life through a power so much greater than you. You’re growing in faithfulness and it’s changing you. Recognize this change.
Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful.
Challenge for Today: “Be Faithful in the Small Things”
Choose one area where you can intentionally practice Spirit-produced faithfulness today.
Here are a few ideas:
Keep every promise you make today—even the small ones.
Arrive early for every commitment.
Complete a task you’ve been postponing.
Spend your planned time with God, even if you don’t “feel” like it.
Encourage someone you’ve committed to pray for, and then actually pray for them.
Follow through on something without seeking recognition.
As you do, pray:
“Holy Spirit, make me a faithful person. Form in me a character that reflects the unwavering faithfulness of Jesus. Help me to be trustworthy in the little things, steadfast in difficulty, loyal in relationships, and devoted to You. May my life proclaim Your faithfulness to everyone I meet.”
The Holy Spirit delights to produce that kind of steady, enduring faithfulness— one faithful choice at a time.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit, our very character changes. From within, we become different. Girl, you’re simply not who you once were.
Have you noticed as you change and grow it almost puts a spotlight on our loved ones who are NOT. Maybe someone you love is NOT under the influence of the Holy Spirit and they seem to be stuck in old way … well, they are. When you invite the presence of God into your life HE makes you new. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” This means if someone DOESN’T belong to Christ, they’re still the same old person living the same life. Their answer is not to try harder – their answer is to surrender their life to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit change them from within!
So, here we are as surrendered souls being made new. We’re being reworked from the inside so we’re becoming different, growing different fruit in our lives. Naturally, when the inside has changed, the outside begins to change as well.
Today we study the next fruit produced in our life under the influence of the Holy Spirit – GOODNESS.
The Greek word translated into goodness has a root word meaning good, upright and excellent. When the suffix is added, it turns into a character trait. The full meaning of this word “goodness” means to have moral excellence, an upright heart, integrity and goodness in action. And where does this goodness come from? Only ONE source – this is God’s goodness flowing through us.
This is not self-produced goodness. This isn’t a 10 step program to change your heart and realign your morals. This isn’t being kind, doing nice things, changing your morals – this is God himself expressing HIS character through your surrendered life. This is simply the goodness of God himself dwelling within, transforming you, and then naturally flowing out from you.
When you surrender your life to God, HE makes you good. If you’re struggling with a twisted heart or mind, there’s ONE who is in the business of untwisting – that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. And every single one of us have gotten a little twisted. Life in this world has a way of doing that. Human nature is a twisting. We simply can’t live well without God’s influence and direction. This is NEVER a matter of you being a better person than someone else – this is always a matter of God’s almighty work within you. Without God, you would be one twisted girl living in utter darkness – and that’s just the humbling truth.
The Holy Spirit changes our character to GOODNESS. He aligns our morals with God’s. He teaches us to do what is right even when no one is watching. He grows our desires in the direction of integrity. We don’t do that ourselves. Girl, if there’s goodness in you, that’s a work of God, not of you!
This fruit of goodness is a growing of WHO YOU ARE. It’s an external proof of the internal transformation happening.
God is GOOD. His power is good. His ways are good. His plans are good. And when your soul is surrendered to Him as Lord and He is in control of your life, then He is living inside of you, making you good. It starts with Him and flows into you. This isn’t an act of willpower on your part; this is an act of surrender. This isn’t an achievement; this is a transformation. Goodness is the overflow of abiding in Christ. The fruit isn’t something you force—it is something God grows as you remain connected to Him.
Goodness starts with God.
Goodness flows into you.
Goodness grows through you.
Goodness blesses everyone around you.
If you take GOD out of GOODNESS, you are left with o-ness. If you’re trying to make yourself be good without the power of the Holy Spirit working in you, you may achieve good behavior for a while, but you’ll never produce godly goodness. Only God can produce God’s character. GOODNESS IS GOD’S CHARACTER.
We try to be good without God and we just end up exhausting ourselves trying to become by effort – but this goodness is only produced through surrender to God. Do you want to be better? SURRENDER! Then the fruit of goodness will naturally grow!
Jesus shows us what the goodness of God within looks like in action. Acts 10:38 puts it simply, “Jesus went around doing good.” The character of goodness always produces goodness in action. The more the Holy Spirit works his goodness in you, the more your actions align to those of Jesus. Girl, you’re going to be going around DOING GOOD! What if your entire life became about going around just doing good! You want to represent Jesus to this world – go around doing good! Let God’s goodness flow through you onto everyone you encounter!
Ephesians 2:10 says we’re created to do the good things God planned for us. Doing good things doesn’t save us – But the goodness of God growing in us naturally has us going around doing good things!
Think about that – do you notice that in your own journey with God? The more you grow in Jesus – the more you learn and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit – the more he has you going around doing good things! How radically cool is that? THAT’S THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS GROWING IN YOUR LIFE!
So today, don’t leave our time together thinking, “I need to try harder to be good.” Leave thinking, “I need to stay closer to God.” Fruit never grows because the branch strains harder—it grows because it stays connected to the vine. The closer you live to Jesus, the more His goodness becomes your goodness. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself speaking with more integrity, loving more deeply, giving more generously, forgiving more freely, serving more joyfully, and doing good almost without thinking about it. That’s the Holy Spirit transforming your character.
Girl, this world doesn’t just need more nice people. It needs more people so surrendered to Jesus that His goodness overflows into every conversation, every decision, every relationship, and every ordinary day. So stay surrendered. Stay connected. Stay under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Then go around doing good, because everywhere the goodness of God goes, darkness loses ground and people catch a glimpse of Jesus.
And really that’s what it’s all about – show the world JESUS! Every act of goodness points beyond us. Every kind word, every generous act, every choice of integrity, every quiet sacrifice becomes another opportunity for someone to catch a glimpse of Jesus. So let His goodness grow in you, flow through you, and reveal Him to the world.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God has a purpose for you, and it will require you to be different. To be different, you must do something different. Different than what you’ve always done. Different than what everyone else does. Different than what is easy for you. If you’re willing to be different in the new year of life coming to you, then God wants to use you for greater purposes than you can imagine.
But if not – if you’re not willing to be different, then you simply miss it. You miss what could be. You miss what you could do. You miss the potential of things you haven’t even dared to imagine yet.
Genesis chapter 6 tells us of a world gone wrong and one man who was different. That one man was Noah. The world had gone wrong because Satan and his demons had contaminated the earth, literally. I never understood this until I really stated digging in and studying, but verse 2 says, “The sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” What exactly does that mean? The sons of God are heavenly beings. They’re angels. But scripture also tells us that angels do not marry, so what angels are marrying the human daughters? Answer: The fallen angels.
When Satan rose up in jealous competition against God, he was banished from heaven and thrown down to Earth. The Book of Revelation says 1/3 of the angels fell from glory with him. Those fallen angels are what we refer to as demons. So, what has happened on earth here in Genesis, is Satan’s demons have married the women and they’ve infected the human population. Of course this was Satan’s plan. He wanted absolutely NOTHING good left here. If he had fallen from Heaven, he wanted to ensure no one else could be there either. As the women had the children of demons, the world got worse.
Genesis 6:5, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.”
God’s heart is broken over the condition of his people. Evil was everywhere. So, God decided he had to destroy everything. BUT, one man was different. God saw that one man and knew because he was different, something different could happen for the future.
When we are different, we create different. When we are different, something different can flow from us. God is looking for different.
God saw something different in Noah. Verse 8 from the MSG translations, “But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.”
Noah stood out because he wasn’t willing to do what everyone else was doing. Noah wasn’t infected by the wickedness around him. He hadn’t settled for what had become normal. Verse 9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.”
Was Noah perfect? No. The only perfect one to ever walk the earth was Jesus. Noah wasn’t perfect, but he was righteous and considered blameless. He sought to do what was right. His heart was pure. He sought God first and fully.
How did Noah do that when the world had become so wicked all around him? He walked in close fellowship with God. He had a relationship with God. He made space for God. He talked to God. He listened to God. And that is our very clear and simple answer for today. How do we navigate our way through a very fallen world full of things that have gone wrong? Answer: We have a relationship with God. We talk to him and we listen for him. Once again, we’re back to MAKING SPACE FOR GOD.
One week ago today we talked about the final 40 days of 2025. We declared we would make space for God in these final 40. How are you doing with that? Is God getting space, or has life naturally crowded him out again? My friend, if you’re going to be different in 2026, then you have to do something different now. What makes you different is your relationship with God. Give him priority in your life. The world doesn’t get to crowd him out, He crowds out the world. You don’t have to find a space for him in your busy schedule, your busy schedule must bow to God. His space comes first. Nothing gets done and nothing happens until God gets his space.
Well that’s different, isn’t it? Yes, it is! And different is what God is looking for.
Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah. God is looking for a girl who will live different in these final days of 2025 and pave the way for a radically different new year. Will you be different?
You’re being called to something different, my friend. It’s time to do life different. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to seek God first and look to him to do what is right. You need to give him time and space so your relationship grows.
Because Noah was different, God decided to save creation through him and start again. Humans had been infected by Satan’s demons and there was no turning back. God would wipe them out, eliminate their power, and start over again with just Noah and his family. The different ones.
And we know how God did that, right? The flood. The flood that wiped out every air breathing being and creature that wasn’t in the ark. God told Noah to build a large boat. A boat as long as 1.5 football fields and as tall as a 4 to 5 story building. He gave Noah 120 years to get the job done.
Did this make any sense to Noah? Absolutely not. Would it be easy? Anything but!
Not only would Noah have to build something like he had never ever seen before, but he would be responsible for saving every species of animal on the ground and in the air. That’s about 1400 different kinds of animals! How in the world would Noah ever be good enough for this impossible mission? God would take care of the details as Noah worked in faith.
My sister, you need to know that God will take care of the details as you work in faith. As you put him first and follow in obedience, he will do impossible things behind the scenes. He will make it happen. You do your part.
God tells Noah in verse 20, “Pairs or every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.” GOD WOULD BRING THE ANIMALS TO NOAH.
Imagine how easy it would have been for Noah to get caught up in the details. How is all this water going to come, it’s never even rained before. How will we survive? How will there be enough food? How God? God, how am I supposed to gather all these animals? I’ve got this huge boat to build. How will this ever work?
Noah didn’t have to go hunt them down and wrangle them in. Noah wasn’t out roping wild elephants and wrestling lions. God would bring them to him.
Verse 22, “So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” As Noah faithfully did the work God had told him to do, God did the impossible in the details.
This is how humans were saved and we started over with one man who was different.
God isn’t looking for perfect, he’s looking for different. And he’s asking you to be different. He’s asking you to do something different than you have been doing. He’s maybe asking you to start by changing one thing.
If you’re willing to be different in the new year of life coming to you, then God wants to use you for greater purposes than you can imagine.
But if not – if you’re not willing to be different, then you simply miss it. You miss what could be. You miss what you could do. You miss the potential of things you haven’t even dared to imagine yet.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Every morning when we wake up, we get to choose our attitude. Any attitude we wish is available for the taking. We can put it on and wear it the entire day, and just like the right pair of shoes can change the outfit, the right attitude can change your experience.
Most days we wake up unaware of this choice. We wait and see how others are acting, how our hair looks, and what the weather is.
Good day, good attitude.
Bad day, bad attitude.
Average day, average attitude.
We allow our experience to dictate and determine our perspective. But within us is the power to change our entire experience, regardless of circumstances. Within you is your choice of attitude, and your choice changes everything you experience.
Today we have the extreme gift of waking up to a day when the preferred attitude is predetermined. It’s Thanksgiving, and what do we do on Thanksgiving besides eat a feast … we give thanks. Yes, we knew to wake up with an attitude of gratitude today. The calendar tells us today is the day to wake up to thanksgiving.
What would your life look like if you continually gave thanks? I mean in the presence of real life, less than perfect scenarios, would things begin to look and feel different if they were covered in the gravy of gratitude?
Yes, the gravy of gratitude – let it cover everything!
Gravy on that turkey, gravy on those potatoes, gravy to soak your bread in. Yum. Where do you get that gravy?
If you’re not a true cook, you may not know where gravy comes from. Honey, you don’t buy that gravy, you make that gravy from what you already have. You use the leftover grease or broth to make gravy.
The gravy of gratitude is made from what you already have. You can’t buy gratitude. You may think once you have what you really want then you’ll be grateful, but I assure you, that’s not the way it works. You’ll always want more or something else.
Gratitude comes from what you already have.
Melody Beattie said “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
I don’t know who you might be missing around the table this year, but I’m truly sorry. I’m deeply sorry for your loss. I’m sorry for the division. I’m sorry for the dysfunction. I’m sorry for the distance. For whatever has caused the empty seats around your table, I’m so sorry.
I’m missing important people too. No kids. No family. No friends. It’s just my husband and I. But God has given me so much bacon in my life already that I have all this leftover bacon grease from what he has given me before, that I can make the gravy of gratitude today. I have everything I need to be grateful, and now everything I have will be better because of that gratitude.
Today, may you see what is here over what isn’t. Unlock the fullness of life today with your thanksgiving. We truly have so much to be grateful for.
Let me throw my favorite absolutely overwhelming statistics at you, like I do every year on Thanksgiving:
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world. (Is that you? Do you have food in your refrigerator? Do you have clothes on your back? Do you have a roof over your head and a place to sleep? You are wildly rich, my sister!)
If you have any amount of money in the bank, in your purse, or even some spare change hidden in your couch cushions, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealth. (Is that you too? You may not have a lot, but you have a little. You are ridiculously blessed, my friend!)
That’s me. I qualify for both of these categories. Isn’t that you too?
Girls, do you know what this means …. this means we are wildly rich and ridiculously blessed! Even in our current less than perfect life scenario, we have so much to be grateful for. Recognize it now. This is you. Wildly rich and ridiculously blessed.
And you know what, you’re entitled to absolutely none of it. When you’re entitled to nothing, you can be grateful for everything.
You are wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. That is your truth. Now, what will you do with it? Who will you thank?
Luke 17: 11-19 tells us a story of 10 men sick with leprosy who met Jesus. Jesus healed all 10 of them, but only 1 came back to thank him. Now Jesus was literally shocked by this and says “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” And Jesus said to the one who had returned to thank him, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
All 10 men had received healing, but to the 1 who returned to thank Jesus, he received more than healing of his illness. The Greek word Jesus used was ‘sozo’. Your faith has ‘sozo’ you. This word, ‘sozo’, is more than just a healing of disease, it is a an act of saving and making completely whole.
All 10 lepers received healing for their disease, but only the 1 who returned to thank Jesus received wholeness. Not only was his leprosy healed, but his mind was healed, his heart was healed. He was made completely whole. The gravy of gratitude covered his entire body and absotluely nothing was left the same.
This word ‘sozo’ is used in John 3:17, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to ‘sozo’ the world through him.” To save us, to heal us, to make us whole and complete.
Jesus isn’t just interested in fixing your problem and helping you get through this issue – honey, he’s interested in ‘sozo-ing’ this. He wants to heal you completely, fix the issue in your mind and in your heart, make you radically whole and forever complete. And that’s what happens when you come back again and again and thank him.
Let gratitude cover your entire life like gravy and receive the ‘sozo’ of Jesus! Keep coming back to say thank you.
We gather today as the wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. The ones who have an abundance of proof in their lives of God’s goodness and grace. The ones who have been saved and redeemed. The ones who have been given more than we could ever deserve. Yes, the ones covered in gravy.
We are also, unfortunately, the ones who have proven to be ungrateful in the past, caught up in the details, rushed through it and missed the overall truth in our lives that we are SO FORTUNATE. We’ve been one of the nine who hasn’t come back to Jesus to say thank you before. But that has changed. Now we’re the one who runs back to say thank you.
We have the gravy of gratitude! We have the remains from all we have been given before, and now what we have left is here to make everything better.
So here we are, among the masses who have received, but among the few who have returned to give thanks. Jesus, we’re here today to say thank you. We’ve come back to you in sheer gratitude for all you’ve done for us.
Thank you for our lives.
Thank you for our blessings that are in such great abundance and continual supply that we overlook them.
Thank you for waking us up to a new day of life today! Oh how absolutely amazing!
If you can walk, did you fail to show gratitude for legs that work?
If you can see, if you can hear, did you fail to say thank you for it just because you’ve always had sight and hearing?
Have we failed to show our thanksgiving for the electricity that powered on, the water that flowed, the heat that warmed us, and the car that started.
Have we overlooked the blessing of who we do have, thinking about who we don’t.
We have missed many things already today, but we won’t miss it all.
We won’t go through this entire day oblivious to God’s goodness in our lives. We stop right here and gather as the wildly rich and ridiculously blessed, covered in the gravy of gratitude, to simply say, THANK YOU.
We run back to the giver of life, we return to give you our praise. Thank you for making us whole.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Adam and Eve were God’s first creation in which he said it was “VERY GOOD”. He made them in his own image and placed them in the middle of paradise to live closely with him. We know they failed, but God covered them in grace with the first sacrifice and clothing made in animal skins. Then he blessed them.
You see my friends, our shame is covered by grace and we are wrapped in blessings. God doesn’t keep going over the wrong that has happened, he moves forward in blessings and the good plans he has for our future. Adam and Eve were first blessed with two sons. Cain and Abel. The first babies ever born. The first siblings. And do you know how that turned out?
I’m not sure why we feel so disappointed when we experience family struggles for ourselves – the very first family had complete dysfunction. God never promised us perfection in our families, in fact, his word gives us example after example of problems and struggles in families God has chosen and blessed. Mama, you can quit feeling sorry for yourself now – you’re not the only one who is dealing with chaos.
Cain was the oldest son and he became a keeper of the land. Abel was the youngest son and he became a keeper of sheep. Yes, they had jobs. Why? Because work is good for us! We are designed to need daily purpose. We are also designed to serve God with our best.
Genesis 4:3, “When it was time for harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. (Notice, what did Cain give God? SOME of his crops. Circle ‘some’.)
Verse 4, “Abel also brought a gift – the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. (What did Abel give God? The BEST portions. Circle ‘best’.)
So, Cain gave some of his harvest, but Abel gave the best of his harvest, and God knew the difference. He knew the heart, he knew the intent. So, here’s what happened –
Verse 5-6, “The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. ‘Why are you so angry?’ the Lord asked Cain. ‘Why do you look so dejected?’
The world sees comparison and jealousy for the first time. And God gives a warning.
Verse 7, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
Woah – that is a powerful warning and it still stands today. The moment you stop doing what is right, then sin tries to come in and control you. The Passion Translation says it like this, “If you refuse to do what is right, sin, the predator, is crouching in wait outside the door of your heart. It desires to have you, yet you must be its master.”
Here’s the lesson – Offering less than your best leaves an open door to the enemy. And where does the enemy attack? Your heart!
You know when you’re not giving your best. You know when you’re just checking a box. You know when you’re just punching the clock. You know when you’re going through the motions, and showing up because you have to. AND SO DOES GOD.
God didn’t accept Cain’s offering for one reason, and one reason only – it wasn’t his best. God wants our best and he’s not fooled.
But why does God want our best? Does he really need anything from us? Everything is his, and if God wants something he can either take it or he can create more in one word. He most certainly doesn’t need our best, so why does he only accept our best? Here’s why – Because God knows our best is what’s best for us. God knows the moment we start holding back and checking out, we are in danger.
When we get lazy, we leave the door to our heart cracked open. That’s how sin slips in and attacks. And it attacks the heart. It hardens our heart, turns our heart away from God and to the things of the world. It builds walls around our heart to keep others out.
This is why God asks for your best. Not because he needs your performance. Not because he needs your money, or your work, or your time. But because he knows it’s best for you to offer your best. You were designed to give him your best. And when you’re not working within your design, you’re not living your best life. When you’re not living your best life, you’re settling for less and less is what you get.
God invites Cain to recognize where he was giving less than his best and fix it. But Cain doesn’t. Here’s what he does instead – he attacks his brother Abel, and he kills him.
The very first couple with their very first children, and this is the family chaos. Yip, it’s real and now maybe your family chaos doesn’t look quite as bad.
If you want to end the chaos, the answer is to give your absolute best. God has given us the power to overcome sin. We are not helpless victims. It’s our laziness that invites sin to attack our hearts. It’s our desire to get God’s best with our less than best, and it quite simply doesn’t work that way.
Today, come back to giving your best. In everything you do today, do it with your best. There’s a scripture that’s always impacted me when I’m doing the daily work of cooking, cleaning and taking care of people. Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for people. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
God knows what your best looks like, because he gave you your best. He knows what you can really do. He knows how good you can really do. And he also knows when you don’t do your best, it’s a danger to your heart.
Where do you need to throw away the boxes you’ve been checking and throw your whole heart into it again? Where do you need to show up with the best of you, not what’s left of you? Where do you need to protect your heart by offering nothing but your best? Do that – God sees it and you will feel the difference.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you carry any shame? Is there shame for what you have done? Shame for your past? Shame for your failures?
Shame is a feeling of worthlessness. Shame is a disgrace you assign to yourself. It’s a fear of the worst of you being exposed, and that fear makes you hide. But don’t you realize there’s absolutely NOTHING you can hide from God. He sees it all and knows it all. You don’t sneak behind God and get away with things. He’s fully aware of that secret.
One of my best friends has a coffee mug that’s a picture of Jesus peeking over a pair of sunglasses he’s wearing and it says, “I saw that.” My friend, Jesus saw that. More than anything he wants to say about it, he wants to DO something about it. Jesus wants to cover your shame.
In Genesis when Adam and Eve are disobedient and ate the fruit they were told not to eat, their very first feeling was of shame. Shame caused them to hide. But do you know what God did in response to their shame? Chapter 3, verse 21 says, “The Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” I’ve never noticed that before. God himself made the first real clothes to cover their shame.
God doesn’t desire his sons and daughters to walk around in shame. Shame separates us from him and all he ever wanted was a close relationship with us.
This is exactly why the enemy works so hard to cover you in shame. Shame separates us from God. We naturally hide in our feelings of worthlessness and self-assigned disgrace. The devil wants to poke at those unhealed wounds within to make that shame ooze from you. It’s all an attempt to keep you from God.
But know this – Jesus saw it and he did something about it!
God made the first clothes to cover the first shame in preparation for the coming covering for ALL shame. Notice what God used for the clothes. He used the skin from animals. Those animals had to die, they were sacrificed. Adam and Eve had originally made coverings from fig leaves in the garden to try and cover their shame, but that wasn’t good enough. God sacrificed animals and used their skins to cover them. That sacrifice was required.
Shame is only covered by sacrifice. And there’s nothing we could ever sacrifice enough to make us righteous. We can’t change ourselves to be good enough. You could spend every day for the rest of your life trying to perform and earn your righteousness, but you would still fall short. A sacrifice beyond you is required. A sacrifice made by God. God made a covering for shame of Adam and Eve – and God has made a covering for your shame.
That covering is the blood of Jesus. His sacrificed life is what makes you forever good enough.
Yes, Jesus saw what you did and in response, he did something about it. He died for you.
Now girl, you have absolutely zero right to be walking around in that shame. That’s already been bought. It’s already been covered. The high price was paid for you to feel love instead of worthlessness. A huge sacrifice was made for you to be covered in grace where there was once disgrace.
That grace will radically change your life. RECEIVE IT! But then, don’t waste it.
Don’t waste the grace offered to you. Don’t keep replaying the story. Don’t allow the enemy to poke at those wounds – no girl, bring those wounds to Jesus and let him completely heal you.
Grace isn’t a bandaid to just get you through. Grace heals you perfectly. Grace takes your absolute worst and turns it into a testimony. My friend, you have a testimony of how God can meet you in your pit of shame, save you and change you – now what are you doing with that testimony? Are you telling it? Are you using it to help others? Is God getting any good out of the grace he has offered you? Or are you wasting that grace?
I’m a girl who performed for so long that I sought the applause of people more than I appreciated the grace of Jesus. On most days, I honestly didn’t even feel like I needed grace because I was really good at performing. I could make things work. I could grind it out until it happened. And people really liked me. It all looked so good on the outside, but something nasty was happening on the inside.
God loved me enough to see that and not turn away from me. I must have been disgusting to him in my self-righteous performance while using his name. But instead of disgust, he gave me grace. Grace I didn’t even know to ask for. Grace I didn’t even appreciate at the time. Grace for all I was doing wrong and time to turn it around and get it right.
I’ve gone through a few years of deep humbling. It’s been a process of holy conviction that turned my performance into a heavy load I couldn’t carry. Pressure that made me crack. Stress that left this strong willed girl finally giving up. And that’s when grace came in! Grace that made me hate the stage and no longer crave a spotlight. Grace that broke my heart for what breaks God’s heart. Grace that saw me where I was and covered me to take me where God wanted me next.
I’ve changed some things. Am I still embarrassed over the way I had done things for so long. Yes, no doubt. But it won’t become shame. Shame tells me I’m worthless, but God tells me I’m chosen as worthy. Shame tells me I’m a disgrace, but Jesus says his grace is sufficient for me. Shame has no place in a life covered by the blood of Jesus, it’s all been covered. Now, I know to truly be grateful for God’s grace and I won’t waste it. You see if God can be patient with a girl like me, he can be patient with a girl like you. If he can cover me, he can cover you. If I can change, so can you.
My friend, whatever you’ve been carrying around deep inside of you, ashamed of what you did and who might find out – please know this – Jesus saw that and he did something about it. You have been covered in grace. Grace that makes you forever good enough.
God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and Eve to cover the shame that made them hide from him. Blood was shed and a life was sacrificed to make that covering. But that covering would continually wear out and a new sacrifice would be required, or shame would once again enter and separate them from God. That’s why Jesus gave his life. The forever sacrifice that makes us eternally right with God. A permanent covering of grace for our shame.
There’s a song called “Washed” by Elevation Rhythm. It says:
I’ve been washed in the water, washed in the blood
I’m as good as new, oh hallelujah
You took away my shame and you nailed it to the cross
Got me running out the grave, oh hallelujah, here I come
Where are we running? Back to God! No more hiding in shame. We’ve been washed in the water, washed in the blood and we’re as good as new. All our shame has been taken away and nailed to that cross.
When the enemy comes at you to try and strip you of that grace and reassign shame to you, please remember one thing – YOU’RE NOT THAT GIRL ANYMORE. YOU’VE BEEN MADE NEW. You don’t belong in that grave where you once wallowed. You’ve been made forever good enough by Jesus. Oh hallelujah.
What are you wearing and who made that? Is that a name brand, girl? Where did that come from?
If you’re wearing shame, that comes from the pits of hell, hand designed by the enemy of your soul. Get that off of you!
God has a designer piece with the label of grace made just for you. Put it on. It will change you forever.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I once thought living in full surrender to God would mean my life would become boring. I thought all my fun would end. So, for years I held back. I offered parts of me, while my hands were clinched tightly on my greatest desires. I just knew if I offered it all to God, he would take the best parts away and leave me with a life I didn’t love.
Wow – was I wrong.
This life lived in wild abandon and total trust in God is the greatest adventure I’ve ever been on. My hands are wide open and I’ve let go of everything, and somehow my life is absolutely overflowing. Those desires I was so afraid to surrender have been changed into even greater things and made realities.
Why didn’t anyone tell me how good this would be? Instead, I lived so many years of my life fearful of what God might take away from me and suspicious of what he was withholding from me.
Does God hold back the good stuff when we trust him? Can the best stuff only be found on your own, apart from a life of surrender? Do you have to make things happen for yourself? Do you have to look out for #1? Do you have to question God?
Let’s be very clear – living like that will cause you to fall. You will fall for the tricks of the enemy of your soul when you begin to think God is keeping something from you. You will fall right into the traps of Satan when you try to get what you want in your own ways. When what you want takes first place and God is put in second, the door is open for absolute destruction in your life.
My friends, that’s precisely what happened to Eve in the garden. She was tricked into believing God was withholding the best stuff from her. She thought there was something better for her that God had been hiding. And that’s exactly how it happens. A seed of doubt is planted, questioning if God is holding out on you, so you’re willing to go around him to get what you think you want.
What is sin? It’s what God says you shouldn’t do, right? Actually, no. This isn’t about what you should and shouldn’t do. Sin is so much more about what falls short of God’s best for you. Sin isn’t just the forbidden things you’re not supposed to do, sin is what will harm you. Sin is the very thing God is trying to protect you from. Not because he’s withholding the good stuff from you and labeling it as sin. Actually, quite the opposite. God is protecting us from the things he knows would harm us the most. The things that cause shame, guilt and regret. The things that separate us from him. The things that confuse us, bind us, create addictions and separation.
But do you know what Satan says? Satan says it’s only called sin to keep you from experiencing more in life. It’s not that bad. It won’t hurt you. You’ll just get to see what you’ve been missing.
We live in a fallen world where Satan and his demons roam around like a roaring lion, trying to kill, steal and destroy everything that is good. You are good. Your life is good. The purpose for which you were created is good. The plans God has for your future are good. And it’s all under absolute attack. Everything good has a bullseye for evil. To fight this battle, it is crucial for you to know how the enemy attacks.
How does he trick us? What does he say?
Here it is – Satan quite simply TWISTS God’s words in a way that makes you feel like something is missing. He twists what isn’t good for you into looking like something that would make you happy. And he tricks you into doing things that will make you hide in shame.
You see, once you know Satan’s game, you can quickly see his nasty moves. In a nutshell, the devil tries to make you think sin is not bad and God is not good.
Sin is considered sin because God says it’s not good for you. Sin will hurt you. Don’t you think your creator knows what will hurt his creation? I have a Nutribullet blender in my kitchen. On the cord is a permanent tag that reads, “Never immerse in water.” I trust the manufacturer of that blender knows what isn’t good for their product. I don’t need to throw it in my kitchen sink to see if they really know what they’re talking about. Wouldn’t it be absolutely ridiculous for me to believe, “hmmmm, maybe this blender can do even greater things if I immerse it in water and maybe the maker doesn’t want me to know that. Maybe they’re holding out on me, so I’m going to have to try this on my own.” Splash.
Stupid. That would be so stupid.
The maker knows what isn’t good for their product. You must trust the warning label.
Adam and Eve were given one warning label. Just one. They were put in the middle of paradise in the Garden of Eden and given everything they could ever want. And then the warning label, Genesis 2:16, “God warned him, ‘You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” It’s the equivalent of “Never immerse the blender in water.” It won’t be good.
Then here comes Satan who has shown up as a serpent in the garden. And he asks a question in Genesis 3, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
Now notice how Satan works – he engages Eve in a conversation. He baits her with a question that’s intentionally twisted. Then, he simply convinces her that what she’s been told would be bad isn’t REALLY bad, and that perhaps GOD isn’t good. Maybe God is just holding back the good stuff. Maybe her trust in God is causing her to miss out.
Satan says, “You won’t die! God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Yeah, just go ahead and take a little bite – it’s not bad for you. Take a drag, try the pill, here have a drink. Just a little peek. Try this. Go ahead and do it. Just one time, it will feel good. All those rules that tell you not to are just trying to take away your freedom. Your parents just always wanted to control you. God just doesn’t want you to have any fun.
Hear that? COULD THAT BE SATAN?
Eve fell for the twisted suggestions of Satan, thinking God just didn’t want her to have the best stuff in the garden and she committed the very first sin by eating the one fruit God told her not to eat. Then here comes Adam, convinced something good was happening without him and he ate the fruit too.
And my friends, Satan is still doing it today! We’re blindly throwing blenders in a sink of water because we think the maker might be holding out on us with their restricting warning label. IF GOD SAYS IT’S NOT GOOD FOR YOU, THEN FOR REAL, IT’S NOT GOOD FOR YOU.
Satan says sin is not bad and God is not good. Satan says you have to push the limits and try some things to really live, and God says, “Honey if you want adventure, I’ll take you on the adventure of a lifetime if you fully surrender everything to me. What I have for you is best and if I withhold anything from you it’s because it wasn’t the best.”
You really can trust that! You don’t have to question God’s intentions. He is for you, not against you. He created you and he knows some things aren’t good for you. He knows some things will hurt you. He knows some things will eat away at you from the inside and cause you to hide in guilt and shame. That’s NOT what he wants for his girl. You can trust him.
Here’s a simple guideline to help us on our journey of living our best life with God while the enemy attacks: Resist don’t discuss.
When you hear a voice that makes you question anything God has said, you better run. When you see the twisting start to happen, lines being blurred, convictions being compromised, and the warning tags being torn off, you immediately think of Eve in the garden with the serpent. The serpent is the shrewdest of all. He is cunning and convincing. He’s slimy and and sneaky. DON’T MESS WITH HIM.
Eve’s first mistake was having a conversation with Satan. ABSOLUTELY NOT! God’s girls have zero business talking to the devil. He has NOTHING we need to hear. You stiff arm him and keep walking.
James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” That doesn’t say have a conversation with the devil. That doesn’t say discuss things with the devil. No, RESIST HIM.
Think of a toddler who is resisting their mother. We’ve all seen it int he grocery store. Somehow that 3 year old is uncontrollable. They’re listening to absolutely nothing. They’re fighting, screaming, running. They’re not giving up. That resistant toddler uses every ounce of energy they have to break free of the desperate mother trying to hold them back. And THAT is what we’re supposed to do with the devil. You fight him HARD. You don’t listen to a word he says. You scream over him. You run.
Girl, why are you trying to reason with the devil? Why are you trying to taste what he is offering you and hope you get away with it?
The devil says sin is not bad and God is not good. He’s a liar from hell.
God is good. There’s nothing bad in him. He withholds no good things from his children. If God withholds something, it’s because it wasn’t good for us. You can trust him fully. You can live in complete surrender to him. If God says it’s not good for you, then it’s really not good for you and it would hurt you. Don’t mess with it. Don’t entertain it. Don’t hang around with it. Don’t talk about it. Don’t fantasize about it. RESIST IT. Get out of there!
Life lived in surrender to God, trusting his ways and his plans is anything but boring. Jump on in with me. What he has for you is better than anything the slimy devil could ever conjur up! You don’t have to hold back and fear the good stuff being taken from you by God. If he takes away the good stuff, it’s only to make room for the best stuff.
Your maker really does know what’s not good for you. Don’t immerse the blender in water. You can trust that without testing it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Forty. As of tomorrow, November 22nd, we have 40 days left in this year.
Just how fast has this year gone by? Wasn’t it just Summer a few weeks ago, and now here we are with only 40 days left in the entire year?
2026 is a brand new year of life on it’s way to us. It’s filled with promise and potential and if you will be consistently available to God, he will fulfill you in ways you never imagined possible. But … we’re not there yet, my friends. It is not time to begin focusing on a new year, it’s time to finish this one right!
40 days separate us from this new year of life, and those 40 days matter significantly. God wants to prepare you, equip you and mold you in the next 40 days. Forty.
40 is a critical number in the Bible. 40 often represented new life, growth and transformation. God worked in the 40 to prepare a way for the future. God changed people in the 40. The preparation for a breakthrough of change happened in the 40.
My friends, that’s exciting!!!!! This 40 belongs to God and he’s preparing you for a new year of life in the next 40 days.
Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by the devil. After that temptation, Jesus began his ministry on Earth and changed eternity.
It rained for 40 days, flooding the entire earth. All life outside of Noah’s ark was eliminated. Then the waters receded and life began again from only that which had been saved.
The giant Goliath taunted God’s people for 40 days. Then, the little shepherd boy David slays the giant with his slingshot and a rock and wins them victory and freedom.
How many days were between Jesus’ crucifixion and his return to Heaven? 40!
Forty. Then, completion, then renewal, then victory.
In the next 40 days before 2026 comes, God wants to do a work in YOU! Will you partner with him in the transformational process that brings victory? Will you let him have his time and space in your life for the next 40 days?
What have your past 40 days been like? Do you even really remember them? 40 days ago it was October 12th – what do you have to show for those days? Were they significant? Did you grow and get better, or did those days just pass with little to show for them?
Don’t let the next 40 be like your last 40. It’s time to go deeper. It’s time for full heart surrender. It’s time to wake up with intention and live on purpose. On the other side of this 40 is that new life, that growth, that transformation only God has seen. God wants to do a work in you! Will you submit to the process?
In the early days of Christianity, before someone could be baptized as a Christian, they were to wait 40 days. For 40 days they would simplify their life down to the basics and focus fully on living for Jesus. After 40 days, if they still wanted to commit their lives to Jesus, then they would be baptized.
What if the next 40 days was an intentional simplifying of our lives with a focus on Jesus to prepare us for 2026? What if we took these final 40 days of this year and allowed God the space to work in us so we step into the new year changed. What if this is your renewal and re-commitment to Jesus. 40 days of focusing on Jesus.
That sounds special doesn’t it … and basically impossible in your busy life. Especially the next 40 days of holidays, travels, gatherings and functions. It’s the busiest time of the year, certainly not the time you can slow down to focus on Jesus. That would be a huge struggle for the next 40 days, wouldn’t it?
And do you know what God says about that – Okay, struggle it out!
Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
That doesn’t mean you have to work to earn salvation, that’s a free gift given to you by Jesus, you simply accept that gift. But you do have to struggle to live like you’re saved. Work that out. Fight for it. Struggle with making time for Jesus in your daily life.
Did you know it’s okay to struggle with finding time to pray? Did you know it’s okay to have to work to read your Bible and not really feel like it 97% of the time? That’s okay – work that out.
Using the next 40 really busy, over-scheduled, cram packed days to re-commit to Jesus would be a struggle for you – AWESOME – work it out! Do it afraid that you might fail. Do it uncertain of how.
Here’s what you’re feeling right now – you’re feeling a battle between your flesh and your spirit. Your flesh wants to pretend like you never even heard this. Your flesh is reasoning with why you don’t have time and how waiting until January would just make more sense. BUT YOUR SPIRIT is saying something else. Your spirit is saying, “Wow, I need this.” Your spirit is craving space for Jesus. Your spirit is willing to work this out!
Right now, just lean into your spirit. This doesn’t have to be perfect. This isn’t about checking a box to meet a goal so you feel a sense of accomplishment. This is about giving God space to prepare you for a new year of life. This is about letting him work in your 40.
Go ahead and struggle with this. Don’t avoid it. Don’t run from it. Choose to struggle. Choose to fight for a way to focus more on Jesus.
There are a two things that have radically changed my life for the better. Perhaps one of these could be your way of making space for Jesus for the final 40 days of 2025.
- Praying on my knees.
At a retreat many years ago, a woman shared that during her time in a rehab she was taught to put her alarm under her bed every night when she went to sleep. This would force her to roll straight out of bed and hit her knees to turn off the alarm. And while she was there, she would pray.
This changed my life.
In the beginning, it was a short prayer to begin my day while I reached for my phone under the bed. Then it grew. Eventually I no longer had to put my phone under the bed, it was habit. I just roll right out onto my knees. In fact, you know those fancy pillows you put on the bed but you don’t sleep with them? Yeah, put one of those on the floor for your knees to hit. It works perfectly.
Now, that is my primary prayer time. It’s my habit and it’s Jesus’ space. I begin my day on my knees and it has empowered me to walk through my days unlike ever before.
Could you try that for the next 40 days? What happens if you miss a day? What happens if you forget? Remember, just work it out – struggle through it – it doesn’t have to be perfect – just make space.
- Reading my printed Bible.
If there’s an almost magic in anything, I would say it’s this. There’s something about God’s word. It’s unlike any other book. It’s alive and it gets within you. Suddenly your thoughts begin to change, your desires change, your impulses change. God’s word truly changes you.
Make time to read your Bible. Write in it. Highlight it. Truly study it.
I can’t explain it, but you will be transformed. This is how God works in you. And scripture says as he works in you, he gives you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Your whole world can change when you start opening your Bible.
If you don’t have a print Bible and you can’t afford to buy one right now, MESSAGE ME! I will order one so fast for you that you have it on your doorstep by next week.
Sadly, I’ve spent the majority of my life without a Bible. I would google scripture when needed, or read the daily verse from an app. That’s good, but oh my goodness, I was missing the GREATNESS of an actual Bible in my hands.
Could you try reading the Bible for the next 40 days? Maybe a chapter a day? Or maybe listening for the scripture in the devotional and reading the paragraphs before and after that scripture? Or maybe just start with the book of John and read it slow.
How will you remember to do this every day? How will you make time when it’s so busy? Girl, struggle it out. Just work on that. Let it be messy and imperfect. 40 days in God’s word will transform you! You will step into the new year as a new person with changed thoughts and desires.
Remember our scripture, Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Embrace the struggle of making space for Jesus and let God work within you. He will begin to change you. Your desires will change. Your priorities will change. You won’t even have to force it. Give him this little space and watch it happen!
40 days. This is it. What will you do? The days will pass whether you commit to Jesus or not. Why not commit and come out better? Why not give Jesus a chance to work in you and make you better before the new year even gets here?
Could you listen to Christian music for the next 40 days? Could you journal for the next 40 days on specific ways you see God working?
There are countless things you could do, but what would you do?
God uses the number 40 throughout scripture to radically change people and situations. He shows up in the 40 to unleash his power. And now he’s giving you this 40. 40 days left in 2025 before a new year. How will you make space for Jesus in your 40?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
2 Corinthians 6:11-13 MSG – “I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’ve been living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively.”
Romans 2:4, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sins?
1 Corinthians 1:9, “God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Isaiah 50:4 MSG, “God has given me a well-taught tongue, so I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders.”
Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Isiah 6:8-9, “Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’ And he said, ‘Yes, go …'”
BE CONSISTENTLY AVAILABLE.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever wondered why God would create a tree and place it in the middle of paradise, but not allow Adam and Eve to eat from it? Why would God make it possible to mess up? Wouldn’t it have been better if the option to sin were never even there? God, why put the tree there if it would cause so many problems?
I’ve often wondered this. Why mess up paradise with the ability to sin? What was the point?
Well, it was CHOICE. Free will is only free when there is an opportunity to do as much bad as there is good. Free will must include a choice. God desired for his greatest creation to choose him from their own free will, so he designed an opportunity to listen and obey him, or not. Unfortunately for us, Adam and Eve chose to not listen. But, the truth is, we would have all done the same. If you’ve ever made a wrong choice in your entire life, if you’ve ever messed up, then you would have eaten the apple too, my friend.
But do you realize there are actually two trees in the middle of the garden where Adam and Eve were? There wasn’t just the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, but there was another tree, the tree of life. The tree of life offered eternal life to live forever. The fruit of this tree was not off limits, it was fully available. But the other tree which held the knowledge of good and evil was the one and only limitation given to them.
One thing, Adam, don’t eat from that tree. And Adam, tell Eve too. Tell her not to eat from that tree, it will change everything.
But, they fail. The temptation to do what they were told not to do is too great and they eat that fruit. Suddenly, their eyes are opened and shame comes into the world for the first time.
The other tree stood untouched, the tree that offered life forever. Instead they chose to eat from the tree that brought guilt, shame and regret. It was the first sin. Sin is choosing what we think we want in life over what truly gives life. And guess what … we’re still doing it today. We’re still choosing the wrong tree. We’re still choosing the things that aren’t good for us. We’re still making messes. We’re still leaving the offering of true and abundant life just hanging on the branch.
The first mistake was not filling up on the good stuff. They could have been so full eating from the tree of life that there was no room for the forbidden fruit from the other tree.
The second mistake was eating the fruit they were told not to eat.
The third mistake was hiding in shame. Genesis 3:8, “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.”
Shame was never part of God’s plan. Hiding from him was not the design of his masterpiece. But that’s what sin did. And that’s what sin still does. When we do what we know is wrong, we hide.
My grandson is 3. When he gets quiet, we know there’s a problem. He’s either eating play-dough, drawing on a wall, or sneaking candy. He hides when he’s doing something wrong. Here we are, grown women, essentially hiding while we eat play-dough. Sneaking around hoping no one finds out. Pulling away from God because of the guilt we feel within.
But imagine if Adam and Eve wouldn’t have hidden. Imagine if they would have ran straight to God after that first bite and said, “Oh no, we messed up! Help us!”
Imagine if we did that! Wouldn’t everything change?
The first mistake was not filling up on the tree of life. The emptiness created space for what wasn’t good for them.
The second mistake was choosing to do what they knew was wrong.
The third mistake was hiding in shame.
Now, their fourth mistake was casting blame.
Genesis 3: 9-13, “The the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’
He replied, ‘I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.’
‘Who told you that you were naked?’ the Lord God asked. ‘Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?’
The man replied, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit and I ate it.’
(Not only is Adam blaming Eve, but he’s blaming God because God is the one who gave him this woman who messed things up. Hmmmmm, I wonder if we do that too?)
Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What have you done?’
‘The serpent deceived me’ she replied. ‘That’s why I ate it.’
The first sin was also the first opportunity to confess and repent. The first sin was the first opportunity for forgiveness. But shame caused them to hide and blame.
Girls, now that we know better, we can do better.
It’s not IF you mess up, it’s WHEN you mess up, don’t hide in shame. Don’t pull away from God. And don’t cast blame on anything or anyone else. Take responsibility for your choices.
God gave you choices knowing you would surely screw them up. But he’s given you a greater power than shame. He’s given you GRACE.
My friend, you are covered in the GRACE of Jesus. No, you don’t deserve it – and no, you can’t earn it, but it’s given to you anyway. His grace covers your guilt and shame and draws you back into him.
Grace says there’s no one to blame. Grace says stop retelling the story. Grace says you messed up, but you’re still worthy because of Jesus.
We’re still choosing the wrong tree, leaving the offering of true life often untouched while we chase after temptations and earthly pursuits. But the offering is still here for us. LIFE. Will we choose it?
Adam and Eve were banished from the garden because of their choice. Could they have stayed if they would have sought forgiveness instead of hiding in shame and blaming away the guilt? Think about it. Could sin have been stopped right there?
God saw their hearts would not turn to him, so they had to leave the garden and lose their opportunity to eat from the tree of life. God said in verses 22-24, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever! So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”
They could have eaten from the tree of life and lived forever, but they chose the wrong tree.
Now, here’s what’s really amazing. We read of this tree of life again at the very end of our Bible where we’re told of what awaits us in Heaven. In the last chapter of Revelation, chapter 22, verse 1-2, “The angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything.”
The tree of life is there for us!!!! The offering for eternal life hasn’t been taken away from us. It will heal us. There’s no curse on anything!
BUT, IT’S STILL A CHOICE. Just like it was a choice for Adam and Eve, it’s a choice for us.
If we will eat from the tree of life, living in God’s right ways, we will be filled to overflowing and there won’t be room for the forbidden things. If we fill up on God, Satan won’t have space to trick us.
There’s a tree of life and it’s available to you today. Come eat of it’s fruit. Get filled up on the good stuff so there’s no room for the offering of the enemy. Eternal life is in the offering.
And when you mess up, which you will, don’t hide in shame and don’t cast blame. Seek forgiveness. You don’t have to run from God. He kinda knew you would get it wrong sometimes. But he still offers the tree of life to you. Make your choice. Which do you choose today?
God offers us good things, and he also gives us the ability to really mess it up. We can ruin today with the wrong choices. We can ruin our opportunities. We can ruin our blessings. There’s a choice. The choice begins with the tree. Will you choose the tree of life and turn away from what is wrong?
Grace continually invites us back.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As a woman, you are specially designed and created to be a servant. Before you stone me, understand that being a servant is not a lowly position. According to Jesus, the greatest is called to be the servant. By divine order, to be great, you must be a humble helper. If you cannot be a humble helper, you will never be great. You will never live in your fullest potential if you are not willing to be a servant.
Jesus said in Matthew 23:11-12, “The greatest among you must be a servant. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” My friend, there’s absolutely no wiggle room in this. There’s no gray area. If you’re going to get better and live a great life, you MUST humble yourself as a servant. Every time you assume the position of being better than someone else and above helping them, you have missed your calling.
Here’s the question – do you trust God? Do you trust his design? Do you trust he knows what you don’t know and has a better plan? YES? Then trust your positioning as a woman. You are the helper by God’s divine design. Not because you’re lesser than, but because you’re chosen as God’s girl.
After God created the first man, he saw it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Genesis 2, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Then the Lord God made a woman from his rib, and he brought her to the man.
GIRLS, WE ARE THE JUST RIGHT HELPERS.
Think about that. It’s you. You are specifically designed to be just right. To fit perfectly in partnership with one who needs your help. It’s part of your design. This isn’t something to hate. This isn’t something to fight. This isn’t something to resent. This is something that makes you great. Again, according to Jesus, the greatest among you must be a servant.
It is an honor to be the helper. It’s fulfilling to be the helper. The helper is who you were created to be in your greatest and fullest potential.
Think about when Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist and knelt down to serve his disciples by washing their feet. Serving didn’t make him beneath them. It didn’t make him weak. It made him great. His humility showed a life-changing love. AND SO DOES OURS.
Now again, if you’re pulling away and ready to fight, come back to trusting God. If God designed it, can you trust it? If God aligns it, can you walk in it? God designed the woman to be the JUST RIGHT HELPER for man.
I’m blessed to have a wonderful husband. He’s easy to help, quite honestly. And he’s easy to help because he’s good to lead. If he were not a good leader, serving him would be extremely difficult. I must believe this is why the enemy attacks our men with such aggressive intent – if the man isn’t worthy of being followed, then the woman cannot follow and serve. If the woman cannot serve as the just right helper, then she is left unfulfilled by design.
If you don’t have a good man to help, what should you do? PRAY FOR HIM. My sister, he’s under attack. He’s hurting. He’s been confused. The way you can be the ‘just right helper’ to a man who is not leading well, is to pray relentlessly for him. You can’t change him, you can’t fix him, but God can! Do you believe that?
If you have been given a good man who is worthy of following, then HELP HIM. It is your role. Again, not because you are less than him, but because Jesus has called the greatest to serve and he showed us how.
When we fight against this and rise up in with our feisty selves, refusing to be the chosen, called and equipped helper, then we quite simply miss the fullness of our design. We’re actually fighting against the very thing that is missing within us. We’re refusing our blessing. It is a blessing to serve. What an honor it is to be that just right helper.
When sin entered the world through that first man and woman, struggles were created. Do you know that one of those very specific struggles is the fight over roles between men and women? It’s the discord and dysfunction in our relationships. To the woman, God says in Genesis 3:16, “You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” That was NOT God’s design. That’s what sin did.
Are you trying to control your husband? Is your husband trying to rule over you? That’s not within either of your designs. He is called to lead you towards God, and you are called to help him on the journey with God. If he’s not leading and you’re not helping, then it’s dysfunction.
Lord, please lead us back to our blessed design in partnership. And start with me. Go to work on me! Let the change begin in me.
If you don’t have a husband, you are still designed to be the helper. You’re not dismissed from helping. You don’t have to morph yourself into something you were never created to be. God’s girls are specially blessed to nurture, support, encourage and help. The world is starving for you to fulfill your designed role and help.
If you do have a husband, but he’s not a leader worthy of following, then your help is to pray for him. God can use you to reach the heart of your husband unlike anyone else in this world.
What a blessing it is to be chosen as God’s helper. We are following in great big footsteps. Jesus himself was a servant. He served and it made him great. He helped. And Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” God’s girls are blessed to be the just right helpers!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today, my retreat girls will go with me to the largest natural gathering place for manatee in the world. The cold of winter is beginning to set in, so the manatee have traveled for hundreds of miles to come to their winter home in the warm springs waters of Blue Springs State Park and Crystal River.
We will kayak with these massive, marvelous creatures in the wild. We will swim with them. And every single one of us will be in awe of their beautiful and perfect design. GOD DID THAT!
In fact, God did that on day 5 of creation. Genesis 1:20, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with fish and other life’ … So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water.”
God created that manatee, uniquely designed it just as he desired, and you know what he said about it – he said it was GOOD!
But really, have you see the shape of a manatee. They’re like a big ol’ baked potato with a round tail. And yet we will all be in awe of them.
After God designed the manatee, do you know what he did the next day? Something even better. Something he said was not only good, but it was REALLY GOOD!
Imagine this scene – The Father God, the son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all come together for a brainstorming session. They’re gathered to do their most creative and impressive work. Together, they will create YOU. They imagined you, designed you, then formed you. Just as they wanted for the purposes of your life.
That’s precisely what happened. The Holy Trinity designing you! Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let US make human beings in our image, to be like us.'” You have always been seen. You have always been wanted. You have always been enough.
Genesis 2:7 “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”
Let’s make this personal. When I pause insert your own name into this scripture. God breathed the breath of life into _________, and she became a living person.
The purpose of life is to live it. Not just survive it, or endure it. Not sleep it away or wish it away. But live it. In order to LIVE this life you have been given and fulfill your purpose, you must be ALIVE.
This breath of life God has breathed into you comes with a single expectation. That you would open your eyes, experience life fully and be ALIVE with life.
Our scripture today says you came ALIVE – a living person. Not a miserable person. Not a tired person. Not a worried person. Not a stressed out person. But a LIVING person.
Will you be a LIVING person?
There is no time to waste. We can’t afford to wait until next month to wake up and start living. We can’t sleep away today. James 4:14 puts the brevity of life into perspective with “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
BUT YOU’RE HERE TODAY. You have a chance to live today. What a gift you and I have been given. And remember, with all great things comes great responsibility. Not everyone received the gift of life today, but you did, and you have a responsibility to live it.
Today, let’s fulfill our purpose. Let’s do with this day exactly what we’re supposed to do. Let’s LIVE it! The dictionary uses 3 words to define ALIVE: Alert, Active and Animated. We will use that as our gauge and intentionally go to work.
Today, we will be ALIVE by being ALERT. Wherever we are, we will actually BE THERE. Repeat to yourself, “right here, right now”. Hey, you will never get this back. Every moment today is a once in a lifetime moment, don’t miss it. Taste your food. Hear the sounds of life. Open your eyes and see life unfolding all around you.
You are surrounded by unspeakable beauty. There is beauty before you, beauty behind you. Beauty to your left, beauty to your right. Beauty above you, beauty below you. Beauty within you. God’s creation is begging for you to notice.
Today you will savor it because you are alert. Continue to bring your mind back to the state of right here, right now.
Second, today we will be ALIVE by being ACTIVE. We refuse to sit and wonder and worry. If we are stuck in a rut, we won’t be by the end of the day because today, we’re taking the next step. We will be in action. We will get up and get going.
My Daddy used to see the buzzards circling in the sky and he would say, “Sis, you better look alive!” The morale of the story – buzzards are always looking to prey upon the things just sitting still. Maybe you’ve been sitting still, just thinking about making changes, worrying about all that needs to change, making plans for change, that the buzzards are circling you. Girl, you better look alive. Be ACTIVE today.
And third, today we will be ALIVE by being ANIMATED. This means be excited, energetic and lively. Put some pep in your step.
You say you don’t have anything to be excited about … ah girl, that’s the result of not being fully alive. I guarantee you there are 10 reasons to be over the moon excited about your life surrounding you at this very moment.
Even in the darkest of times and hardest of seasons, there is good. You’re not discounting the hardships by being excited over all that is good and right. There’s no guilt in that.
Show your creator some energy today. Girl, don’t hide your happy. If you’re excited about something, let it show. The world is so hungry for positive energy. It’s literally contagious.
If you’re struggling with energy, let me teach you the law of energy. Energy grows where energy is used. If you use all the energy you have today, tomorrow your energy tank will be refilled, plus a little more. You can literally BUILD your energy, but the only way is to use it all up today. Get up, get dressed up and show up. Even if you don’t have anywhere to go and anyone to see. Do it for you. Do it because you’re alive. Be ANIMATED today.
What a recipe for a new day of life. Be fully ALIVE by being aware, active and animated.
No one can live this life but you. You’ll never get this day again.
The purpose of today is to live it. Will you fulfill your purpose the best you can today? Tell me you’re all-in!
Yes, that’s what I wanted to hear. I bet God is smiling down on his girls right now saying …. ahhhh, it’s gonna be a good day!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There’s one thing that helps me when going through a problem. One thing that gives me permission to still find joy on the journey when the journey is darn hard. This one thing is knowing down deep within that there’s a purpose. There’s a purpose in my problem. There’s a purpose in my pain. There’s a promise being fulfilled and a purpose being developed.
We can take a lot … as long as we know it’s not all for nothing. As long as we know somehow or another it’s going to be used for something good. As long as we know this long hard road is leading somewhere worth the journey.
Time and time again in the hardest parts of my life, there has been a single scripture I’ve repeated. When someone comes to me struggling to live a good life today because of a nightmare childhood, there is a single scripture I share. When someone comes to me in the middle of a crisis that doesn’t make sense, there is one scripture. Today, in the middle of a season that doesn’t make sense, I come back to that scripture. Today, perhaps as you feel stranded in a desolate land of disappointment and defeat, I share that scripture.
Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
There is a purpose for everything you’ve gone through. How God is going to use it all may still be unknown to you, but you can trust nothing will be wasted.
What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you? God wants to use it.
What painful thing has happened to you this year? God wants to use it.
Your problem is positioning you.
My family has gone through some hard times in the past 7 years. We have survived every storm. Every day, God has given not only strength to keep going, but he has given joy for the journey and peace in the process. I’ve not been miserable one single day. Never. And I see how God is using our story to help other families.
Do I believe it was ever God’s DESIRE for my daughter to become suicidal, to struggle and leave our family, for us all to go through so much pain? Absolutely not. I do not believe God designed or desired that. But it happened. And when bad things happen and we invite God into the process, God goes to work using it for good.
I bet your family has a story as well. A story of struggle. A story of storms and mountains. Are you still clinging to that heartache? Are you replaying the story over and over again in your head of how unfair and painful it was? Or have you surrendered it to God and let him work? Can God use it? Oh you bet he can!
You likely know the story of Joseph in the Bible. He was the favored son of Jacob. Out of 12 boys, Joseph was like the golden child. Now favoritism never sets a family up for unity does it? This was a recipe for disaster from the beginning. Joseph was highly favored by his Daddy and his 11 brothers were highly jealous of him. They were so jealous of him they threw him in a pit and left him to die.
That wasn’t good. Of course this was intended for harm, but God saw it all and said “I’m going to use this for good.”
Joseph had to be set apart because God wanted to use him to save the lives of his entire family in the future. He was being positioned. Positioned by a problem. Then Joseph goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. And again it was all used as part of God’s plan for good to him and his family. Nothing Joseph went through was wasted. There was a bigger purpose in everything.
And my sister, the same is true for you. You are being positioned for God’s favor. You are being placed in alignment with your purpose. Could your problem be positioning you for alignment with a greater purpose?
Funny, I always thought favor and purpose would feel a whole lot different. I envisioned lottery tickets and overnight success. I envisioned big grand breakthroughs and turn arounds. But instead God works more through crisis than lottery tickets. He leads you through problems to take you to your purpose.
So here’s our challenge as we’re being positioned for God’s favor and aligned for our purpose in the strangest and most painful and unexpected of ways …
Refuse to get bitter.
Refuse to dwell.
Refuse to get even.
Refuse to be pitiful.
Decide today that you’re going to trust what God is doing in your life, through you and for you. Trust that everything you’re going through may not be FROM the hand of God, but it had to pass through the hand of God and he said he could use it. Trust that God sees something in you and he’s growing you to reach the potential he placed in you.
Joseph, the brother who had been left for dead, the man who had been thrown in prison, the one forgotten about time and time again, was ultimately used to bless and save his entire family. And here’s one thing for sure … God didn’t forget about him. Everything that was taken from him, he got back. Everything. Joseph proved he could be trusted with God’s favor. He proved he would be faithful.
And this is what we do today. We prove we can be trusted. We prove we will be faithful.
Joseph is the one who in the end stood in the position of leadership and looked at his starving brothers and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Full circle.
In the book of Joel we read about people who for four years had no harvest. Everything they grew was eaten by bugs. Four years of hard work wasted for nothing. And God told them in Joel 2:25, “I will give you back what you have lost.” God promises to do the impossible. He promises to give them back the time that was wasted. He gives them so much harvest that it makes up for all that was lost.
I will tell you this is what God is doing for my family. He is in the process of giving back what has been lost. I can’t see it yet, but I know he will. 7 years have been lost, but I don’t have to fret over a single day of that. God can restore those lost years. He can give a harvest that is so big and beautiful that it makes up for every hard day on the journey. And that’s the secret to my joy. This is why I’m not down or depressed. It’s not because everything is good now – it’s because I wholeheartedly trust God will use all this harm for something good and it will save many lives!
I’m overflowing with joy, peace and contentment even in the mess because I know how my God works! He uses bad things for good.
And he wants to do the same for you. He wants to use it all for good. For your good. For the good of others.
Won’t you let him work in this? He will.
Although some of the things going on in your life today were intended for harm, God is going to use them all for good. All of it. The purpose in what you’re going through right now may be unclear, but one day you’ll look back and see just how God was working to position you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today I return to my warm and sunny Florida Keys after traveling for the past week, but I’m returning with something extra. Something so special and so extremely valuable. Let me tell you about the gift I was given while traveling.
Yesterday, I met a man named Steve. Steve was a successful business man for 35 years and while on a mission trip to Venezuela, God saved his life from a deadly snake and then spoke to him in a voice he could not ignore. The voice of the Lord told him he would feed the hungry and house the orphans. He had never done either.
That was 25 years ago, and he now runs an organization called SERV International which produces millions of meals for starving people, rescues abandoned children out of the bush in Africa, and has changed the trajectory of an entire village through the power of Jesus. Their work is truly inspiring.
Steve is just an ordinary man who gets overly excited when telling the stories about each of the children he loves so much in his orphanage, and choked up when telling the stories of God’s invitation to work with him and watch the impossible unfold.
In Steve’s office, there’s a shelf where a small, handmade, straw broom sits. It fit in with all the other unique pieces from Africa, but this was special. Steve then told me the story of the broom:
At a church service in this desperate and destitute African village, they created an altar for the offerings of the people. A widowed woman came forward and laid this small, handmade, straw broom on the altar. It was literally all she had.
Let that set in for a moment. She was so moved by the Word of God and the hope offered by Jesus, she gave her broom when it was the only thing she had to give.
I crumbled hearing this story. Oh how selfish and self-serving I am. I have so much and offer so little while patting myself on the back for being a good person.
I’m immediately reminded of the woman Jesus witnessed making an offering in the temple. Mark 12: 41-44, “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
What happens when you give to God? I’m going to tell you what happens and it’s very literal. YOU OPEN THE STOREHOUSES OF HEAVEN.
Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is KIND to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” I believe that for one reason and one reason only – it’s God’s word. I don’t believe it because some fancy preacher on TV has told me I’ll be blessed if I send money. I don’t believe it because I’m playing a game to see how much I can get out of the deal. I believe it because it’s God’s word and God’s word DOES NOT FAIL.
God sees everything we do and he knows our heart. He knows when we’re being kind for show and when we’re being kind because of love. He knows the intent behind everything we do and give, and when we’re truly doing it for the Lord, he personally rewards us. All God ever wants is our heart to be fully aligned with his, and when our heart gets in the right place, our hands naturally open and you just can’t keep them closed.
I promise you this, God doesn’t need your money. He owns absolutely everything in this world. If he needed your money, he could take it away from you in an instant and use it as he wished. God doesn’t even need your works. He has an army of Angels who could do the work better than you. But he does desire your heart, and when he has your heart, then he gets everything you have and everything you can do and he uses it for eternal impact.
Proverbs 11:25 MSG, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” I’m literally homeless and everything I own is in 2 suitcases, and my world has never been bigger. Oh, but my suitcase is a litter fuller after this trip because guess what I get to take home with me … I get to take home a broom. After telling me the story of the widow offering her broom, Steve reached into a cabinet and gave me my own broom made by a 3 year old boy in this village of Africa who sold them so he could have a meal for the day. It’s now my prized possession to remind me what it looks like to really offer everything to God.
Here’s what I know about you – I know you desperately need to give your time, your talent and your treasures. If you don’t, you will suffer. Not out of punishment, but out of the design of your human body. By God’s great design, you are wired to be generous and live with an open hand. Just like God wired your body to feel pain when you’re doing something harmful, your body is designed to feel good when you are kind. You literally feel immediate neurological effects when you give in a genuine act of kindness. There are 4 things that happen when you open your hand and offer your time, talent and treasures:
-
Dopamine is released in your brain and you are flooded with feelings of pleasure and happiness. Why? Because God designed you to feel your best when you’re offering your best.
-
Oxytocin is released from the base of your brain in your pituitary gland. This hormone promotes bonding, trust and connection with others. Why? Because you were created to be better when living in kindness.
-
Your stress hormones are naturally reduced. You literally feel less stressed because that stressed part of your brain calms down. Why? Because stress is designed by God to signal you’re doing something wrong. When you start doing it right, you feel God’s peace.
-
Endorphins are triggered for release which naturally reduce your pain and improve your mood. Why? Again, because God put warning signs inside of your body to tell you when you’re doing it right and when you’re doing it wrong.
I find that absolutely amazing! You feel the difference!
I own very few material items. That’s partly because God showed me several years ago that I couldn’t be trusted with my pretty things. The pretty things I owned began to own me. That’s when I sold it and gave the rest away in 2012. My hands were allowed to be open, and when your hands are open, God can keep pouring out an overflow into your life and it won’t get all dammed up. The moment we close our hands and try to hold on to what we have, we’re no longer open to receive.
A few weeks ago I met a homeless woman named Angela pushing a cart down the sidewalk in the pouring down rain. My husband started a conversation with her and invited her to the house where we were staying for some dry clothes and a warm meal, then we would drive her wherever she needed to go. While she sat in my kitchen and ate chicken wings, I went upstairs to find clothes for her. In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Treat her as your friend, give her your best.”
Anyone who knows me, knows I love the brand Natural Life. It’s about all I wear. I knew to give her my brightest, happiest Natural Life sundress for her journey through the hot Florida Keys. Then, God prompted me with a harder give. He told me to give her my shoes.
Now, I own very few shoes. They take up too much space in a suitcase, so what I do own are special and versatile. This year, I had a pair of Chacos sandals custom made. They are in my favorite colors of hot pink and turquoise, and even have my word for 2025 on them. The back of the sandals say “EXTRAORDINARY”. They are my adventure shoes, my hiking shoes, my water shoes, my travel shoes, my sundress shoes. My absolute favorites. And I knew God was asking me to give them to Angela.
Hands open – let it flow. The kindness you offer is rewarded by God himself. I promise you the feeling I felt giving my best was far better than the feeling of having the best for myself. That’s by God’s design. It’s no accident.
Think of the widow in Africa laying her broom on the altar. Offering her everything to God. What is your broom? What do you have? What can you do? Will you offer it? Will you open your hand and experience the supernatural flow of God that never, ever runs out?
An open hand signals to God we can be trusted with more. An open hand signals to God we will allow his flow through us. An open hand signals to your brain to feel ridiculously good.
May your hand be open today. May you be trusted with more. May God flow through you, and girl, may you feel RIDICULOUSLY GOOD ABOUT IT!
Offer your broom.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you ever wonder how you could really be used by God? Ordinary you. Could God use you? Could he work through you?
Let’s be clear – God does not need you. He really doesn’t. He has the power to do anything he wishes completely on his own. However, God still chooses to use you in his divine and life changing work if you’re available to him. You GET to be part of God’s work. You get to work in the family business with Jesus, making eternal impact on real lives.
But HOW?
Today, I get to share a story with you of how one life radically changed because of the simple acts of a follower of Jesus. Several years ago, a beautiful woman named Addie was struggling. Addie had been in an arranged marriage with a loveless man. Her only introduction to God was through the family’s Muslim beliefs. One day, while in a gas station, Addie heard a radio station being played. On that station, a scripture was shared. Jeremiah 29:11.
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”
And when Addie heard this scripture for the first time, she began to question if God might have good plans for her too. Was there a future beyond what she knew? Could there be hope for her.
She turned and found there in the gas station a book by Joyce Meyer. She bought that book and began reading. For the first time, Addie learned about the saving grace of Jesus and it changed her entire life. Now, her beautiful daughter who loves Jesus comes on my retreats!
All of this because she was in a gas station that played a Christian radio station. FOREVER CHANGED FOR COUNTLESS GENERATIONS!
Now, what’s wild is the owner and manager of that gas station have no idea of the difference they made. They may think their choice to play Christian music is totally unnoticed and pointless. But one day in Heaven, they will learn of Adie who met Jesus and it all started with their choice to honor God in their gas station.
How could God use you? Oh honey, he could put you in the right place at the right time, simply playing the right music! You could put on your tshirt that says “Jesus Loves You” and feel a little awkward wearing it in the grocery store, but someone could see it and dare to believe it’s true for them for the first time ever. You could put a scripture on the bumper of your car and never know who might desperately need to read it just when you pass.
Here’s what we often miss – Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Faith in Jesus is the only thing that saves us, but how will we come to faith if someone doesn’t TELL us about Jesus first? Our job is not to convince anyone, our job is to be a vessel that shares the Good News of Jesus. How? Turn on music about Jesus at work. Wear jewelry or clothes that point to Jesus. Hang a canvas print of scripture on your wall. You simply never know who might see it at just the right time and come to faith.
Faith begins by hearing about Jesus. Anyone else’s faith is not your responsibility, but God wants to use you in spreading the word about Jesus. Just share it, play it, wear it, say it, write it, print it, hang it, display it, show it. The rest is not up to you, so don’t make it about you.
I wear a necklace that has the numbers 29:11. It represents Jeremiah 29:11, which is again the scripture that beautiful woman in the gas station first heard. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” I wear it as a personal reminder to myself of God’s good plans, but I also hope someone might ask me what it means – then I have an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with them. It really is that simple.
I no longer wear that necklace. Why? Because the moment I heard Adie’s life was changed by hearing that scripture, I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to take it off immediately and give it to her. I smile thinking she will wear it and share God’s word with the next seeking soul.
My sister, you never know how God will use you to point to him! Never underestimate even the simplest of things that represent Jesus. Perhaps one day in Heaven you will learn how a soul was saved because God used you to share his Good News and their faith grew as a result. Faith that changed the trajectory of their entire lives. Faith that gained them access to an eternal paradise. Faith that will impact countless generations to come. And it all started somewhere with someone sharing in the simplest way something that pointed to Jesus.
My favorite story of God using an ordinary act has no names. I can’t remember who shared their story with me, but their story has stuck with me. She said she was sitting in her car with the windows down in the parking lot of a Walmart, questioning God. She was struggling. Life had been hard and she felt alone. Another car pulls into the parking spot beside her and they also had their window down. She could hear the sound from their car radio.
What she heard was a voice telling of the promises of God. Promises of God’s eye that never leaves them, hands that forever hold them, and a Spirit to faithfully guide them. A mighty and powerful God who works in the details of our lives to bring us to his good plans. It was my voice. The car in the next parking space was playing this podcast. The driver of the neighboring car sat for a minute and continued to listen to the podcast. The sound carried and the Good News of Jesus was flooding the car where a struggling soul was sitting in the next parking space.
Then, my favorite part of the story. The driver turned off the car and went into Walmart before the devotional was complete, leaving this woman desperately wanting to hear the rest of God’s word. So, she went into Walmart, searching for the driver. She found her and asked, “What were you listening to in your car – I need to know.” Right there in the Walmart, the Good News of Jesus was shared as she showed the woman how to find the podcast on her phone, clicked follow for her, and she’s been a listener since.
Daily, she hears the Good News of Jesus, and remember, FAITH ONLY COMES BY HEARING. How can someone know about the saving grace of Jesus if they don’t hear about it? Someone had to tell her, and God used the driver with her windows down in the Walmart parking lot to tell her that day.
How could God use you? Well honey, you could just roll your windows down. You could just be listening to the right podcast or the right music a little too loud!
It really is as simple as that, and God really could use someone like you! He doesn’t need you – there’s no pressure, so don’t make it about you. But he sure would love to use you in his life-changing work of sharing Jesus.
What will you wear, what will you play, what will you post, or what will you share in some way that shares Jesus today? This side of Heaven, you may never know how God has used you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God has a plan beyond the reality you see today. He has a purpose specifically for you that reaches beyond the circumstances of this season. Beyond this pain, beyond this struggle, beyond this uncertainty, God has goodness for you.
The enemy plays in the darkness of your uncertainties. Uncertainties that ask how much longer will I have to wait … how much more can I take … why is this happening to me … how will this ever be okay again? But remember my friends, we can boldly step into the unknown with our all-knowing God.
You don’t have to be certain of timing. You don’t have to be certain of details. You may never know how and when until one day you’re standing in a new reality where you see with your own eyes this new, purpose-filled season of your life. Make friends with the uncertainty on the way there.
Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6 “And I am CERTAIN that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns,” and you can now claim it as your personal truth. In a world filled with uncertainties, be certain of this … GOD’S NOT DONE HERE.
God sees you and he is working all things together for good. His eye is on you. He has heard your prayers. He is moved by your petitions. AND HE IS WORKING. Let all the uncertainties remain uncertain because the greatest of all things is absolutely CERTAIN: GOD IS AT WORK.
When everything is unfolding as you planned, it’s actually hard to see God at work. It’s easy to assume these good times are the harvest of all those good seeds you’ve been planting. We’re quick to even say, I deserve this. My hard work, my persistence, my will-power earned me this. UNTIL IT ALL STOPS WORKING. THEN WHAT?
Have you ever been there? When what worked before stops working. When you’re humbled to realize the absolute truth that without God’s mighty hand in it all, girl, you’re not getting anywhere. If it worked before, if it was good, it was always because of God. You never did it on your own.
And this is where our roll is slowed so we can once again see God at work in everything. Yes, he works in the hardship. He works in the delay. He works in the no just as much as he works in the yes. And he is all up in your current circumstances working to bring you to to a destiny better than you could have ever worked out on your own.
This past weekend at our BIG Life Retreat in Tennessee, we had a hiking adventure day planned. Split up into 4 cars, we would drive through the Smoky Mountain National Park which is in full blown fall color, park at the trailead of Grotto Falls and hike together to the waterfall. That was the plan … until it all fell apart.
I was in the lead car with 4 other girls and because of traffic, we ended up about 15 minutes ahead of the other cars. As we drove through the National Park on a one way road, we quickly realized it was absolutely packed and there were no parking places anywhere. Like AT ALL. Not for one car, let alone all 4 of our cars carrying the 23 of us.
So, our only choice became to keep driving through the park and skip our planned hike to the waterfall. I sent out a text to everyone letting them know we would meet at the end and make other plans for our hike and picnic. BUT … no one had cell service. So now we’re all split up.
My car finally finds a parking spot toward the end of the road, several miles from our original destination, and we stopped, thinking we would see our other cars coming through to regroup. But hours passed, and we still don’t see the rest of our group.
So, here’s my car with just 5 of us at a totally random place in this massive National Park, walking down by the river, and a woman and her family see our retreat shirts. She asked if BIG Life was there right now. We said yes – then she looked at me and said, “What’s your name?” “Pamela.” Then with absolute shock she says, “Oh my goodness, I listen to your podcast!”
Okay God – we see what you did there! We see you had a divine encounter with Brittany planned and we needed to be way further down the river for it.
BUT GOD WAS DOING EVEN MORE.
Suddenly there’s a young lady named Charlott asking if she can document this random meeting. I begin speaking with Charlott and she’s in college to become a documentary film maker. She wants to know about our podcast and about BIG Life. I then find out she has started her own podcast to share the stories of God working in our lives – but she hasn’t released any of her 7 episodes yet.
Why? Ahhh, she’s struggling with the same thing we all struggle with – God, am I good enough? God, what if I fail? God, what if this doesn’t go anywhere? So, I got to tell her how incredibly terrible I was when I started this! I got to tell her how I was never good enough without God, but with him, we get to do impossible things!
Her eyes lit up – she’ll be listening today! God is working in her life, and he cancelled my plans to make sure I was at this one specific place to meet her.
But in the back of my mind, I’m still thinking about the other 3 cars from our retreat group – they’re no where. Oh they must be so frustrated. They’re separated from their leader, uncertain what to do, maybe their entire day is ruined.
There was nothing more I could do without cell service, so my car finally drives out of the park back into Gatlinburg. Then, boom – my phone goes off. All the other cars found parking at the trailhead. They were all together. They were having the time of their lives on that trail. AND, one of our girls wanted to be baptized in the river by the waterfall so one of our other girls got in that cold water and did it for her!
I wasn’t even there!!!! And I wasn’t supposed to be! That was supposed to happen without me there.
Oh God, you are simply amazing! You’re in every detail, every disappointment, every encounter, every twist and turn, every cancellation, every good plan that didn’t work out because you had something better! Look for him and you will see him working! When things aren’t working, look for him even harder, because he’s doing something bigger.
Remember our friends the Israelites in the Old Testament of our Bible? They were enslaved in Egypt, then God raised up a leader in Moses to lead them to freedom, but they got stuck on the way to their Promised Land. Stuck in the desert. They got stuck out of fear. They were too afraid to go forward, so they wandered in circles. Circles in the desert for 40 years. And God allowed it. He allowed the hardship. He allowed the delay. But he never forgot what he started in them and the destiny they had ahead. He was faithful even when they were not.
And I promise you, my sister, God will be faithful to you even in your times of being unfaithful. Even when you’re wrong, he’s still lovingly guiding you to what is right. Even when you’re wandering down a dangerous path, he’s creating the Uturn sign for your journey back. Even when you’re ready to give up, he’s never calling it quits on you. You simply can’t outrun his goodness with your failure. You can’t outdo his love with your doubt. You can’t undo his certainty with your uncertainty. You’re simply not that powerful.
You know what you will find when you’ve gone down the wrong path? Do you know what you will find when you’ve wandered around in uncertainty? Do you know what you will find when fear caused you to stumble? YOU WILL FIND GRACE.
That’s what the Israelites found.
Jeremiah 31: 2 MSG:
“They found grace out in the desert … out looking for a place to rest, they met God out looking for them!”
God’s mighty and powerful grace is meeting you here in your desert. Here in this place where freedom turned into hardship. Here in this place where what was working is no longer working. Here in this place where it’s taking far longer than you imagined, and entirely harder than you were prepared for. This is your desert, and this is where you find grace.
This is where you find God was always out looking for you too. Meet him here. Run to him and surrender to his guidance. Receive his provision. Rest in his shadow where you find peace that straight up doesn’t make sense. Peace that passes understanding, yeah that’s what that means … having peace when you know you shouldn’t have peace, but somehow you do. That’s God meeting you. And God meets you in the deserts of life.
HE DOES NOT ABANDON YOU IN THE DESERT. HE MEETS YOU.
The next verse says:
“God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again.”
Girl, God is meeting you here today to tell you he has NEVER QUIT loving you. Not for one minute. You can expect his love. You can expect his love to follow you all the days of your life, even when you mess up, even when you give up for a little bit, even when you wander in the desert, no, ESPECIALLY when you wander in the desert. He meets you with more of his love.
And now he says, I’m starting over with you. Yes, you. He’s starting over with you and building you up again. He’s not done with you yet. You are his masterpiece still in progress, and sometimes masterpieces go through a little reworking. Sometimes master artists take a pause, step back from the work and say “wait, let me make this even better.”
God’s gonna build you up again and make you even better. Just like meeting the Israelites in the desert where they were overcome with fear and wandered lost, he started over with them and built them up in that promised land. He delivered them to the destiny he always had waiting for them.
And won’t he do the same for you? Won’t he build you up again? Won’t he deliver you to your destiny? YES HE WILL!
Look for him in the details when things don’t go as you planned. Look for him in your disappointments and failed plans. He’s working for you. He is faithful. He is looking for you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
A girl who is going to do big things cannot let small things get to her. A girl who is ready to live the BIG life she was created for, ready to step fully into her potential, ready to live in divine partnership with the Almighty, that girl cannot be shaken by little things. She cannot let an off day become an off month. A girl who is rising up to a higher level of living can’t fall victim to petty nonsense and disruptions that simply won’t matter 5 years from now.
Is that girl you? Are you the one ready to rise up, level up, elevate, and become more?
Yes, yes you are. You are THAT girl.
That’s you. A girl God started something in. A girl primed for good works. A girl who has been prepared for what is next. A girl filled with the power of God who cannot be shaken by these little things.
There was a day when you couldn’t function without your coffee.
There was a day when a kid with a bad attitude would stir up your bad attitude.
There was a day when sharing the road with a bad driver would bring out the nasty Nascar in you.
There was a day when a stressful day at work would follow you home and create a tense night where your whole family is just trying to stay out of your way.
You’re like that half blind little 15 year old dog biting at everything within 10 feet.
Oh, there was a day … but God’s been doing something new in you! Oh yes he has!
He has been working on you from the inside out. He’s been shifting your perspective. He’s been building you up, stronger, more grounded, and aware of your priorities in life. Convicting you of what’s not right and where you can get better.
Now you know better, so you can do better.
One of my very best friends will tell you there was a day when she was a little witchy with a B, if you know what I mean. She was difficult and negative, quick to point out all that was wrong and shoot you down fast. It’s just who she was, she would say. BUT THAT’S NOT WHO SHE WAS CREATED TO BE.
God didn’t create a single one of us to be a difficult butthole. He didn’t say, “this one … well, this one will be difficult, this one will be unbearable in the mornings, this one will be a grouchy bear in the afternoon, and this one will be a complete jerk all the time.”
No one is a jerk by design. But we can become a jerk by default. No one is a nag from birth. But we can become a nag out of habit.
My friend changed. She’s not who she used to be, she’s more like who she was created to be. Whew, and I love that girl! How did that change happen? God helped her see a different way.
We see a different way when we’re no longer surrounded by people doing the same thing as us. God places us in an environment with people who aren’t settling for just “good enough”. We see, through their example, there is a different way. A way to be positive. A way to be happier. A way to get better. And you’ll know it when you see it because something deep within you says “gosh, I want to be more like that.”
You know what that is … that’s who God created you to be speaking up! That’s what’s really inside of you, beyond the bad habits and default pattern, this is who you really are. That’s the Christ-like character in others calling out the Christ-like character in you. This is calling out greatness.
Colossians 3:10 says “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
If you want to know your Creator, you can hang around his creation. We are his creation. We have been given the responsibility of showing off our Creator in the way we live our lives.
How well are you showing the heart of your Creator? How well are you displaying his love and his power in your life?
Galatians 1: 15-16, Paul writes, “God was pleased to reveal his son IN me.”
God is pleased to reveal Jesus IN me. God wants to reveal Jesus IN you. Think about that!
We are to be a reflection of Jesus. His spirit is alive in us. DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT? DO YOU TALK LIKE IT? DO YOU ACT LIKE IT? Can others see Jesus in you? Can others look at you and recognize, ahhhh yeah that’s the Almighty in that girl! That’s the spirit of God strengthening her to live like that! That’s the Jesus in her empowering her to handle her struggle like that! This is God revealing his son IN her.
If I live like that, with Christ ever changing and improving me, then it calls out the divine in others. And if you live like that, with Christ ever changing and improving you, then it calls out the divine in your family, in your co-workers, in your circle of friends. I’ve talked to so many women recently who are telling me all of a sudden they’re noticing a shift in their husbands. Could it be because you’ve allowed Jesus to be revealed in YOU? He’s getting to see Jesus, but he’s seeing him in YOU.
So girl, put on your new nature like a new pair of jeans and own who God is calling you to be. You are his beautiful creation, and he didn’t create you broken. He created you whole and worthy. He created you in his own image. Remove the layers of habit, routine and patterns that have caused you to REACT to life, and start intentionally responding.
How many of us know there’s a big difference between reacting and responding. When we react, we let the impulsive ugly come out. We blow up. We default to negative. That’s reacting.
Responding looks completely different. Responding gathers the best within us and represents Jesus with intention. Responding stops the bleed and controls the damage. Responding walks in grace and lives in love because of His son being revealed in us.
Check out Colossians 3:10 in the Message translation, and I’ll put a little emphasis of my own here and there:
Girl, you’re done with that old life. (The old way of reacting out of habit.) It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. (You’re done with that way of little life living). Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. (Showing up as the real you God created you to be.) Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.
This is you, a girl doing big things no longer letting small things get to her. A girl created for a BIG Life and not shaken by little things. Not reacting, but intentionally responding. Representing the Jesus within her and calling out the greatness in others.
You are that girl. This is the real you. The best you. Let her show up and put that other lesser than version of you in the corner.
Everywhere you go today, remember God has chosen YOU to show his Jesus to others, and it’s in the way you live in your every day ordinary life. How you respond with intention. How you lead with love. How you smile. How you embrace life.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Romans 12:2, “Let God transform you into a new person.” The original Greek word for transform is metamorphoo. This is where we get the word metamorphosis. And this is the image of what God can and will do in your life. A complete metamorphosis – you won’t look anything like you used to look. You won’t move the way you used to move. You won’t think the way you used to think. Your old limits will no longer hold you back.
Just as a butterfly is no longer the caterpillar it used to be. It no longer crawls on the ground, it flies through the air. It’s radically changed. Transformed. Metamorphosis. God’s work of transformation!
We are surrounded by earthly reminders of heavenly transformational powers at work. What we have just accepted as normal shouts the miraculous truths of our creator and his desire to transform things.
How many of us at this moment are wearing a diamond? Have you ever given thought to who created that diamond? That was God’s creation. He made that. And do you know how he made that diamond you wear today? A really long, hard process.
Most natural diamonds are between 1 and 3 billion years old, formed deep within the earth, 100 miles below surface. Minerals under extreme pressures and extreme heat became the jewels which we treasure today, eventually brought to the surface in volcanic eruptions. (And that’s the jewel chosen to represent the bond of marriage – You didn’t realize that when you said yes, did you? Extreme difficulty, pressure and hardship – that’s a diamond.)
Diamonds are valued because of what they had to go through. And what they went through now represents luxury and love. That was a long hard process of difficult change and none of it was by accident. God designed that.
John 1:3 says “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ”
This was God in action, and it began long, long, long ago. Think about this – God knew the exact diamond you wear today would be YOURS when he began forming it over a billion years ago. WOAH.
Now remember, we’re dealing with a God who could have turned corn into diamonds. He could have had them grow out of your ears if he wished. But I believe our mighty God and his ways are revealed in creation. This is how he works. He is the God of change. He is the God of the impossible. The God of transformation and metamorphosis. He takes something from deep within and through a process he forms and changes it into something precious.
Isn’t that what God has been doing with you? You may not like the process, but you’re in the middle of it. The pressure and the heat in your life are serving a tremendous purpose, a purpose to change that which seems unwanted and unimportant and turn it into something of tremendous value.
Again, Romans 12:2, “Let God transform you into a new person.”
Have you ever thought of your value and worth? You, individually, how much are you worth? Scripture says in Isaiah 43:4 that we are precious in his eyes, we are honored and God loves us. The same God who made every single diamond made you and said you are more precious.
The most expensive jewel to ever be sold at auction was a 60 carat flawless pink diamond which sold for $83.2 million. Then there’s the most precious diamond which is part of the British Crown Jewels. This 105 carat diamond is considered literally priceless and some say it’s value is 3.5 times the wealth of the whole world.
And then there’s you. YOU, you are more precious and valuable than even this diamond. Than all the diamonds in the world combined. You know what you’re worth? You’re worth the price of a son. And for those listening who have a child of your own, you know that’s a price you’re simply not willing to pay for anything. Your child. And yet that’s the price that was paid for you.
Don’t you know the same God who creates priceless treasures from deep within the earth under pressure and extreme heat, is the God who sees every detail of your life, everything you’ve ever gone through, every bad thing that has ever happened to you, every mistake you have ever made, every regret and burden you carry, and God says I’M GOING TO DO SOMETHING GOOD WITH THIS. Yes, every thing in your life is at this moment working together for good. And if it isn’t good yet, then sister God simply isn’t done yet.
What if the diamonds we treasure today were God’s way of reminding his girls that he’s working on you too? His power to change something undesirable into something beautiful is unmatched.
He is the God who turns a grain of sand into a pearl. He is the God who turns a caterpillar into a butterfly. He can turn your life around too. He is the God who turns your greatest hurts, pains, mistakes and failures into a beautiful life overflowing with purpose that sings his praise. You were created to be proof of his power at work. The same reason diamonds and pearls and butterflies exist … to prove that change is possible. To prove that pain has a purpose. To prove that God’s doing something beautiful in the process.
Honestly, it’s a beautiful painful process becoming who God created us to be. We live in the microwave society where we want it now. We want fast and we want easy, but since the beginning of time God has proven he does things the RIGHT way, not the fast or easy way.
The diamond you wear today started it’s journey over a billion years ago. I won’t complain about a change that will take a few years in my life, how about you? As long as God is working, I’m okay with however long it’s going to take. As long as there’s a purpose in it all, I can handle the process.
Today you’re surrounded by reminders of God’s power at work through a process. Remember you’re one of them. And you are oh so precious.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever known anyone who lives securely in a passed down family business? They didn’t create the business, but they’ve been given the business and trusted to continue the work. Maybe they stepped into success only because of a birthright. They didn’t earn it, but it was passed down to them. It’s easy to kind of envy those people.
Have you ever known anyone who has no wealth of their own, but they live with assurance of the inheritance they are in line to receive. They’re not worried about retirement. They’re not stressed about saving. There are boatloads of money coming with their name on it. I recently met a man who lives on a catamaran in the yacht club here in the Florida Keys. He doesn’t work. He doesn’t have to. He told me his step-dad is a billionaire with no children of his own. All of that is coming to him. Hmmmm, must be nice, huh?
My sister, do you realize that truly is US!!!!! We’ve been invited into the family business and we stand to receive an unimaginable inheritance. Not because of anything we have done, but only because of who our Father is. We have no reason for worry over tomorrow.
Galatians 4:5-7, “God sent Jesus to buy freedom for us so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Now you are GOD’S OWN CHILD. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”
I’m that girl! I have been chosen and adopted as a daughter, and now I’m an heir to all that is His. Woah. That’s my future. That’s YOUR FUTURE. And it’s absolutely REAL. That’s what is ahead for you.
I know it’s easy to wonder and worry about the future, but there it is – you are an heir to all that is God’s. What is God’s? Eternal paradise! A future where every single thing has been worked together for good forever. A future of perfection unlike anything we have ever tasted before.
And this today – this trouble we have – this is just the path on the journey to get there. The journey is short – the destination is forever, and when we get there – oh, it will be so worth it! We’re on our way. Today we are one day closer to that inheritance promised to us. My friends, that’s something to get ridiculously excited about.
I know how much fun I have at our BIG Life Retreats. Being with other girls who love Jesus and embrace adventure is just the best. To me, it’s a little taste of our future inheritance. I often imagine what Heaven will be like when we’re there together. Me and you – a never ending retreat of perfection in paradise. Better than Bali. Better than Hawaii. Better than the Amalfi Coast. A perpetual, never ending, mind-blowing paradise of perfection. And because of Jesus, I’m promised this. And if you’ve accepted Jesus too, then you will be there too. And we’re one day closer to it! We’re already on our journey there!
Isn’t it such an exciting day to pack your suitcase and know you’re leaving for vacation? You’re ON YOUR WAY. The trip has begun. You haven’t arrived yet, but you have on your vacation clothes, you’re pulling that suitcase, you have your tickets, and you’re boarding the plane to get there. And that’s us … we’re already on our way to our inherited promise of eternal paradise. I’m ridiculously excited about that. It’s literally happening. I’m almost there. You’re almost there. We’re going, girl!
We often use the letters RIP when someone dies. Rest In Peace. But I think it’s so much better than that. My RIP is the never ending eternal RETREAT IN PARADISE. Oh girl, I hope you have your retreat ticket too! You don’t want to miss it.
Now – what about that family business?
I have 3 children. Our biological son and our daughters who were grafted into our family through adoption. All 3 of them have an invitation to our family business. There’s an open position for them. At any point, they are welcome to continue our work. One day, you’ll hear from my daughters. Their stories will be used to guide other young souls who temporarily lost their way. My son, who battled addiction, will be a mighty force in setting others free. They will be adventure guides on retreats and prayer warriors in BIG Life. The family business is theirs when they’re ready for it.
Why? Because they’re my children. First dibs go to them. That’s simply the way it works. Oh what tremendous joy it would bring me to see my children continue the family business.
And we have been adopted as God’s own children! We are invited into the family business with Jesus. But, what is that family business?
Do you remember the story of Jesus’ parents losing him when he was 12 years old? For 3 days they frantically searched for young Jesus and finally they found him in the Temple. And what did he say to Mary and Joseph? He said, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
God has business. Jesus worked in that business. Now, check this out – Jesus says in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works!”
We’re invited in as partners in the family business! YES – that person who has an established, working, successful family business to just step into, IS US!!!!!!!!!!
So, what’s the family business? What is the work Jesus did and we are to continue?
Jesus’ work on earth was making disciples. He chose 12 men, invited them to follow him, and personally taught them about God. He brought people to the Father. And quite simply, that’s the family business we are invited to be partners in.
After Jesus rose from the grave, he spent 40 days on earth as the resurrected savior. He appeared to his disciples and encouraged them to take over the family business. His departing words to them are, “Therefore GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)
The family business has been passed down. The work Jesus did of bringing people to the Father is now our work. We’re to love, to reach and teach. We’ve been saved, changed and made new to do this one work! 2 Corinthians 5: 18-20, “God brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave US this wonderful message of reconciliation. So WE are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through US. WE speak for Christ when we plead, ‘COME BACK TO GOD!'”
It’s not my job to save people. It’s not my job to change them. That’s God’s work. My work – your work – is to invite people back to God. We’ve been given this wonderful message of reconciliation. Reconciliation is an offering to return to a state of favor. That message is our work. We’re sent as God’s ambassadors to spread that message. As an ambassador, you are an authorized messenger.
Jesus was God’s authorized messenger. Now, as an heir of all that is God’s, including the family business, you are asked to be his authorized messenger!
Will you be about your Father’s business?
So remember those lucky people who just step into the family business because their parents started something good? Remember those fortunate people who have a promised inheritance that removes the worry and stress over their future? THAT’S US! THAT IS TOTALLY US.
We’re those blessed, favored, fortunate girls! We are those crazy rich, spoiled girls. That’s truly our story. We just never realized what we stepped into. We could never deserve it, but we’ve still been chosen for it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God made an investment in you. He intentionally invested potential within you and gives you time in this life, and he expects a return on that investment.
Is he getting it? What are you doing with what he has given you? How are you using what’s inside of you?
The truth is, we often short God on all he did for us. We belittle the enormous gift within us and dismiss all we could do and all we could be. Why is that? Why don’t we honor the gift?
I believe it’s because ultimately we’re scared. We fear failure. We fear judgment. We fear looking foolish. We fear screwing this thing up with the wrong choice and the wrong direction.
So here we are walking around as these prized masterpieces of God, carrying around a world of potential, living less than, little lives, while questioning our value and discounting our worth, missing the gift of time we’re in.
AND GOD ISN’T GETTING A RETURN ON HIS INVESTMENT.
Jesus tells a story in the bible about this exact thing. The story of the talents, or parable of the three servants. I will read from The Message translation so it we understand it on today’s terms.
Matthew 25: 14-30 MSG:
Jesus is describing the Kingdom of God and he says, “It’s like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.’
‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’”
Understand, girls, our master has given us something. What has he given you? An investment of time, talent and treasures. What are you doing with them? I ask because, sister, IT MATTERS. It matters what you do with what you have been given. The master will be returning and he will specifically ask you what you have done with what he invested in you.
He wants to trust you as his partner. But can he?
If God gives you 84 years of life, he will expect you to do a whole lot of living in that 84 years. What will you have to show for it?
What do you have to show for the years you’ve been given so far? How much living have you done? It’s easy to assume we will do more living in our later years and save up the anticipated returns for retirement. Ahhhhhh, don’t be so arrogant to assume you will be given that time.
I have a group of listeners who live in an assisted living facility in Missouri. A few years ago I went and visited them. There I met a fancy woman with a collection of purses she was so proud of. Then she began sharing her story with me. She said her husband had worked hard and made much money. They had big plans for his retirement. They were going to travel the world and do all the things they had never done before while building his business. The day came where he finally retired – and he died the next day of a heart attack. She never got to live that life she imagined. Now she sits in a tiny room with only her purses and her money.
Whatever day you’re saving up your living for may never even come. Are you saving up for when the kids get older and life gets easier? Saving up for next year or next summer? Well what if you don’t get that opportunity? What if your days are numbered and that number is far less than you imagined? None of us know. What we do know is we woke up today.
God invested TODAY in you. What will you do with it? He will ask. What will you say?
Will you arrive to the Pearly Gates of Heaven worn out or rusted out? Will you be worn out from all the living you did after using up every single moment you were given … or will you be rusted out from sitting and waiting, just thinking about all you could do but never really doing a dang thing about it? I have a feeling our Heavenly Father will be mighty ticked off by any rust spots on his girls. Don’t live and die a rusted out life.
I have a creed that describes life as I want to live it. It goes like this:
“I want a life that’s vibrant and beautiful. I would rather be worn out from living than rusted out from sitting. I want to wear bright colors and smile so big my cheeks hurt. I want to tkae risks and dive head first into things that take my breath away. I want to skid sideways through the Pearly Gates of Heaven with wild hair screaming ‘woo-hoo what a ride.’ And I want to make God giddy over giving this girl the gift of life.”
The truth is, most of us aren’t nearly as overwhelmed as we think we are. We’re actually underwhelmed. We’re bored with the way we’re living our lives. Somehow we’ve managed to take this wild ride called life and tamed it down to this monotonous series of tasks and lists of to-do’s and forgotten to actually LIVE.
In the story Jesus tells of the master returning after some time away and asking what each person did with what he had given them. Imagine if God called that meeting with you today and wanted to see exactly what you’ve done with the sum of your days, what would you have to show him?
So far he’s invested 18,270 days into me. What do I have for him as a return? What have I done with these days? 18,270 sunrises and sunsets. 18,270 mornings to wake up with gratitude. 18,270 opportunities to live ridiculously well. 18,270 days to show his love, to spread his joy, to live in his word, to be covered in his grace and to be in awe of his creation.
What have you done with yours? You can find exactly how many days he has invested in you by going to www.daysold.com and entering your date of birth. Take a good look at your number then ask yourself WHAT DOES IT MEAN. How do you honestly feel about what you have done with the time you have been given? How many days have you wasted and how many more are you willing to waste? Is today one of those days? One of those days where God will be missing his return on his investment of YOU?
God is expecting a return on what he has invested in you. What will you have to show him? He’s not interested in you playing it safe with this life. That’s why Jesus tells us this story. He is demanding better of you and I. Perfect is not part of his plan for you, but LIVING is. Imperfect, messy, authentic, genuine, give it a whirl, show up for it LIVING.
You count a dog’s life different than a human’s life. A dog’s year is equal to 7 of ours. They don’t live as long, but perhaps they don’t need to. They fit 7 times as much living into what they are given. Seriously, watch your dog. My dog Tank is always excited about life. He’s always happy. He literally smiles and puts his ears back when he sees the people he loves. He can’t contain his sheer excitement over calm waters. His whole body wags. And when he sees a fish, it’s a literal frinzy of sheer happiness. People line up on the coast to watch Tank swim and fish.
It seems to me God sure gets a good return on his investment in my dog. I wonder if he gets as much out of me?
Stop digging holes and trying to safely preserve all you have been given. God’s not interested in you saving up days of unlived life. He’s not pleased by your playing it safe and sitting it out. He’s not impressed by your pristine state of proper-ness and spotless, unstained days. I have to believe he takes delight in you simply trying, even when you fail.
Honey, he didn’t give you this life to live it scared. You’re not here to tip toe through your days afraid of getting it wrong. Show up for your life BOLDLY as the person you were created to be. Go ahead and be seen, be heard, and fall on your face when you screw this thing up. To this he will say “Good work. You did your job well!”
God knows exactly what he put within you and he says IT IS ENOUGH. If 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish could be enough to feed thousands, then surely what he has put within you is enough to do something!
Now, make sure he’s getting a good return on his investment of you. Don’t let today go by unlived.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Yesterday, I stood in church and I sang the words, “Oh God, the battle belongs to you.” As those words passed my lips, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Do you really believe that?” Sometimes we can sing songs or even quote scripture, and we don’t even realize what we’re saying. Do you really believe this battle belongs to God? Is he fighting here? Is he promising victory?
What battle are you currently facing? What is your real life situation of stress, uncertainty and threat? Think about that relationship right now. Think about that circumstance. Think about that worry you’ve been carrying around and fear of what may happen next. Is there a sickness? Is there a problem with someone you love? Is there a divide that seems to only be getting bigger? Is there a hurt? An injustice?
Is it your marriage? Is it your child? Is it your family? Is it you?
Is it your home? Is it your job? Is it your future? Is it your health?
Where’s your battle? Is that really God’s battle? Is God in this? Can his power be at work here? Could he change it all around? Could he do the impossible?
David was the one who first spoke those words, “This is the Lord’s battle.” Do you know when he spoke it? When he was staring up at a skilled giant enemy warrior named Goliath. Goliath was in full armor, holding a sword and a spear, ready to crush little shepherd boy David who stood there in his shepherd clothes, holding nothing but a slingshot and 5 smooth stones from the river.
David responded to the threats of the giant with absolute confidence – not in himself – but in his God. 1 Samuel 17:47, “This is the Lord’s battle!” You see David never declared this battle as his own, this battle belonged to God. And when the battle belongs to God, first it’s not about you and what you can do, and second it’s already won.
David knew something – he knew the stories of God’s power. He knew the battles God had won before with the most impossible odds, and he knew when he sought the Lord for his battle plan, the ultimate victory would be claimed.
Now back to your battle. The situation that threatens or worries you. The thing that has been causing pain in your life. Does this battle belong to God? What I’m asking is, will you let God be in charge of this and trust his plan? Or will you opt for your own ways of worry and stew in the questions, the hurt and the anger? Girl, you can make yourself absolutely sick over this – or you can let God have this battle.
What’s your choice?
I bet right now you have something going on in your life or in your family that is worthy of a full blown breakdown. Something that frustrates you, stresses you, or hurts you. Something you so want to change, but you are powerless to change it. May I remind you once again that you are not Jesus. You cannot save them – you cannot fix them – you cannot change them. That’s God’s job. It’s his battle.
Does that mean we sit back and do nothing? Oh absolutely not. David did not see the giant fall by doing nothing. David let the battle be God’s battle and he let God give him the battle plan. All he had to do was walk it out in faith because it was already guaranteed to work.
Wow – how about that? God has a battle plan and your only job is to walk it out in faith. If you will, it’s already guaranteed to work. Now, here’s what that does NOT guaranteed. It doesn’t guarantee it will always be easy, and it doesn’t guarantee it will always make sense.
In your Bible there are hundreds of stories of battles. None of those battles were easy. Sacrifices had to be made, training had to be given, and long journeys had to be taken. Battles meant some losses. And in these stories of battles within our Bible, we find battle plans. And quite honestly, these battle plans do not make sense. But, when the battle belongs to to God, you have to trust his battle plan.
My sister, have you asked God for his battle plan for you today? What should you do? What should you say? What’s your next move? And don’t count on it making sense or even feeling right – remember, God’s ways are not your ways. They are higher, better and bigger. But if the battle belongs to God, then you must trust his battle plan!
Think about Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. We’re talking about 2 to 3 million people fleeing and they’re being chased by an Egyptian army. Then they come to the banks of the Red Sea. It was a dead end. Crossing the sea with all these people was not an option. They would drown. Fighting the Egyptians was not an option, they had no weapons, no training and no plan. So, they were stuck. The Egyptians would soon find them stuck on the shores of the sea and kill them all.
But Moses sought the Lord for his battle plan. God, what do we do? Where do we go? What do I say?
The Lord said to Moses in Exodus 14: 15-16, “Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.”
Let’s be honest – that makes absolutely no sense. Pick up a stick and raise your hand to divide the entire sea, then walk through on dry ground. Uhmmmmm, say what God?
That was the battle plan. Moses had a choice – trust in the battle plan and raise his hand in obedience, or don’t. We always have a choice.
Verses 21-22, “Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!”
The battle belonged to God. The battle plan didn’t make sense, but when it was followed in faith, a way was made.
What if God is making a way through the battle you’re facing, but he’s not going to force you to go his way? What if it’s now up to you – it’s up to you to seek his battle plan and follow it in faith. It’s up to you to be quiet when he says to be quiet, even when you’re bursting at the seams to say something. It’s up to you to be still when he says to be still, even when that little fighter within you is trying to throw punches and gang signs. It’s up to you to speak in love when he prompts you, even when everything inside of you wants to lash out and hurt them back.
Lord, if this battle belongs to you, then I have to trust you for the battle plan. Guide my steps today. Guard my mouth today. Quiet my mind today. I submit my will to yours.
The absolute coolest story of God’s battle plan is found in 2 Chronicles 20: 1-26. I encourage you to grab your Bible and read this true story today. It will take you less than 5 minutes.
Jehoshaphat was the King of Judah. His people were facing a gathering of enemy armies who had all come against them at once. Verse 3, “Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.”
Notice he didn’t pretend to not be bothered by what was happening. No, be real with God. Bring your real fears and your real emotions to God. Beg the Lord for guidance. Yes, fast and pray! Ask everyone to fast and pray with you. Faith doesn’t mean you won’t feel fear. Faith means you can have fear, but fear doesn’t have you.
Now, here’s what happened. The Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men and said in verse 17, this is what the Lord says, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march out against them. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”
There’s their battle plan against a unified enemy army that far outnumbered them. March out against them, take your positions, stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. And don’t let fear have you! Don’t let fear make you hide. Don’t let fear make you so sick you can’t march forward.
Now it’s up to them to either follow the battle plan in faith, or not. It’s always our choice.
They chose to trust God’s battle plan. The next morning they got up and walked towards their enemies. They put singers in front of them as they marched. Singers that sang praises to God. Singers singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, his faithful love endures forever!”
Verse 22, “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies to start fighting among themselves!” When Jehoshaphat and the army of Judah arrive, they find all of their enemies had killed one another. Not a single one of their enemies still stood.
That’s what happens when you let the battle really belong to God. That’s what happens when you seek God for the battle plan every single day, and you obediently trust it in faith. That’s what happens when you trust God enough to deny what your human tendencies want to do, and instead listen for his direction. That’s what happens when you have fear, but you don’t let fear have you because your faith in God is bigger than your circumstances.
You don’t have to have confidence in you – you have to have confidence in God. This battle belongs to him! Seek his battle plan.
What is God telling you to do today?
God, this battle belongs to you. I’m trusting you with this. Now, I’m begging you to guide me in what to do today. Do I go or do I stay? Do I say something or do I be quiet? If I am to speak, what do I say? Show me the way. Which way do I turn? I’m trusting you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Our God is a healer, redeemer and restorer. His desire is to guide you to living the best life he imagined for you from the very beginning.
His answer to your request for healing and restoration is YES. Do you believe that? Yes, he will heal you. Yes, he will restore that which is so broken right now. Yes, he will redeem that which seems too far gone and beyond hope. Yes he will, and yes he is.
Right now, at this very moment, he is healing and saving. He is doing a work you cannot fathom and you do not yet know. Just as you can’t see God, but you believe he is real, you cannot see what he is doing on your behalf here, but you can believe it to be true.
Jeremiah 17:14 says “Oh Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!”
As a response 13 chapters later in Jeremiah 30:17 we hear from God when he says ” ‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.”
It’s not a question of WILL HE. Will he provide? Will he guide? Will he make a way? Will he heal? Will he save? Will he restore?
ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, HE WILL.
What you do not know is how or when.
Jesus is unlimited, so stop limiting his power in your life to do things when and how you believe they should be done.
This year I’ve seen some of his miraculous works in my life, and they totally were NOT how imagined they would be, nor were they when I thought they would be best. But Jesus is not limited to my human concepts of restoration, or my timeline apparently. While it all seemed to be growing worse, Jesus has been behind the scenes doing things I can not see, in ways I can not imagine. Now I’m understanding my role was never to know and understand, my role has always been to trust and hold tight to his promises.
Jesus is a healer. But how he will heal may be different than you imagine. Will you have enough faith to take your Jesus out of the box and let him work in your life?
Of course we know Jesus healed by touch. When he laid his hands on someone, his healing power would be transferred.
We also see that Jesus healed by speaking. With one word, sickness would be gone. He told the crippled man to get up and walk, and with his word, he did. He still has that power in your life. He can speak one word over you, and your entire world can change.
But maybe you’re frustrated because you’ve never felt the touch of Jesus or heard him speak over you. Me either – but I know this – I know without a doubt he has healed me more than once and worked in miraculous ways on my family’s behalf. How did he do it? In ways we may often miss. In ways that don’t look miraculous at all.
In your bible are examples of different ways Jesus healed and they’re all unique and bizarre in their own way. He spit in the mud and used that mud to give sight to a blind man. He put his fingers in a deaf man’s ears to make him hear again. He told 10 lepers to walk down the path to go see the priests and as they went they were healed on their way. He told another man to take a bath in the dirtiest of waters to receive his healing. (And this isn’t even ALL of Jesus’ ways to heal, it’s just the beginning. John wrote in John 21:25, “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the world could not contain the books that would be written.”
Jesus is unlimited on the ways he can work. He can do ANYTHING. And here’s the thing about the method of healings we read in our Bible, none of these had any magic healing power. It wasn’t the mud that healed the man. It wasn’t the path. It wasn’t the water in the pool. So, what was it? Don’t miss this because it’s important:
It was a step of obedience in accordance to faith. Your movement of FAITH unleashes the power of Jesus.
For some, getting up today when there seemed to be absolutely no good reason to get up, was an act of faith. Jesus’ power is meeting you here.
For others, continuing to pray over a situation that only seems to be getting worse is an act of faith. Jesus’ power is working here.
Take the limits off of how he can work. It may be in really bizarre and unexpected ways.
I can’t determine how Jesus is going to heal, but I know he is a healer. He let Lazarus die first, then he healed him. He took Enoch and Elijah straight to heaven without dying. I can’t predict how and when he’s going to work, but I trust HE IS.
Right now, he is working. He is doing what we cannot do. He is moving mountains we don’t even know exist. He is making ways where we believed there could never be a way. HE IS DOING IT.
Decide right now you will take the limitations off his power in your life. You will trust he will work in his own miraculous way, while you get out of the way. Although you may not understand it now, one day you will and you will be amazed by all he did for you.
There is no truer act of obedience than praise while there is still a problem. Will you take that movement today with faith? The movement of faith called praise when the problem is still really darn REAL and really darn BIG?
Will you praise God for what he is doing while you still don’t know WHAT he is actually doing?
Will you praise him for all he is doing in the unseen that you simply can’t understand?
This is your movement of faith, and Jesus responds here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Romans 11:33, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!”
I will never understand God, but I can forever be in awe and wonder of him. His thoughts are above my thoughts and his ways are higher than my ways. His plan is always better than my plan and his path to get there is always best. I’ve decided to live my life in surrender to it, even when I don’t understand it. I choose to set my mind to anticipate absolute greatness to unfold. Why? Because my God is GREAT!
In Hebrew the original text was the bathos, meaning the DEPTH of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge. Not just great, but deep. When it’s deep, it means there’s more than you can see and more than you can touch. When the ocean is bathos, it is deep, you can’t reach the bottom and the treasures beneath are unknown. And the things of God are so deep we will never get to the bottom of them.
God is literally at the bottom of everything. Dig a little and you’ll find God. Keep digging and you’ll find more and more of God. He is the foundation and the source. All that is is only because of Him. The little he has revealed to us is only a hint of all there really is. Romans 11:36, “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” Think about that for a moment. Everything comes from God, it exists by his power, and it is intended for his glory.
That includes YOU. Here’s your life’s absolute truth. You come from God, you exist by his power, and you are intended for his glory. If you feel like you’ve lost who you are and what your purpose is in this life, well whoop there it is! You, my dear friend, you come from God. He personally dreamed of you, designed you and formed you because he wanted you. You are alive today, breathing today, existing only by his power. His power literally lives in you and flows through you. And the intentions for your life are to bring him glory. That’s right, you’re supposed to make it about him, not make it about you. He’s the one you point to. He’s the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. If there’s anything good in you, it’s God in you! GLORY TO GOD!
So, Paul reminds us of 3 things of God’s that are so deep that they’re immeasurable: God’s riches, God’s wisdom and God’s knowledge.
God is rich. No, for real, he is, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. God’s not ashamed of his riches. Deuteronomy 11:14, “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God.” It’s ALL God’s. Every bit of it belongs to him. We squabble and fight and get protective over what we believe to be ours, but honey just because your name is on the title doesn’t make it all yours – that was God’s first!
A few years ago I was riding my little turquoise bicycle along Highway 1 in the Florida Keys, and I came upon a beautiful private beach resort set behind a large security gate and trees. Lining the drive were statues of Buddha. Buddha is not God. Buddha is an idol some use to replace our God who owns everything. That’s not Buddha’s beach, that’s God’s beach. As I rode by, God so clearly stirred my spirit and said, “That is my land, would you better glorify me with it?”
Now I know that sounds crazy because first, that resort isn’t for sale, and even if it were, the truth is I can’t afford to buy a trailer house on those 6 acres of beachfront property, let alone a resort with a grand lodge and 6 bungalows. But each time I pass it, I hear God say, “That’s mine, I want to be glorified better there.” Largo Resort – God wants it back. It’s his. Jesus, not Buddha. Who will glorify him there?
Everything belongs to God. It’s his and he wants to be glorified in it. If he’s not, he can make impossible things happen to rearrange anything he wishes for his glory. I believe that, don’t you? That means if there’s anything he has given you that you’re not giving him glory in, he can move that out of your hands. It’s all his. I’m not suggesting you ‘name it and claim it’, but I am suggesting your God has ‘made it and claiming it back’.
And here’s the wild thing about God’s immeasurable, deep riches – he formed them all out of absolutely nothing. Nothing. Genesis 1:2, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” There was complete void – emptiness and total darkness with nothing when God started. And from nothing he created everything. Imagine the Spirit of God hovering over dark waters of nothing. And God said, I want to create here now. And how did he do it? HE SPOKE.
God’s resources are unlimited, but even more resources are not required for him to create more of anything he wishes. He can use nothing to create anything he desires, so literally NOTHING is impossible for God. How rich is he? BEYOND RICH. Beyond our wildest dreams or craziest imagination. He can speak anything into existence from absolutely nothing.
My God is rich.
My God also has immeasurable wisdom and knowledge. Deep, deep, deep, beyond understanding and never able to find the bottom of what God knows and controls. There’s no end to his knowing. There’s no bottom to his understanding. It’s infinite.
But notice Paul mentions both God’s wisdom and knowledge. Why? Because they are two separate things.
Knowledge: God knows everything about everything. He knows how it works, he knows where it’s going, he knows what will happen next. There’s nothing God doesn’t know. Nothing is hidden from him. Nothing will surprise or shock him. He has always known the very end from the very beginning and been in complete control of the details in between.
God knows, but we do not. God understands, but we don’t always have that capacity. It’s simply deeper than us. It’s beyond our reach, but not out of God’s reach. Faith in God calls us to trust him with what we don’t know, what we can’t see, and what we can’t understand. Faith calls us out into the deep with a God who walks on water and promises to steady our feet if we only keep our eyes on him. Faith never demands your understanding, in fact it demands your trust in place of understanding.
God knows, and if I know God, then I know everything I need to know because He knows everything. There’s nothing God doesn’t understand. There’s nothing he’s stuck over wondering how he’s going to work it all out. There’s nothing he can’t fix. Nothing he can’t heal. Nothing he can’t restore. Nothing he can’t create brand new. Absolutely nothing. God KNOWS.
God knows everything concerning you. The hairs on your head are literally numbered by him, and girl, if he’s big enough and personal enough to know you lost 17 hairs this morning while doing your messy bun, then he’s big enough and personal enough to know how you’re going to get through the very thing you’re going through right now.
There’s a song I have on repeat right now called “Won’t Start Now” by Seph Schlueter. It starts out like this:
I’ve never seen a morning
the sun forgot to rise
In every single detail
You’re faithful every time
I’ve never lived a moment
that you weren’t by my side
‘Cause you’ve never made a promise
Turned around and changed your mind
You’ve never left me in the cold
Never hurt me or let me go
You never have before
And you won’t start now
You won’t start now
That’s our God. With the deepest riches, deepest knowledge and deepest wisdom.
God doesn’t just KNOW everything, but he knows precisely what to DO with everything. That’s wisdom.
Wisdom: God knows how to put together what’s happened in the past, what’s happening right now, and what will happen next, and make it work together for his good plans for your life. He not only knows how, but my sister, that’s precisely what he’s doing. Right now – his deep wisdom is at work in your life. God knows what to do with this!
There’s never been a time God didn’t know what to do, and he won’t start now.
There’s never been a problem God couldn’t fix, and he won’t start now.
There’s never been a mountain God couldn’t move, and he won’t start now.
There’s never been a moment of your life God wasn’t right by your side, and he won’t start now.
He’s not leaving you alone here. He’s not walking away. He’s not turning his back on you. Here he is with his deep and never ending riches, wisdom and knowledge and he says, “I AM YOUR GOD!”
That’s my God! My God owns everything, knows everything and controls everything … perfectly.
Philippians 4:19, “And MY GOD will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
That’s who he is and what he does. Is he your God? Will you let him be God over every detail of your life?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today, the sun came up. It met the horizon and it rose above it. That has happened every single day of our lives, so somewhere along the way we stopped being impressed by it. But the fact still remains, every morning the sun races at us from the east at over 1,000 miles per hour as we spin. Here we are walking around as if the world is sitting still, and we’re totally not!
May we always look at the sun rise and remember who did that for us.
God once had a conversation with Job, reminding him that he alone is God, he knows what he’s doing and his power is unmatched. God said to Job:
Job 38: 12-14 “Have YOU ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? Have YOU made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night’s wickedness? As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors.”
Have you … have YOU ever done that? Ahhhh, no … you haven’t ever been in charge of the sunrise? You can’t do that my sister?
No, that’s what God does! God causes the sun to rise. He causes the Earth to spin. He brings the sunshine and the rain. And you can trust he knows exactly what he is doing.
Job chapters 38 and 39 include a detailed list of some things God knows and controls. He determines the boundaries of the seas, the storehouses of snow, the path of lightening, and the sending of the rain. He directs the movement of the stars, provides food for the birds, watches as the wild animals give birth, and gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind.
And my friend, he sees YOU. He knows everything concerning you. He made the sun to rise and shine on you today. Shouldn’t that provide a sense of comfort and peace knowing the One who is charge of all this knows you and cares for you?
This evening, the sun will finish it’s dance across the sky and it will gracefully set to the west. Some will gather to watch the show, but most won’t. Most will be totally unaware of the magic happening in the sky and be busy with their evening routine. But, it will happen. God will faithfully bring the day to an end once again and the sun will be no more.
Today, the sun will rise and set regardless of what you do, because God is in charge of that. However, what you choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to you.
What will you do with the light of today? How will you use this time God has given you? And really, isn’t that the greatest gift we have here in this life? We have time. Limited time. Precious time. How foolish of us to take our time for grated or waste it.
The rising sun on this day gives you more time. Time to live.
God has gone to great measure to give you light today. He commanded this morning on your behalf. He caused the dawn to rise in the east with you in mind. He made the daylight spread to your exact positioning and brought your night to an end so you could see. Brilliant colors were painted for your eyes.
What is your response?
Where I am in Florida, we will have exactly 11 hours and 38 minutes of daylight today. That is time given to us as a gift today with an expectation to use it.
USE THE GIFT. The gift of his light.
For some of us, the night has been long and hard. We’ve been going through a season of darkness where life has been challenging and the struggle has been real. The odds seem stacked against us as life kinda falls apart. Well I may not know how long this darkness has been for you or what your struggle has been, but I know this for sure, God is here offering his light for YOU today.
John 12:46 Jesus said “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”
DO NOT REMAIN IN THE DARK. That’s a choice. Remaining in darkness is your choice until you choose to step into the light of Jesus and trust what he will show you. Once again, the question becomes, what will you do with this offering of light? Will you trust God today?
Choosing to trust God brings his light to your life. You simply begin to see things differently. However, choosing to worry, stress, control and not trust God makes your world so much darker. It’s a choice. Light or darkness. Trust God or don’t.
I believe it’s by divine design our S-U-N, which is the source of light in our world, is pronounced exactly like S-O-N, the son of God who is the light of the world.
Jesus has come to remove the darkness from your life and show you the way. His offering is to banish this darkness that has threatened your joy. Will you accept?
His light is here to shine truth on those areas of your life that have been hidden away in guilt and shame, and with his truth you see he chose you anyway. Your shortcomings do not cause disqualification. He chose you because you need him. He is light because of the darkness. He is responding to your need.
His will is NOT for you to remain in the dark. His will is for you to use the light he has offered you here. Come out of the shadows. Crawl out of the pit. Get on up from that ditch where you fell off the wagon. Step into his light now.
It’s time. His light is here. His offering is for you. Will you respond?
The sun is rising and setting today regardless. With or without your awe, it will happen. God has been faithful to offer another chance to his children. What you choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to you.
Jesus, shine your light on me. I no longer want to dwell in this darkness. I’m ready to wake up and truly live. I want the life you have offered me. Guide me as I boldly take the next step toward the destiny you have designed for me. Show me the way and I will use your light while it’s here. I will respond to your faithfulness with my faithfulness.
What will you do with the light?
There’s a song my husband often listens to in the morning. It’s “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. I encourage you to listen to listen to it today. And when it says “Here comes the sun little darling, here comes the sun. Here comes the sun, and it’s alright”, remember the S-O-N is coming for you too little darling, and he is the one who makes it alright.
If God can make the sun to rise today, can’t he handle everything else concerning you too?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Yesterday was a nostalgic kind of day for me. 15 years ago yesterday we hosted our very first gathering and called it a retreat. It was the most unimpressive, duct taped together event you’ve ever seen, in the basement of Joplin, MO city hall. Looking back it’s almost embarrassing … But it was the beginning.
I spent yesterday going through photos of every retreat since then. For the first time, I made a list and numbered them. Would you believe we’ve hosted exactly 100 retreats? Some of those retreats have been the best days of my life … and some of those early retreats you couldn’t pay me to go back and do again.
What a ride it has been and what a story we now have to tell. It’s not always a story I would have chosen, but it’s a story God has orchestrated to build what we get to do today. Just this year at our retreats, we’ve baptized 39 precious souls in total commitments to Jesus … all while having an absurd amount of fun in the most beautiful places in the world.
When God’s word says in Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – well it’s absolutely true. God can do so much more than we could ever dream up on our own. It’s bigger than you imagined and greater than you think, but you have to partner with him in the story and decide to trust him enough to join him on the ride.
All glory goes to God, only he can do it – but how totally awesome that he invites us to be part of the story!
God gives us a story to tell. A story of how he saved our life, turned it all around, and made the impossible happen on the daily. He’s writing a story with your life and it’s all unfolding day by day.
Think about the things that make for a great story. It’s never the comfortable, easy, guaranteed stuff. It’s the ups and downs, the twists and turns, the suspense and climax that make for a great story. And our God is the greatest writer of all. I wonder what he’s writing for you?
A few years ago on my husband’s birthday, I surprised him with a ride in a WW2 bi-plane. I requested the “loop-d-loop tricks ride” over the coast for the full experience. He went on the first ride and returned so dizzy he could barely walk. Then it was my turn.
I’ve never experienced anything so thrilling. It made sky diving seem like a total bore. It’s an open cockpit with 2 tiny seats and you truly feel like you’re flying. At one point we’re high up in the sky and suddenly it gets very quiet. The engine goes dead. Like motor OFF. Y’all we’re flying in an 80 year old airplane controlled by 2 foot pedals and one hand lever and the engine cuts. Boom, we go into a spinning nose dive. It’s like the wildest roller coaster ride you’ve ever been on … without a track. Then the engine starts trying to crank. It puts a time or two, then fires up and suddenly we make a 180 and start climbing straight up.
My son was in town so it was the ultimate experience to share with him and his wife. After we’re all on the ground safely, my husband strikes up a conversation with the pilot. He says “wow, so how long have you had this airplane.” The pilot smiles and says, “One week! How in the world did you all find me?” I said, “Well I saw you flying over the beach a few days ago and I wondered if maybe you offered rides so I googled you.” He said, “Well, you saw me on my first flight.”
I swallow … hard.
Y’all if I would have known this was a new experience for the pilot, I wouldn’t have strapped myself into that plane and squealed with delight as he let it fall in a nose dive from the sky. Nor would I have encourage 3 other members of my family to do the same.
Funny – looking back I remember the pilot saying, “Hey, no videoing up there because we’re supposed to have parachutes on and those haven’t arrived yet.” I thought he was joking. No, he wasn’t joking. The parachutes had not arrived yet and we were doing it anyway.
Here’s the point: SOMETIMES ALL THE INFORMATION WILL ONLY KEEP US FROM EXPERIENCING THE GREATEST THINGS IN LIFE.
If I would have known the details of building BIG Life and hosting 100 retreats over the past 15 years, I would have never planned the first one. I would have dismissed myself from my calling and purpose. I would have sat that out in overwhelm. How sweet of God to keep it a mystery from me.
We get so wrapped up in gathering the details, doing the research, making our lists and planning the next steps for 10 years, and we miss the experience God is offering us right now. You know why God doesn’t tell you everything in advance … because he knows you wouldn’t buy into the ride if you knew everything.
What experience has God had available for you, but you’ve been gathering information instead of diving into where he’s leading you?
If you really knew how painful childbirth was going to be, you probably wouldn’t have been so excited about being pregnant.
If you knew what life with a hormonal teenager would be like, you would have never taught that child to speak.
But you didn’t know, and you weren’t supposed to.
You don’t know how God is going to lead you where he plans to take you, and you’re not supposed to. If he gave you full disclosure, you wouldn’t show up.
Isaiah 55:9, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
This means you just have to trust God. He knows what he’s doing and he’s actually really good at his job. The story he’s writing for you is one you could never write on your own.
Sharing that bi-plane ride with my family was one of the coolest experiences of my life and we will all remember it forever, but if we would have known the details in advance, we would have missed that opportunity. Imagine his website offering the truth … “Come fly in an 80 year old airplane for 2 with a pilot who has owned the plane for 1 week and flown it a few times. Buckle up for this adventure as we barrel through the sky and see what tricks we can pull off … before the parachutes required by law arrive.”
I wouldn’t have bought the tickets … and I would have totally missed out on this experience.
If I would have known the full journey of the past 15 years with all 100 retreats, it wouldn’t have happened. There are a few of those experiences that would have overwhelmed me so much that I would have forfeited everything else and passed up those tickets.
And if you knew all the details about where God is taking you and the journey required to get there, you wouldn’t buy the tickets either. So guess what, he’s not going to give you the details, he’s going to ask you to trust him and go any way.
Will you trust where God is leading you? Will you trust what he is doing? Will you show up every single morning and partner with God in the adventure and follow his lead? Will you give up the continual need to gather all the information and plan the details before you’re willing to take the first step?
If you’re waiting for the details, you’re going to wait your entire life because God knows you wouldn’t move forward if you knew everything in advance.
Jesus walks up to 3 fishermen standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and he says to them “Come, follow me.” There was no detailed travel plan revealed. No itinerary or even explanation. Just an invitation to follow Jesus. Their whole world changed with that first step.
And so will yours. Jesus is asking you today to come, follow him. But you don’t get to know the details in advance.
He has a ticket for the ride of a lifetime for you … won’t you just go?
Now, here’s the really fun part. After our ride and my husband’s little revealing chat with the pilot, who I should mention had a real leather bomber jacket with his name on it, a real-life Tom Cruise look, plus over 30 years experiencing flying planes in the military, we walked to our car and relived our thrilling experience.
Our son says, “Guys, in the middle of the ride I look down and realize my seat-belt had come undone.” Well, it was an 80 year old all original plane. The seat-belts were a bit pre-historic. Then our daughter-in-law says, “Well we were up in the air for a few minutes and then the pilot says ‘I’ve made a horrible mistake. The worst mistake you can make. I forgot to get more fuel.” They had to make an emergency landing and fuel up.
And you know what all these things make …. A BETTER STORY.
That bi-plane ride was my gift to my husband for his birthday. My 50th birthday is next week – guess what he bought me … tickets for a sea-plane!
God is writing a better story for you. It may include a few hairy moments without a seat-belt, and running out of gas along the way. But these are the things of great stories.
Your story was created before the dawn of time. He began thinking of you and the story you could live before he ever spoke the first word that created light in the darkness.
Psalm 139:16 “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
That means God knew about today since the beginning. He’s not surprised by this, he’s using it.
Oh what a story he is writing for you.
Don’t miss this experience because you’re trying to gather all the information before you move forward with Him. You’re not supposed to know how this is all going to work out. You’re just supposed to show up every day for the unfolding.
Follow Jesus.
Day after day, just follow him.
Jesus says in Matthew 4:19, “Come, follow me.” What is your response?
Buy the ticket he is offering you daily and buckle up as the story unfolds. This is the story of your life, and Jesus loves thrilling stories! Just follow him!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There are many names of Jesus, but there is only one name we call him that saves our soul. Do you know that name? He’s not just our friend, he’s not just the lamb, he’s not just our teacher, he’s not just the Prince of Peace or the Bread of Life. He’s our LORD. When Jesus is our Lord, then everything changes.
Paul writes in Romans 10:9, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” It’s that simple and that specific. Jesus must be your Lord.
If you don’t let Jesus be your Lord, then God will let you be your lord. And let me tell you, you make a terrible lord over your own life. Do you know why? Because you don’t know best. You don’t see everything. You simply cannot guide and direct your life down the best path because you were never equipped to do that on your own. You were designed to need God. Without him, you simply cannot live a good, fulfilling and purposeful life.
What does it look like to make Jesus the Lord of your life?
In Biblical times, calling someone Lord signified a recognition of their power, of their authority, of their high status as master or ruler. ‘Lord’ meant, you are over me and I am under you. Think of the word ‘landlord’ which we use today. This is someone who owns the house that we’re temporarily renting from them. It’s theirs, not ours. We follow their rules, or we’re out. We agree to their terms, not the other way around. They are the land-lord and they have authority over their land.
Now, declaring Jesus is Lord is recognizing him as the supreme authority and highest position. He is above absolutely everything. He alone holds all power because everything belongs to him. If Jesus is your Lord, then you are under his authority and you’ve pledged your allegiance to him. He is the one you seek to honor. He is your master and you are his servant.
Easy enough – right?
But have you really given him that place? Is he really the one you seek above all else? Is he really your master? Does he really get the best of you, or does he get your leftovers? Does he take first place, or does he take back burner? Is he your first choice, or is he your last resort? If he is the Lord of your life, then everything you do comes from a place of serving him, honoring him, and seeking him.
Do I have any recovering people pleasers listening today? You’ve spent the majority of your life trying to make everyone happy. You so desperately want them to like you that you will sacrifice everything else along the way. It’s hard to let Jesus be Lord if you’re so busy trying to make everyone else happy. In fact, Paul, the same man who wrote the book of Romans, tells us in Galatians 1:10, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
You cannot always please people and God at the same time. Pleasing people cannot be your goal. Having everyone like you cannot be your objective. So who will be your priority? Really, who will get your time today? Who will get your attention today? Who will you serve first?
Do you have time set aside for God? Time to study his word and talk to him? Oh I hope so, because my sister, that is the only way you will truly grow.
Let’s say during your time with God, someone walks into the room and asks for your help. What do you do? Who do you please? Ahhhhh, man, that’s tough, isn’t it?
You know what I wish so badly I would have taught my children when they were little? I wish I would have taught them when Mama is on her knees that you can either join her or leave her alone, but you’re not going to pull her away. I wish I would have taught them that Mama’s time to read her Bible is more important than any other time of the day. That it’s sacred. That it’s set apart. That it’s vital. That it will be protected. I didn’t do that.
If you still have children at home, don’t miss this opportunity to show your children what it means to make Jesus the Lord of your life. To this day I struggle to understand what that looks like because I’ve never seen anyone actually live it. I didn’t have that example, nor did I set that example. I pray you younger Mamas do it better than I did.
But today, I still have the opportunity to prioritize my time with God. What happens when a text comes in during my time with Jesus? What happens when an appointment is scheduled in my appointed time with God? Who will I make happy? Who will get the best of me?
Openly declaring Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead is what saves our soul. It’s more than just words, it’s a total devotion of life. If Jesus is Lord, then he gets everything. If Jesus is Lord, he is my master. If Jesus is Lord, he is first and everything else comes after him. If Jesus is Lord, I will obey him and trust him.
Jesus is Lord over my feelings. Honestly, what gets in my way more than anything else are my feelings. My feelings will talk me out of doing what the Holy Spirit has prompted me to do. My feelings will dismiss me, hold me back, and cause me to miss aligned opportunities. Honestly, sometimes I just don’t want to do what I know I should do. My feelings tell me I’m too tired, or I’m too busy, or I’m too ordinary. And then again, sometimes my feelings tell me I want what I want right now and I’m willing to sacrifice a little off the corners to get it. That’s what leaves me settling. That’s also what creates massive messes.
My feelings make a terrible lord.
But understand that’s precisely the position you put your feelings in when you start obeying them. When your feelings become the master of your daily choices, that means Jesus is no longer sitting on that throne. You can’t have two lords.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” Who or what gets top place in your life? Someone will be master. Something will be a priority. If it’s not Jesus, there’s a problem.
It just looks so sweet to make everyone else your priority. Those people pleasers are so wonderful to be around, aren’t they? Gosh, they’re nice and they’re always making sure you’re so well taken care of. Except for the fact that JESUS IS NOT PLEASED. Jesus has been denied his place. Ouch, that’s the truth.
Stop trying to please people. That’s not what you’re created for.
It’s also quite popular today to allow your feelings to become the most vital part of your being. Stop focusing on your feelings. Your feelings are crowding out the throne.
Give Jesus his place. He is Lord.
He is El Shadi, Lord Almighty.
He is El Elyon, the Most High God.
He is Adoni, the Lord Master. I will serve only him.
He is Yahweh, the Lord Jehovah. He alone holds creation.
He is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord your Banner. He alone brings victory.
He is Jehovah Raah, the Lord your Shepherd. He alone will guide me.
He is Jehovah Raphan, the Lord that Heals. He alone brings healing.
He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who Provides. He alone provides for me.
He is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord of Peace. He alone fills me with unspeakable peace.
He is Lord. Let your mouth declare it and your life affirm it.
He alone is the priority.
His place will be protected.
His time will be set apart.
His throne will not be overtaken.
He is Master.
He is my Lord, God Almighty!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How bothered are you right now? How upset, torn up, worried and overwhelmed do life’s circumstances have you?
And why is it we feel almost obligated to appear miserable when we’re going through these hard things? Like it’s wrong to be okay when things aren’t okay. We can’t be happy when the reality isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, so we put on our hardships like the fit of the day and wear it around.
But let me tell you something, the Spirit of God living within you equips you to be UNBOTHERED. You don’t have to wake up feeling all sorts of ways. Your thoughts don’t have to be plagued with replays of that hurt and offense. You don’t have to be continually burdened by the things that have hurt you. Everything doesn’t have to bother you … you can be in the middle of the storm and be filled with peace, settled in complete assurance, and held steady by the hand that never changes. That’s unbothered.
Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
It’s easy to read that and think, “Ahhh, that’s a nice verse in our Bible”. Or maybe you even repost that because someone might need to hear it. But what about YOU – are you receiving that as God intended? God is speaking to you. He knows exactly what you’re going through. He knows the hurt. He knows the threat. He knows your worried thoughts and your unsettled heart.
Now, he’s showing up personally for you this morning and says, “My girl, don’t be afraid of this, I am right here with you. Don’t be discouraged over this, I am your God.”
When he reminds you he is your God, he reminds you nothing else is more powerful than him. Nothing can stop him, nothing can block him, nothing can cancel him. He is your God, and he is God over everything concerning you. He is God over your problem. He is God over your family. Nothing is above him and nothing is out of his reach. He is God in this.
And the God who holds supreme power and authority in this has a promise for you. Here’s his promise: “I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will hold you up with my hand of victory.”
Do you believe that? Will you receive that? Isaiah 41:10 is for you. Will you let that get down into your troubled heart as the truth? Will you let that calm the raging thoughts in your mind that have done nothing but replay the hurt and stir the offense? Will you let those worried thoughts be calmed by the hush of God that says, “Peace, be still now.”
Unbothered. It’s a chosen state of peace, even when there’s plenty of things to be bothered over.
Unbothered. It’s precisely what Jesus felt in the storm on a boat. Do you remember the story?
Mark 4: 35-40:
“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.’ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind. But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.”
Okay, stop right there. Have you ever been on a boat where the waves are bigger than the boat? Have you ever been that tossed by the storm? Have you ever watched a boat be filled with water? Imagine that terror for a moment. Now, imagine it’s at night and you don’t have flashlights. The oil lamps aren’t helping you here. You have no 300 horse power Suzuki to get you out of this. You’re in this storm at the worst possible time. Wouldn’t you be afraid? Wouldn’t you be bothered?
Verse 38, “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.” Y’all, this is Jesus completely unbothered. He’s sleeping on a boat, taking on water in a storm in the night, and he’s unbothered. He’s resting. His mind isn’t racing with worst case scenarios. His heart isn’t troubled and upset. The threat seems real, but he’s at peace.
Could that ever be us? Could we be riding out a real threat and still be at peace? Could we be tossed in the storm, but be unbothered within?
“The disciples woke him up shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?’ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Peace! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?'”
Why are YOU afraid? Why are YOU so bothered? Why have you let THIS cause such fear within you? Where is your faith in THIS?
Seriously, Jesus is asking why you’re so upset by this storm. Storms happen. Problems come. Relationships struggle. Bodies grow frail. Plans fall apart. But God is here! God is holding you in his hand and the ultimate victory has been promised. Don’t let this storm get in you. Don’t let yourself be so bothered.
I’ve discovered on my rollercoaster ride of high highs and some ugly lows, that I always have a choice. I have a choice to freak out. I have a choice to hate the ride and be miserable. I have a choice to complain and question. I have a choice to be 100% bothered by everything I hate about this. But if that is my choice, then I forfeit the peace Jesus has offered me. I forfeit being a vessel of his power and love in this storm. And I really don’t want that.
I’m figuring out if God has allowed the storm, then he wants to show me his power in the storm. He’s teaching me to stay close, and when I do, I find the strength to hurt while being unbothered. When you’re focused on the bigger thing God wants to do, you can ride out the storms unbothered by the waves along the way.
Jesus was unbothered by a storm because he was bothered by something much greater. He knew he was ultimately on his way to offer his life to save us. And that’s the secret – when you’re focused on bigger things, the little things can’t upset you so terribly.
What bigger thing can you focus on that will allow you to handle these little things with peace?
Paul gives us this example. In Philippians 4: 11-12, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” Paul knows suffering. He knows problems. He knows threats. And he’s unbothered by all of that. But in Romans 9, we read what he’s really bothered by. Verse 2, “My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people. I would be willing to be forever cursed – cut off from Christ – if that would save them.”
Paul has a greater focus that his comfort – he’s burdened for the souls of his people. You see, when you have something bigger than your problems to focus on, your problems become minor details. However, when you’re hyper focused on your problems, your problems will overwhelm you and you’ll miss the bigger purposes God has for you.
I believe it’s why we as a people have become so easily offended today – why we fight and bicker over everything – why we’re divided and bothered by everything – we’ve forgotten their souls. Paul wasn’t concerned with his comfort, he was absolutely crushed that people’s souls were unsaved. Jesus wasn’t bothered by the storm, he was focused on his mission to save our souls.
God has invited us into a faith journey with him that teaches us to be unbothered by much, and truly burdened by one thing – the souls of his people. The enemy has been on a mission to bother us by every little thing so we live our lives so overwhelmed and distracted that we overlook hurting and lost souls all around us.
Not today Satan. You won’t distract me with the offer of living bothered. I won’t let that become my focus and miss the souls here.
You and I can show up with real hurts, real problems, real threats and real storms – and we can be unbothered knowing Jesus is in the boat with us. God has given us the strength to be unbothered by the waves and focus on him and his purposes. What bigger thing can you focus on that will allow you to handle these little things with peace?
Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Now, live today unbothered by the storm and only burdened for souls.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There’s an undeserved grace in the offering for you today. Even though you don’t deserve it, God wants to bless you. That’s what grace is, and there’s an overflowing of grace, but you have to choose to get in it.
Imagine you’re on a hike and there’s a waterfall. You can choose to get in that waterfall or go around it. The same is true with the flow of God’s grace. It’s there, but you have a choice of what to do with it. Will you get in it and let all those blessings you don’t deserve rush over you, or will you avoid it so you never get wet?
GRACE. For all the times you couldn’t earn it, you aren’t good enough for it, you’re totally undeserving, but God offers you his blessing anyway.
Yesterday I had the honor of going to my very first Cowboy Church. Have you heard of it? It’s a gathering of country people who show up to barns and stockyards in their jeans and boots, play guitars and sing old hymnals, then a man who looks like he jumped straight off a horse shares the word of God in the simplest and most powerful way. People bring their dogs to church. Families sit with all of their children with them. There’s a slight scent of cow from the day before. There’s no show, no production, and absolutely zero barriers to coming to Jesus exactly as you are.
One man stepped forward and he said the word GRACE. Then he paused. And he continued. He said:
For the thief hanging on the cross beside Jesus, he was offered GRACE when he didn’t have time to change his life before dying. Grace offered him paradise with Jesus that day.
For the woman at the well who had been married 5 times, she was offered GRACE by Jesus and all her shame was erased.
For the rich corrupt tax collector named Zacchaeus, he was offered GRACE which changed his heart when Jesus came to his house.
For Rahab the prostitute, she was offered GRACE that saved her and her family BEFORE she changed her profession.
For Peter who failed Jesus on the last night and denied knowing Jesus, he was offered GRACE to overcome what he couldn’t undo.
Is there something you can’t undo? There’s GRACE for that.
Is there something you said that you can’t take back? There’s GRACE for that.
Is there a mistake you so wish you could rewind time on and do it different – but you can’t. There’s GRACE for that.
Is there a conversation or a situation you’ve replayed in your mind a thousand times and it has you so twisted inside that you can’t sleep and you can’t find peace? There’s GRACE for that.
Did you get it wrong, say it wrong, do it wrong? There’s GRACE for that.
Grace is that waterfall on the hike. You either get in it or you don’t. Be refreshed by it or avoid it. The choice is yours.
God says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Can you really believe that? Can you believe that your perfection isn’t needed here. You understanding everything and being in control isn’t needed here. All you need is God’s grace, and his grace actually works best in your weakness. Anywhere you feel you are failing is the perfect place for the power of God’s grace.
If you’ve listened to me for very long, you know I’m really human and I tend to mess up. I mispronounce words, my tongue gets twisted, I ugly cry on occasion, the lawn crew shows up and turns on the leaf blower right beside me, a blaring siren flies by. We’re raw, real and unedited. So, when I mess up, you get to hear it. I record live early each morning, so my eyes aren’t always sharp when I’m staring at the tiny print in my Bible and the numbers are often unclear. The numbers on my scripture reference sometimes get a little twisted. It’s never intentional, it’s a very unintentional human error for which I’m very sorry.
I received a message yesterday from a podcast listener who told me I’m appearing as a false teacher because I confused the number 3 with the number 2 in a scripture reference recently. She told me I’m ineffective in teaching God’s word if I can’t get it right. That kindof hurt my heart. But God immediately reminded me THERE’S GRACE FOR THAT. And because God offers me grace, I can offer her grace.
God’s grace works perfectly in my weakness, and he can work perfectly in her weakness as well. We don’t have to tear one another down, we can both walk in grace that we could never be good enough for. I don’t have to stress about being perfect – I could never be perfect enough.
Here’s what the enemy of our soul and our purpose wants to do – He wants to keep us so wrapped up in trying to make ourselves good enough that we never do anything to walk in God’s purpose and plan for our lives. He wants to watch us screw up, then beat us up over it time and time again. There’s zero grace from the pits of hell, only condemnation and conviction of our shortcomings. That’s what traps us and keeps us stuck.
But God says that weakness of yours is space for his power to work! Everything that makes you fall short of perfection, is everything he can pour my grace over. THERE’S GRACE FOR THAT!
Ephesians 2: 8-9, “God saved you by his GRACE when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a GIFT from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
I could never be good enough to deserve God’s blessings in my life. I could never do anything deserving of his saving power and promises of Heaven. That’s why God gives it as a GIFT. And that gift is the waterfall of grace we either choose to get under or choose to go around.
My sister, I pray you don’t avoid his grace. I pray you don’t go around his grace and try to do this on your own. I pray you don’t allow the enemy to keep you stuck in your own efforts and attempts to prove your value and worth. I pray you are completely washed away in the flow of God’s grace and receive the blessings you could never earn.
Just as God had grace for Rahab the prostitute, the corrupt tax collector, the thief hanging on the cross, Peter at his most shameful moment, and the woman at the well – God has grace to cover you and make you forever good enough because of Jesus.
There’s grace for that. Everywhere the enemy is offering guilt, shame and regret, there’s also a waterfall of grace being offered and you choose which one you are overwhelmed by.
I’m completely overwhelmed by God’s grace. Swept away in the flow of blessings I could never deserve. And the flow of God’s grace washes away all my guilt, all my shame, and all my regret. I don’t have to be stuck in the replay of the offense, the hurtful conversation, or my failure to get it right. There’s grace for that. And my friend, there’s grace for you too. Get in it and let it get all over you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Is there something in your life that has fallen apart and appears hopeless today? Something seemingly broken beyond repair only serving as a painful reminder of dreams left unfulfilled?
Maybe that broken thing in your life is you. You feel broken. You have fallen apart. You’re nothing like you used to be, having lost who you are somewhere along the way. And maybe you even asked God if it’s remotely possible for things to still change in your life … well, he’s answering you directly and personally right here today. I know without a doubt he gave me a very specific message to share with someone who is seeking.
GOD IS A HEALER, REDEEMER and RESTORER.
He had a vision for who you could become when he knit you together in your mother’s womb. He had dreams for you and planted them within you as desires to guide you to the life only you can live. But life happened and things got tough, now who you are today isn’t quite who you imagined becoming.
You may have given up on you, but God certainly hasn’t. He’s given you this space and time to heal you, redeem you and restore you. His desire is not for you to continue with this brokenness and unresolved issue. His desire is to bring you back to who he created you to be.
Jesus is a restorer. Within God’s word, we’re invited into specific stories of restoration in the lives of broken people. My favorite is the story of Mary Magdelene.
Mary Magdelene was the woman plagued by 7 demons. She was broken and believed to be beyond hope. What we know about those plagued by demons is they were outcasts in their torment. But none of that stopped Jesus.
Luke 8:1-2, “Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the kingdom of God. he took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”
Jesus changed everything for Mary. In him, she was RESTORED. She was brought back to her original state of wholeness and purpose. Everything that had happened to her, everything she had been through and everything she had done wrong was gone when she encountered Jesus. From that day forward, she traveled with Jesus and his disciples. She had an active role in his life here on earth. She was there when he healed people. She was there when he taught. She was there when he was crucified. She was there when the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.
Mark 16: 9, “After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.” She then went to the disciples and told them about the risen Jesus.
By God’s great design, the woman who is listed as the most demon plagued human in the entire Bible is the woman chosen to first see Jesus.
Mary Magdelene is mentioned more times in the Bible than most of the disciples, and is by far the most talked about woman in scripture. This is who God chose to use. A woman he could restore. God always knew who she could be walking with Jesus.
So, tell me again, why wouldn’t he choose you? God has never lost sight of who you can be walking with Jesus.
Your brokenness, your struggles, your weaknesses, your past, and your questions of today do not diminish God’s potential work in your life. He knows exactly who you can become and what you can do with your life, and he still hasn’t given up on getting you there.
Come be restored by the Almighty now. Come let him heal you and redeem you and guide you in returning to the good plans he has for you. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Those plans have NOT been cancelled. This hasn’t been ruined.
Jesus hasn’t thrown his hands up and walked away from you. He spread his arms out and offered his life for you.
Why? So through him you can be restored.
Have you ever witnessed the process of restoring an old car? I was the not so proud driver of a 1972 Monte Carlo as a teenager. This was the car I was nearly born in, then it became my primary means of transportation once I turned 16. I hated that car. I hated it’s puke green vinyl seats. I hated it’s loud engine and old push button radio. But most of all I hated the whole driver side of the car was gray primer. It was so embarrassing. I would intentionally park in the school parking lot so that no one could see the driver’s side.
What I didn’t understand back then is the gray primer was keeping that car from rusting into a pile of junk. It was protecting the spread of disease in the metal. It was in process of restoration.
The process of restoration isn’t always pretty. There are stages of cutting out the rust, sanding down the edges, and putting on the primer. The shiny new paint comes later in the process.
YOU ARE IN PROCESS. God knows exactly what he is doing and he says it’s okay if this process takes a little time. He has a vision of you fully restored and he says you’re worth the work it will take to get there.
He’s not ashamed of you. You are his pride and joy. His greatest masterpiece. And now he is lovingly restoring you to his original design.
Anyone who owns an antique restored car takes great pride in it. They have their own car clubs and parades to show off their restoration work. They proudly display the original features of the car which were far more expensive to restore than just replace. And God is the same with you. He’s proud of what he is doing in your life. He takes great pride in investing in you and he wants to show you off!
2 Peter 3: 8-9 “With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
Here in this space and time God is doing a great work in you. He is restoring you. He doesn’t want you to remain broken because of what happened, what you lost, or where you have failed. And he certainly doesn’t want you to sit and rust away with unmet potential. God is holding back the end of time to allow your restoration. He is doing a work in you, and honey he isn’t done yet.
What a story of restoration you will have. What a beauty you will be. You will undoubtedly be more valuable than ever before. But right now, you may have a little gray primer, and that’s okay. You’re in process of returning to who you were created to be. God takes great pride in this process.
And all you have to do is keep walking with Jesus.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Enjoy today’s unscripted devotional with these scriptures:
Philippians 3:14, “Do everything without complaining and arguing.”
MSG, “Be a breath of fresh air.”
AMP, “Do everything without questioning the providence of God.”
Numbers 11: 1, “Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed.”
Verse 23, “Has my arm lost its power?”
Psalm 34:3, “Magnify the Lord with me.”
Luke 1:46, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
On the island of Marathon in the Florida Keys, there’s a young man in his mid 20’s who gives the best pedicures. He’s friendly and always wants to talk … like a lot. I know all about his struggles with alcohol in the past and his boredom with a life of sobriety. I know he grew up in a ghetto in Southern California and he’s struggled with relationships. Each time I sit with him, I feel the Spirit within me stir. What he’s searching for is Jesus. What he needs is Jesus.
But he told me believing in God is hard for him because if there is a God, God took his grandma. His grandma was the one really good thing he had in his life. He shared that she was loved by everyone and never hurt anyone. Then she got cancer and died. Now, my young friend who talks a lot while painting my toenails, questions if there’s a God at all. Why would God do that to someone who is good.
I think deep down, it’s a question we’ve all struggled with. Why do bad things happen to good people? Where’s God in life’s hardships?
I can’t pretend to have the perfect answers here. I felt very inadequate in answering him. Somehow my reply of, “Life is so much more than what we see here, my friend.” felt sorely lacking and empty.
Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
This is a promise. A promise for specific people. A promise for anyone who loves God and are called by him for his purposes. To understand who these people are, we must begin with the end of that sentence first. To be called by God for his purpose means you are being personally requested. God has called some by name, specifically and intentionally. The purpose of his calling is to bring them into a relationship with him.
Is that you? How do you know? Scripture actually explains to us that God chooses who he wants, and who he doesn’t choose for a relationship with him, he hardens their hearts so they refuse to listen to him. My human mind can’t understand that, and it doesn’t have to. I’m not God and I can’t assume to know better than he does or demand explanations for divine matters for my human understanding. God owes us no explanations.
But, if God calls us into the purpose of a relationship with him, then the door is opened for us to love him. Scripture is clear when you love God, you will want to obey him.
Now, let’s do a little self check here – do you want to do better for God? Do you desire a relationship with him? Do you love him even while you don’t understand him?
Yes! Understand that’s because God first chose you for relationship. He called your heart to him for the purpose of relationship! He loved you first! That is you! So, this promise is for you.
The promise is, God will cause everything to work together for your good. Who will do it? GOD WILL DO IT!
You can’t always make it work together. You can’t always fix it. You can’t always pick up the pieces and make them fit again. But God can. That’s his promise.
A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. This is a promise from the maker of Heaven and Earth. This is a promise from the one who holds the whole world in the palm of his hand. This is a promise from the one who has literally numbered the hairs on your head and knows every detail about you. This is a promise from the one who has complete authority and undeniable ability to do the impossible. If the one who can make the impossible possible has made a promise to you, then every impossible you’re facing for is suddenly 100% possible.
God has called you into a relationship with him, now he himself will be involved in every detail to make all things work together for something good.
Good doesn’t mean it will always be happy times. Good doesn’t mean everyone gets healed. Good doesn’t mean grandmas don’t die. Good doesn’t mean hardships don’t happen. God’s good is an eternal view of current circumstances. And with that eternal view, it all leads to something greater.
For my friend who’s struggled with alcohol and relationships and can’t trust there’s a God because grandma died, he’s simply not seeing the eternal view where God makes things good. And it’s fair to feel the way he feels. But, he’s being invited into a changed perspective that trusts God to get it right.
And that’s really it – Can we trust God to get it right? Can we trust God to take these problems and messes and somehow work them out and make them good?
Let’s take an inventory. Has God ever done that for you before? Has he ever taken a bad situation and made it work out good for you? Has he ever used a hardship to change you for the better? Has he ever shown you his goodness and mercy through tough times? I bet he has. So, he’s doing it. He’s already fulfilling his promise.
He promised to work everything together for good for you, and you can see he’s done it before … now you can trust he will do it again. He’s got it right before, you can trust him to get it right again.
God’s promised you a cake, my sister. The cake will be good, but you may not like some of the ingredients.
God working in your life is a whole lot like making a cake. It’s different ingredients, mixed together. Some of the ingredients when singled out are not favorable. Baking powder – get you a teaspoon of that. Yuck. Nobody wants that nastiness. But, it’s a vital ingredient for the cake you’re baking to turn out good.
I don’t know what baking powder you’re dealing with right now that is unwanted and undesirable – but I know if you’ll trust God with it, he will mix it all in with everything else to make something good.
He uses that lost job. He uses that broken relationship. He uses that heartache. He uses every no. He uses that disappointment. And he mixes it with the beauty of a new month of life. He mixes it with the rising sun. He mixes it with answered prayers that are now just your normal. He mixes it with your blessings. And all together, he makes it something good.
Romans 8:35, “Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecute, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us.”
Bad things sometimes happen on our way to ultimate victory.
Bad things sometimes happen to good people because we live in a fallen world that isn’t paradise YET. But every bad thing that happens to us is allowed by a mighty, powerful, all-knowing God with an eternal perspective on mixing it all together to make something eternally good. Yes, forever good.
Sometimes we’re facing a teaspoon of something temporarily bad, but it’s an ingredient of something eternally good. Let God mix it all up. Let him do his work with everything in your life. The good and the bad.
He’s made a promise and he will fulfill his promise. It’s guaranteed. He will cause EVERYTHING, yes everything, to work together for good for you. Yes, you – because you’re a girl who loves God. You love God because he loved you first and he’s called you into a relationship with him. That relationship has you completely covered.
You won’t always understand it, but you can always trust it. This is all being worked together and in the end, it will be good.
Now, personalize that scripture and receive it as your truth. Insert your own name. Romans 8:28, “God causes everything to work together for the good for you, (insert your name), because God first called you into a relationship and you love him.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How exactly do you talk about a sometimes awkward topic without it being awkward? For real, how do you do that?
Answer: Just don’t be weird about it.
God’s truth is the truth for every single one of us. God’s not weird, so sharing his truth isn’t weird unless you make it weird. You make it weird when you insert yourself and try to make it about you instead of about God.
Ready for this? We’re going to talk about a sometimes awkward topic today without it being awkward. We’re sharing straight from God’s word and therefore we know it is truth.
Romans 8:26-27, “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
We call this praying in the Spirit or speaking in tongues. Most everyone has a personal bad experience with this. Someone made it weird. Someone put on a show, someone made you feel less spiritual, someone made it awkward.
Is speaking in an unknown language prompted by the Holy Spirit real – yes – sometimes. How do we know? Because God’s word tells us it is an example of what the Holy Spirit does for a believer. And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s manufactured nonsense from someone hoping you’ll notice them. That’s awkward. It’s cringey. And God is not impressed.
A few verses in 1 Corinthians 14 explain it like this: “If you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally. If I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.”
It is not for the benefit of others, it is personal. It shouldn’t be a show. It’s not a sign of spirituality or superiority. Once again, if you’re making it about you, you’re doing it wrong. You’re making it awkward.
The Holy Spirit offers many gifts to a believer. This happens to be one gift we get hung up on unnecessarily. If you don’t speak in tongues and pray in the Spirit, it DOES NOT mean you don’t have the filling of the Spirit of God. It doesn’t mean you’re on a lower level. It doesn’t mean you are spiritually less than anyone else. It means maybe you haven’t opened that gift yet, or maybe you have been offered other gifts. That’s not a bad thing.
When we make it about us, we make it awkward. This isn’t about you – this is about God’s Holy Spirit within you.
Let’s simplify this. The point of praying in tongues is allowing the Holy Spirit to pray for us in alignment with God’s will. You see, maybe there are things we don’t know to pray, things we’re afraid to pray, things we’re holding back on – so when the Spirit prays for us, we’re out of the way and in full agreement with God beyond our own awareness.
It’s a surrender, not a show.
It’s a willingness to agree with God’s will without knowing the details.
It’s signing up for the unknown mission, the mystery assignment, the next scary step all while it is totally unknown.
When you’re praying in a language you don’t understand, you’re agreeing to words and sentences you didn’t orchestrate. Through the spirit praying for you in it’s language, you may have just said, “Send me, I will go.” You may have said, “Change me first.” You may have said, “I’ll walk through this hardship to learn the lesson.” You may have said, “Take it away from me, I can’t be trusted with this.”
So you see, it’s a willing surrender to God’s plan, God’s authority, and God’s love – even though you can’t predict it or control it. This is faith.
Here’s where we take away all the awkwardness. We’re going to take away the tendency to make it about the show and about ourselves, and just allow the Spirit to pray for us, orchestrating words and sentences we can’t control and we don’t understand, but we agree with them in faith. Don’t be nervous – this isn’t going to be weird, I promise.
And, guess what – you already know exactly how to do this. I promise you do – you’ve been doing this since you were a little girl. Now, you just do it with greater meaning and unleash God’s power. I’ll teach you how and you will never forget this. It will be a prayer you pray in your most desperate times. Times when you are stuck. Times when you don’t know what to pray. Times when you’ve run out of your own plans, you’ve run out of time, and you’re about out of hope.
First, let me share a story.
A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like prayer. He asked her what she was doing. The little girl explained: “I’m praying, but I can’t think of exactly the right words, so I’m just saying all the letters, and God will put them together for me because He knows what I’m thinking.”
WOW! Pray all the letters and just trust God to put them together for you.
This is a prayer of faith. This is allowing the Spirit to form words on your behalf. That’s not weird, that’s powerful!
Maybe you’ve been praying over the same situation for years and you simply don’t know what else to pray. Let the Spirit pray for you! Let him arrange the letters and put it all together as a prayer that perfectly aligns with God’s will over that situation. If you can do that, you’re showing complete trust and surrender.
I think that’s the whole point. God wants you to trust him so much that you offer every letter that could make up every word there is, to be put together into sentences that could say absolutely anything, and actually MEAN IT because you trust him that much.
The prayer of complete surrender and total faith that begins by saying, “A. B. C. D. ….”, is the prayer that unleashes the will of God and puts you smack dab in the middle of it.
When you don’t know what to pray… When you’re exhausted from praying the same thing over and over again… When you feel like everything you have been praying has been dismissed… This is what you do … you pray your ABC’s over it. All the letters are there, God will put them in order.
This is not a prayer reserved for the super spiritual. This is not a prayer to show a higher level of connection or superiority. This is a humble prayer that allows the Spirit to pray for us without us getting in the way.
Some might think that would be silly. Gosh, even a child can pray their ABC’s. That’s actually the whole point. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus called a little child to him and he said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The MSG translation says it like this, “Unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom.”
Have you ever prayed your ABCs on your knees. Why not do it today? In fact, why not just do it now? With me? Some might think it’s silly, but your Father who is in Heaven is pleased with childlike faith.
What a humbling prayer of childlike faith. Join me on your knees right now if you can.
God, A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. U. V. W. X. Y. Z.
Now Lord, put all those letters together in alignment with your will. In the name of Jesus, Amen
You have no idea the power of what you just prayed. He aligned the letters perfectly to create the prayer you didn’t even know to pray.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Did you know we are told to pray to God and refer to him as our Daddy or Papa? That’s not disrespectful. That’s not irreverent. It’s personal.
God actually wants to be more than just your Creator, more than just the director of your life and supreme authority, he wants to be in a close and special relationship with you. A relationship of deep affection that offers you the ultimate security.
One day a crowd followed Jesus up to a mountainside and he sat down to teach them. He taught them how to handle the real issues of life. And here, Jesus teaches us how to pray. He gives us the example of how to talk to God. We now call it the Lord’s prayer and maybe you even have it memorized. Matthew 6: 9, Jesus begins by saying, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven …”
In Aramaic, the language Jesus used when teaching this prayer, it is Abwoon d’bwashmaya. Abwoon is an intimate word combining Abba, which is the term a child uses for their father, like Daddy or Papa, and womb which is the source of life. D’bwashmaya is translated into “who is in the heavens”, but not as we think of the heavens today. In Jesus’ time, heavens didn’t mean a far off place in the sky. Rather, it was the unseen spirit that is all around us and in us. Right here is the heavens. In our breath is the heavens. Jesus used the phrase “Abwoon d’bwashmaya” to teach us of a personal God who is not distant, but in our immediate presence seeking a personal relationship. And we’re to talk to him as such.
Our Father in heaven – Abwoon d’bwashmaya – Our Daddy who is here with us – Our Papa God who is close, in all things, giving life.
Then, when Paul is chosen by God to share the Good News and teach the gospel of Jesus, he explains in Romans 8:15 that because we are adopted as God’s own children, we are to “call him Abba, Father.” Again, we’re reminded Abba is the term a child uses for their relationship of love and trust with their Daddy, their Papa. It shows respect, deep affection and security.
Girls, this is who our God is. He’s our Daddy. The one we can most trust. The one we can have a true relationship with.
If you’ve been listening for several years, perhaps you remember a time when I used to pray at the end of each episode and I would begin by saying, “Good morning, Papa God.” Some loved it, and some more than hated it. As the emails poured in, I struggled to understand why this was such a point of contention for so many. Why was it so hard to call God Abwoon, Abba, Daddy, Papa? Why was this offensive to some?
For a bit, I must sadly admit, I doubled down. I wanted to prove my point. I speak to God in the way Jesus and Paul did. I’m in a relationship with God, he’s my Papa. I come to him like a child and I find my greatest security in him. But then something happened … My dear Papa God moved my heart and showed me why so many were struggling with this. And, if I continued to push it, I would be creating an unnecessary stumbling block to some who were genuinely seeking a relationship with God.
This is why I dropped it. My Papa God asked me to. He didn’t want a stumbling block between him and a single one of his girls. That’s the most important thing to him.
My Earthly Daddy was one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. He wasn’t perfect, but he loved me perfectly. He was my protector, my provider, my safe place, my warm space. Sitting on my Daddy’s lap, I was always good enough and forever loved. Because of his love, accepting God as my Heavenly Daddy was no stretch at all. In fact, because of my personal experience with my Daddy, Papa God is a perfect fit for me to know my Abwoon d’bwashmaya, my Abba Father, the personal God who is close and seeking a special relationship with me, his daughter.
But for many others, there’s a massive gap there. They didn’t have the example of a loving father, a protector and provider – a safe place where they were always good enough and forever loved in the arms of their Daddy. And if that relationship has been twisted, spoiled, or completely absent, then maybe it’s hard to think of God as a Daddy and feel the affection and security it was intended to bring.
And don’t you realize, this is exactly why the Fathers in family relationships have been a direct target of the enemy. If he can cause hurt in the heart of God’s girls and make them distance themselves from a Father, then naturally looking at God as their loving Father will be even harder. If there’s a strain on the earthly relationship with a father, then the relationship with a heavenly father could be strained as well.
I’m not a therapist, so I don’t have the 5 steps for healing that, but I know this much – it desperately needs to be healed. Anything creating a divide between us and our Abwoon d’bwashmaya, our Abba Father, our Papa God, is a work of the devil. Satan knows the security you would feel in deep relationship with your loving Father. He knows your relationship with God deepening to a place where you can run to him, crawl in his lap, and just rest in him as your Daddy and you as his little girl, always good enough and forever loved – well that would be a threatening place for you to be. That’s the last thing the devil wants.
The devil has worked overtime to attack the Fathers. You see, he knows the statistics. He knows if the Daddy follows Christ, odds are the family will follow. Some statistics say if the Mother follows Christ, there’s a 17% chance the children will follow Christ and remain in relationship with him for their lives. But if the Father follows Christ, the odds are 93% that the children will as well. That’s huge – and it’s why it’s become a huge problem today. It’s a strategic attack of the enemy on the Daddys so the sons and daughters can’t trust God as their Heavenly Daddy.
The truth is, if we see our Daddy as a Godly man who loved us well, then it’s much easier for us to have a close childlike relationship with God, just as Jesus tells us to have.
My prayer for you today is if there are barriers that have been built blocking you from that childlike relationship with God that is like a little girl with her loving Daddy, then I pray in the name of Jesus that those walls would come crashing down. I pray that you be immersed in the love of Abwoon d’bwashmaya, Abba Father, Papa God and you find healing, confidence, security and absolute adoration like you’ve never experienced before. I pray that the attacks on your family would not be successful in creating barriers in your relationship with a God who wants to be more than just your creator, more than just the director of your life and more than just your supreme authority, but he wants to be your Daddy. Yes, YOUR DADDY, because you are forever his beloved, treasured, chosen girl.
We will end today with the MSG translation of Romans 8:15, “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant with a childlike, ‘What’s next, Papa?'” Could this be why Jesus said we must become childlike to receive the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3-4)? Trusting God as our Daddy, our Papa God, with that sweet expectant innocence of a child. That is a true relationship, one God seeks with us. This is the relationship your soul was designed to crave and be empty without.
What’s next, Papa. I trust you. I find complete confidence and security in you. I know you are right here with me, I know you love me, and I am held by you. So, whatever is next, we’re going there together! Me and you, Papa God. Together.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When did life become all about us? Really? How have we made this about ourselves? It’s so easy to insert myself into every situation, and when it’s about me, is it really about Jesus anymore?
The Holy Spirit working within us leads us to think little of self and much of Jesus. The less I think about me, the more I’m available to be guided by God’s spirit to end up precisely where he wants me to be. But me constantly thinking about myself really gets in the way.
A few years ago, I came face to face with one of the most humble human beings who simply showed me how to get over myself. He showed me how to get out of my own head and into the will of God. How to overcome the little voice that tells me I can’t, and lean into the voice that says this is bigger than me and I’m being invited to be part of it.
His name is Jim, and he was the owner of a little coffee hut along the road on the way to the North Shore. His hut was nestled among the food trucks selling fresh scampi shrimp and pineapple smoothies, surrounded by honey bees, wild yellow canaries, and palm trees. He sold an iced coconut mocha that made my taste buds sing.
I shared the story of my encounter with Jim the day after I met him, then I returned the next day and asked him to listen. Since then, we have been friends. We text one another occasionally with prayers and praises, and each time I go to Hawaii I seek him out for that reminder of what humility looks like.
Jim reached out to me again this week with an update and a praise. God had gotten him through cancer and is now bringing him to a new season of life with fresh purpose. He asked if I could share with him once again the episode of our encounter, but as you may know, going back and finding a devotional that was over 1,000 episodes ago is nearly impossible.
So, I did some digging and I found my notes! Notes that need to be shared again!
Let me tell you about Jim, because when I tell you about Jim, I’m really telling you about Jesus.
On Jim’s little coffee stand on the North Shore of Oahu was a purple wooden, hand painted sign that read, “If Jesus Could Save a Wretch Like Me, He Can Save ANYONE!” He had full size bibles stacked on the counter, free to everyone.
A conversation unfolded with Jim, where I asked him to share his wretch story with me. He said, “My story is much the same as many others. I was living a selfish life, hurting everyone else along the way. I drank a lot of alcohol and created hurt everywhere I went.” He said, “Jesus had to leave the 99 to come look for me hard. I didn’t make it easy on him. But he still came.”
He told me he was given the gift of repentance.
Woah … the gift of repentance. Did you know that’s a gift from God? Jim explained it like this … If you get pulled over for speeding, you apologize to the officer as he gives you a ticket and you promise you won’t do it again. The next day, you speed again, just hoping to get away with it. The gift of repentance is the difference between hoping to just get away with it again, and truly wanting something totally different.
The gift of repentance allows us to see the damage we are creating, and turns our hearts towards God and the souls all around us. The gift of repentance shows us life isn’t about us.
Repentance is a gift from your Heavenly Father who wants you to live in the fullness of life he created you for. When you receive and walk in the gift of repentance, your life becomes the most beautifully balanced and grounded example of humility and love.
Acts 11:18 “God has given the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.” It’s a privilege to get to want to do better. It’s a gift from God, and it leads us to life. And remember yesterday’s devotional on the release from slavery to sin. Through Jesus we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and the Spirit makes us WANT to live better. Not just get away with our old ways, but change our old ways into new ways because we’ve been made new from the inside out. That is the gift of repentance.
2 Timothy 2:25-26, “Hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” Again, God GRANTS repentance to radically change our lives.
Have you ever asked God for the gift and privilege of repentance? This gift will take you out of the traps of selfish living and lead you to live that open, expansive, and limitless life Jesus came to give you. A life out of your own head, and into the fullness of everything God invites you to partner with him in.
HONEY, IT’ REALLY NOT ABOUT YOU. GET OVER YOURSELF.
Jim told me once God hunted him down and gave him the gift of repentance, he wanted to make everything he did about God and not about him. But, what could he possibly do to make his simple life about God? How could he use his little coffee hut for God’s work? That’s when he felt a prompting to offer bibles for free.
So simple … and that little voice told him it was so silly. What would everyone think? Would he look foolish? Would he be considered weird? So, he hesitated, and once again, his desire to honor God was twisted into everything being more about him than about God. He felt embarrassed and ashamed, knowing who he used to be and questioning how God could ever use someone like him.
As humble as that sounds, it’s the same path of self-centered living. Me. It’s about me. It’s about how I might look. It’s about my shame and my regret. It’s about my doubts and my questions. And when it’s all about me, it’s not about Jesus.
So, in obedience, Jim put out the bibles, and he painted his sign, fully displaying his story and humbly pointing to a relentless God who rescued him and would do the same for absolutely anyone else!
With a tear in his eye, he shared with me how he still struggled to believe God could use him. How a painted sign could make a difference. How a free bible could really ever change a life. And then he said it again, “But it’s not about me. It’s about God, and he can do anything he wants to do.”
Since offering his little coffee hut business to God, he said he had been blessed beyond measure in ways he could have never imagined. Was he doing anything radically different? Nope, he was just offering what he had to God and decided every day the little voice that tried to make it about himself wouldn’t win the battle.
Do you realize the work the enemy does in your life with that little voice that tries to make it all about you? That one slips right past our radar and trips us up without detection. Let’s shine a light on that weapon of hell and see it for what it is. Girl, what have you made about you instead of about Jesus?
How could God use you and I if we just got over ourselves? What if we stopped caring about what others thought about us, and more about how God wants to love through us? What if we stopped trying to put on a show, and used every part of our story to honor God in complete humility?
You see, Jim shares evangelism in a more beautiful and authentic way than I’ve ever seen. Is God using him? You bet he is! I didn’t need him to tell me about Jesus or give me a bible, but I needed him to remind me it’s really not about me or what anyone else thinks about me! It’s not about what big things I can do, it’s about my willingness to do even the smallest things for God right where I am with exactly what I have.
Jim told me his greatest hope is to stand before Jesus at the end of his days, and hear Jesus say, “Jim, because of your life, this child is here too.” I have a feeling there will be more than one of God’s children there as a result of a wretch who knew he was a wretch, and humbly and fully accepted the gift of repentance, painted his little sign, shared his simple story, and offered free bibles.
Ask God for the gift of repentance. May he grant you the divine gifting of getting over yourself and never being the same again. May you offer what seems totally insignificant to you, and allow a great big, powerful God to use it in ways you will never know this side of eternity.
The enemy doesn’t get to play in that old shame and guilt anymore. Your story will be shared. And every time you share, may you remember more and more, it’s really not about you. It’s about God and the souls he has placed around you!
Here’s to my friend Jim, my fellow wretch who has been hunted down by Jesus and saved and another day of life covered by the gift of repentance, with a timely reminder that this isn’t about me at all.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
One day, Jesus was speaking to a group of people in his hometown of Nazareth. These people knew of his miracles, but they couldn’t believe who he really was. Afterall, they knew him. They knew his parents. They had seen him grow up. And now, he’s come back to his hometown and he’s told them he is the chosen one to fulfill the Good News of God. He has come to set the captives free and make the blind to see, just as scripture had foretold.
While he was nothing but truth, he was rejected in his hometown. Those who knew him best received him the least.
Gosh, how sad it is to find it’s still true today. Those of us who are most familiar with Jesus, grew up hearing of Jesus and know all the stories, we’re often the ones who are least impressed by him. We miss the miracle because it’s simply not that impressive to us anymore.
Maybe you’re a little too comfortable with Jesus so now you just go through the motions. Oh my sister, you will miss out on the fullness of what he is here to offer you when you stop being completely slayed by his presence and power. We’re coming into the time of year where we read about the virgin Mary having a baby in a stable, and while you’ve likely heard the story many times, I pray this year you’re absolutely blown away by it. May you be in awe of your Jesus as never before.
The people in Jesus’ hometown were amazed by what he did, but couldn’t believe who he really claimed to be. Now, because they struggled to believe, they didn’t receive the fullness of what Jesus had to offer. Mark 6: 5-6, “And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among theme except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.”
What are you missing because you have become familiar with Jesus and unimpressed with who he really is? What have you dismissed yourself from because you have lost your absolute awe and wonder over your Savior?
Jesus knew he was not fully accepted in his hometown because they were too familiar with him. And then Jesus recounts a story of one man’s healing among many who lacked faith. Luke 4:27, Jesus says, “Many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” That’s it. Jesus mentions this foreign man’s name and his healing among many in need who didn’t receive healing. And the crowd of Jesus’ hometown people became furious. 2 verses later, they try to push Jesus off a cliff and kill him.
But reading this, don’t you want to know more about this man Naaman’s story? Jesus is telling of this man’s faith and healing over 800 years after it had happened, it must have been remarkable!
Naaman’s life had been over for a long time. Generations had passed without Naaman and life has gone on without him. But Jesus knew about him! Jesus still tells his story.
Imagine that for a moment … imagine living with the kind of faith that Jesus still talks about after your time here on Earth is done. Imagine 800 years from now, Jesus telling a future generation of people to look you up and read your story. And within your story is an act of faith Jesus is still using as an example 800 years later!
Girls, that’s the kind of legacy I want to leave … don’t you? If the world is still here hundreds of years from now, don’t you want someone googling your name to read your testimony of what Jesus did for you?
So, we have to flip back through several hundred pages in our Bible to get to the small section that tells the story of this foreign man named Naaman from 800 years before Jesus. We have to read it because Jesus is still talking about it!
2 Kings 5. We read of the mighty warrior Naaman who was the commander of the army of King Aram. This mighty warrior had leprosy. Leprosy was a brutal and highly contagious skin disease that deformed and disfigured you, making you an outcast to society. The Aramean army had invaded Israel, and while there, they were told of a prophet of God who could heal leprosy.
Naaman was sent to the prophet Elisha’s house to seek healing. Naaman stood outside the door with horses and chariots and gifts, awaiting his big moment of miraculous healing. But, it didn’t go the way he had imagined.
2 Kings 5: 10, But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”
And guess what … Naaman went away angry. This man didn’t even come out to meet him. He didn’t wave his hand over him, pray a magical prayer or do anything special in any way. He says go wash in the Jordan River 7 times?!!! This didn’t make any sense at all. Where’s the mystery and magic? Where’s the emotional moment of healing? You just want me to go down to the nasty, muddy, run off water of the Jordan River and wash 7 times?
I can understand Naaman’s disappointment. He was hoping for a miracle and this certainly didn’t sound like the path to a miracle. He needed healing, not a mud bath.
But thankfully, in his rage, his fellow soldiers calm him down and speak the most valuable and rational words to him. They say in verse 13, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured.'”
Well, isn’t that a powerful truth? We would do the big mystical thing because mystical things look like they’re going to bring miraculous results. But simple little things … no, we can’t be bothered by that. When we need a big miracle we expect a big move, a big change and a big moment. But instead, God often does the biggest things as a result of our faith that would have us walking it out with the little moves, the little changes and the hundreds of little moments.
Maybe God isn’t interested in the one big thing you say you’re willing to do … maybe he’s interested in the hundreds of little things that look really insignificant. Maybe that’s the faith he is asking you for. Faith to do the little things. Faith to do the common things. Faith to do the things that don’t make sense and aren’t exciting.
Verse 14, “So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself 7 times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!” Naaman returned to his homeland knowing the one true God and pledged his life to him.
This is the story Jesus retold over 800 years later. This is the legacy of Naaman. A man who came to understand God doesn’t always work in the big, grand and magical moments, but instead he often works in the underwhelming, ordinary, and easily overlooked little moments where we are called to faithful action.
Maybe you’ve come here desperately seeking a big answer from God. Maybe you even prayed before you pressed play and you said, “Lord, I need a sign from you … tell me what to do.” Well, here it is … BE WILLING TO DO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT DON’T MAKE SENSE. Not just once, but again and again.
You came here expecting to hear something big, but Jesus wants you to hear about this man named Naaman who did the smallest, simplest of things that didn’t make sense, and he received the healing of a lifetime. How much faith does it really take to do something big and grand that the whole world knows would be powerful? Not nearly as much faith as it takes to humbly do the little things repeatedly that seem totally unconnected.
So, let me say to you what Naaman’s soldier’s said to him, “My firend, if God had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says do something simple.”
800 years later Jesus is talking about the faith of Naaman. He’s telling his hometown people about this one man who had enough faith to wash in a muddy river 7 times and be healed. They responded by trying to push him off a cliff.
How will you respond?
Will you respond with, “Jesus, I’ll take a bath!” That’s what he’s looking for.
Our lack of faith is limiting our receipt of the fullness of all Jesus came to offer us. But it’s probably not our faith in the big things that’s lacking … it’s our faith in the little things that look insignificant.
Jesus, today I don’t feel like getting up, but I will get up anyway.
Jesus, today I don’t know what to do to fix this mess, but I will start by spending time with you, reading and believing your word.
Jesus, today I need healing and I’m fully trusting you’re working even when I can’t see it, even when I can’t feel it, and even when I don’t understand. I’m showing up in faith. I’m taking the next step in faith. I’m hanging on in faith.
800 years from now, maybe someone will be prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask their household robot to tell them about you. Why? Because maybe your story of simple faith will impact their lives as Jesus used the story of Naaman’s faith to impact ours. But, it doesn’t stop at 800 years. Remember this, it has been over 2,000 years since Jesus told his hometown about the 800 year old story of Naaman. And here we are, over 2,800 years later, hearing about the faith of Naaman that healed him in the most simple ways. A man who took a bath 7 times in a muddy river because he was told to.
What you do today in faith may not seem significant right now … but generations you haven’t even dared to imagine may be hearing about it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How many of us know by personal experience that having the right partner makes a huge difference. The right business partner makes things work. The wrong business partner makes a massive mess. The right workout partner makes you show up. The wrong workout partner never shows up and makes it even harder for you to show up.
I once had the perfect running partner. She was my next door neighbor, and for 2 years, we ran together 6 days a week, no matter what. Not once did we ever not show up for each other. And not once did we ever stop short of the goal. I knew how to run really far and she knew how to run really fast. Together we became so much better. Then I did what I always do … I moved away.
Maybe you’ve tried to find the right partner and you’ve failed. Maybe you’ve given up hope thinking you will always have to do this alone, whatever “this” is. You’ll have to raise these kids alone. You’ll have to grow this business alone. You’ll have to make these changes alone. You’ll have to find your way alone. Oh, my sister, I have the greatest news for you today! You have been invited into a personal partnership that will NEVER LET YOU DOWN. This is exactly what you are looking for.
1 Corinthians 1:9, “God has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Do you have any idea what this means? Jesus wants to be your partner! The right partner will make or break you. The right partner will have you showing up when you didn’t think you could show up. The right partner will be strong when you are weak, will be up when you are down, will have answers for your questions, will know the way when you are lost, and will pull you out when you get stuck. AND JESUS IS SOOOOO THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR YOU!
This is your life changing partnership. He will help you do what you feel too insignificant to do. He will guide you through what you don’t know how to do.
My husband is a world class travel partner. That man is never lost. He’s a walking, talking GPS. Traveling with him I have complete confidence. I pack a bag and worry about nothing.
The right partner gives you that kind of confidence … and girl, YOU HAVE JESUS! You’re showing up with Jesus as your partner. This problem doesn’t even stand a chance. Those walls have to come down. That sea has to part. Those chains have to break. Not because of you, but because of who you bring.
Now notice, scripture says God has INVITED YOU into partnership with Jesus. You have the invitation … have you accepted it? For real, have you officially partnered with Jesus in your business, in your family, in your goals, in your dreams … or are you still trying to do this on your own? Are you still reading every darn self-help book out there and missing the supernatural help offered only in your Bible? Are you hoping some motivational speaker will give you a 7 step plan to show you the way, all while Jesus’ extended hand has gone unnoticed?
ACCEPT THE INVITATION. Say it now: Yes, Jesus, I want to partner with you!
Jesus says in John 15: 5-8, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. (That’s partnership. We’re in this together.) Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. (That’s progress, that’s success, that’s desired change.) For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. (All those goals, all those dreams, all that work is sure to go up in smoke when you try to do it without this partnership. It simply won’t work, Sis.) But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
In partnership with Jesus, you can ask for anything and it will be granted. Oh, that sounds like a genie in a bottle … but it’s not. Understand what happens when you are a branch connected to the vine, what’s in the vine flows through you. You become part of the vine and what grows from you is of the vine. So, in partnership with Jesus, he grows in us and changes us. Our desires change. Our thoughts change. Our dreams and goals change. And when we are living in partnership with Jesus as his branch, then our desires are part of his desires. This is how we ask and it is granted.
You don’t get to ask knowing it will be granted when you’re not in partnership with Jesus. No, because your request may be completely out of line. But the more you grow as the branch attached to the vine, the more you produce dreams, desires, goals and requests that are aligned with Jesus. When it’s aligned with Jesus, the answer is automatically yes. If it’s the will of God, nothing can stop it. It’s a done deal.
Jesus also says in Matthew 11: 29-30, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Again, Jesus is inviting us into partnership with him. He’s saying, “My girl, let’s do this together.” Whatever you’re going through, whatever you’re battling, whatever you’re facing, Jesus wants to do this WITH YOU as your partner.
To understand this fully, you first need to understand what a yoke is. This is a wooden beam fastened around the neck and across the shoulders of two cows who are pulling something heavy. The beam connects the cows, keeping them in alignment, sharing the load with each step.
Alone, each cow could not do the work and carry the load. Together, they can do it with ease. A yoke enabled trouble-free achievement that was otherwise impossible. And this is the picture of what Jesus is offering you! Achievement that before was impossible. Forward progress where you have been stuck.
Jesus extends his hand with an invitation, “Come, connect with me. Be close to me. I’ll help you carry this load. We will do this together, but I’ll do the hardest part. I’ll make your burden lighter. Together, we will do the impossible.”
Whatever your burden is, Jesus is offering to be your yoke-mate. He’s willing to partner with you through this. Will you accept his invitation?
You may not know what you’re doing, but Jesus does. Just align your steps with his. How? Stay close to him! Remember, the burden he gives you is light when you are yoked with him to pull this load.
You may not have the strength to get through this, but Jesus does. Receive the supernatural flow of his strength. How? Stay connected to him! Remember, he is the vine, you are the branch. Apart from him, you can do nothing.
You’ve been trying to do this on your own for long enough. You’ve been putting your trust in so many other people who have let you down, all while Jesus has been standing there with an extended hand and you’ve been passing him by. It’s time to take his hand in this.
Jesus, I officially accept the invitation of your partnership. Me and you. We are partners. Now, Jesus, you take the lead because I really don’t know what I’m doing.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What amazing things would you do if you couldn’t fail? Oh, think about that for a second. If failure were off the table, wouldn’t you go for it? Wouldn’t you do it? And wouldn’t you do it now?
But, here’s the problem … failure is always on the table. And it’s probably on your table.
But it’s not because you’re not good enough. It’s not because God isn’t for you. It’s because failure is part of the plan, Sis. Failure is how we learn. Failure is how we grow. Closed doors are not only to keep you out of the wrong rooms, but to keep you walking down the hall to get to the right rooms with the right opportunities and the right people.
So the better question is, what would you do if you knew every failure could be used and there’s a wide open door for you in places you can’t see yet. Would you dare go in faith and push through your doubts and fears to get there? Would you keep getting up? Would you keep showing up? Would you keep trying? There’s very likely a life beyond your wildest imaginations waiting for you if you do.
Here’s what we miss … for every single thing that’s way bigger than us, we have Jesus. For every single thing that just won’t work, we have Jesus. For every thing that is too hard, we have Jesus. For every thing that we don’t know, can’t do, can’t fix and can’t make happen, we have Jesus. You’re letting the potential off all the hard unknowns scare you into a corner, but Jesus is darn good at handling the hard part.
When you get to the hard part, just remember, this is where Jesus comes in!
When you fail, you have Jesus. When you don’t think you can get through this, you have Jesus. When you can’t see the way, when you don’t have the answers, when you’re weak and weary, when you’ve come to the end of yourself, YOU HAVE JESUS!
15 years ago yesterday, I received a message from an old high school friend who was struggling. She was a single mom of 4 little boys. Every relationship had failed. She was struggling financially. She didn’t like who she saw in the mirror. Her entire life was nothing like what she had imagined, and for some reason she felt maybe I could help her.
What she didn’t know is I was an over-weight mortgage broker who lived in a house I couldn’t really afford and kept buying more things to make me happy because that God shaped hole in me was empty. Why would she reach out to me for help? Because my Facebook photos were photoshopped and my posts were nothing but positive. (I’m just being honest). But she desperately needed someone to invest in her. Someone to remind her of her worth. Someone to push her in the pursuit of a better life. And I just couldn’t say no.
Her exact words to me were, “Pamela, I’m a worn out, stressed out mom and I just want to be a Smokin’ Hot Mama.” So, that day I went on Facebook and I started a page called ‘The Smokin’ Hot Mama Club.’ A place where she would check in and I would encourage her. Sounds great, right? Well … the only problem was that little page I started was public and by the end of the day I had 30 people on it who were eager to be reminded of their worth and pursuing a better life. (Okay, probably only 10 of them were seeking that … the other 20 were looking for a biker gang, dancers, or a love connection.)
15 years later, it is now what brings me into your life every day. How crazy is that? BIG Life first began as something totally different, and I didn’t even mean to start it! If I would have known back then that it would become this today … wow, I would have left my job sooner! Losing most everything along the way would have been a lot easier if I would have know it was all leading here. My countless failures weren’t fatal afterall, but they certainly felt like it when I was in them. If I would have only known where God was leading through all those failures.
BUT WE DON’T. We don’t know where failure is leading, we just know it’s so darn hard when you’re in it. But now I know, when you get to the hard part, that’s where Jesus comes in!
Are you in the hard part right now? Ahhhhh, my sister, Jesus has never been closer! He’s right there with you. He’s making a way through this. He’s doing what only he can do, and what he can do is the impossible stuff! If you have some impossible stuff on your hands, just go ahead and give it to him. He’s really good at this part!
Several hundred years before Jesus, there was a King named Nebuchadnezzar who got caught up in riches and fame and he built a 90 foot tall gold statue and made everyone bow down to it anytime music played. There were 3 young men who refused to bow and worship the statue and this enraged the King. So he had all 3 of them thrown into a fiery furnace that was heated 7 times hotter than normal. The men were tied up and thrown into the fire. But when the King looked into the furnace he shouted, “Look, I see 4 men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” They walked out of the flames, untouched and they didn’t even smell like smoke. Afterward, the King bowed down to the true God and promoted the men to high positions. (Daniel 3)
God did the hard part! He did the impossible part! He’s really good at that.
But the 3 young men didn’t know what God was going to do on their way into the furnace. We never know what God is going to do stepping into the flames.
A few chapters later, in Daniel 6, we read of a man named Daniel who was well liked by King Darius. Daniel had been chosen and promoted. But, just as Kings often do, this King too became caught up in riches and fame and decreed for 30 days no on could pray to anyone but him, and if they were caught praying to anyone or anything other than the King, they would be thrown into a den of lions.
But, Daniel still went home and prayed to God, so what happened … he was arrested and thrown into the lion’s den to be eaten alive. But God does things we cannot do. He does the hard stuff. The next morning, the King rolls the stone from the lion’s den and finds Daniel still in one piece, miraculously unharmed. And Daniel says in 6:22, “My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouth so that they would not hurt me.” Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
Afterwards, Daniel prospered.
But making the choice to pray to God when it was forbidden was hard. Seeing the lions coming at him was hard. Spending the night with the lions was hard. Daniel had no idea amazing things were on the other side of this hard.
I don’t know what fire you’ve been walking through, or what lion’s den you’ve been stuck in, but I know this much … you’re not alone! This is where Jesus comes in! He does the hard part. The part you could never do on your own. The way you could have never seen is the way he’s making through it.
While you are not promised to be isolated from the hard stuff, you can count on Jesus being there for the hard stuff.
Don’t hold back. Don’t give up. Don’t settle for less. This is the hard part where Jesus walks you through that fire, seals the lion’s mouth, breaks those chains, tears down those walls, parts that sea. You can’t do it, but he can.
Remember, for this, you have Jesus.
Over the past 15 years there have been some ridiculously hard things I would have absolutely avoided. Things I wasn’t prepared for. Attacks my heart wasn’t strong enough for. Demands I couldn’t balance. Twists and turns I would have never chosen. But for all of this, I had Jesus. And Jesus knew it would all lead to YOU, and you would be worth it. Now, I get to talk to you … how amazingly cool is that?
I don’t know where you’re going and what you’re going through on the way there, but I know this much for sure, Jesus has got you through the hard part. You can’t do this without him. And even with him, it won’t be easy. But one day, maybe 15 years from now even, you’ll look back and see how he was faithful with all the hard stuff and brought you to a future that is better than you could have imagined.
The hard part … yeah, that’s for Jesus. You can trust him.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today’s episode of the BIG Life Devotional Podcast is an unscripted Bible study time together digging deeper on the true meaning of giving God credit.
Psalm 30
John 14:1
Jeremiah 31:13
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Together, we have been learning so much about the twisted suggestions of the devil and the way out of those temptations Jesus has made for us. The past 3 episodes have taken us deeper into Luke 4 telling of Jesus’ time in the wilderness, facing these temptations and battling the enemy of your soul. It’s been so good, hasn’t it?
Now, Jesus tells us of one more specific temptation and shows us the way out.
Luke 4: 9-13, “Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ Jesus responded, ‘The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.'”
Ohhhh, what is the devil trying to do … and what is Jesus trying to teach us?
The devil is smart. He’s constantly studying us to understand our defense, then turn that defense on us. You know the things that have worked for you before, then they no longer work for you but hurt you … yeah, that’s what he wants to do.
What had Jesus been using to battle the devil? Every time, he had responded to the temptation with God’s word. So, now the devil tries to use God’s word against Jesus. That’s what he’s doing when he says, “Jump off, Jesus. God’s word says he will protect you!”
Your enemy knows God’s word. He knows it better than you do. Honey, he was in the Heavenlies right beside God when this world was being created. How do I know? Well, in Job 38: 4&7, The Lord said, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? As the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.” And among those angels was Lucifer, the angel said to be the most beautiful of all. He was named to be the ‘light bearer’, but he grew jealous of his Maker and wanted to be greater than him. Lucifer is the fallen angel, kicked out of Heaven, thrown down to the pits of hell where he schemes his attacks on this world. We call him Satan. This is the devil.
So, yes he knows God. He knows him intimately. He was there when the foundations of this world were set. He knows how everything works and his personal mission is to destroy it. He cannot defeat God’s word, but he can twist it!
His temptation to Jesus here is a twisting of God’s word. God’s word is Jesus’ weapon to fight the enemy, now that weapon is being twisted and pointed at Jesus. You can pluck a scripture out of the Bible and use it against anyone. You can take scripture out of context and do great damage. That’s a work of the devil. And that’s precisely what he’s doing to Jesus.
But Jesus knows when a scripture is being taken out of context … do you?
Back then, scripture was written on large scrolls of papyrus or parchment. One book of the Bible may take several scrolls. God’s people were taught to memorize his word … why … because they couldn’t walk around carrying all these scrolls with them for reference. Not to mention, most people were illiterate and couldn’t read for themselves. They had to go to the temple and have God’s word read to them, then try to memorize it for reference. Imagine how hard that was.
But we have all of God’s word in a single bound book we can take with us anywhere. Heck, we even have every translation and all the commentary in the world with us all the time on our phone. We have full access to God’s word all the time so we have no excuse. We can look it up. We can read not just one verse, but we can read the context to understand the true meaning. We can read commentary to help us understand better.
Is scripture being taken out of context and twisted to mean something it was never meant to … well, you have the book … use it!
This is what Jesus is showing us. God’s word is your weapon. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:17 that the word of God is our sword. This is how we fight our battles. But don’t you know the devil wants to take that sword and turn it on you? And he will if you don’t know how to use it!
I know sometimes it feels useless to put time into studying your Bible, but understand this time is your weapon training, your sword lessons. You’re learning how to hold your weapon. You’re learning how to swing your weapon. And you’re learning how to protect your weapon so your enemy doesn’t turn it and use it on you. The only way you learn is time and practice.
My sister, keep reading. Keep making that deposit of God’s living word in your soul. This is battle preparation. You have access to the full word of God, so look up that quoted scripture and read the full chapter. Research to understand the setting, the audience, the tradition and the intention. We have no excuse for allowing scripture to be twisted, you have the full thing available to you so easily.
Now, notice something else in this temptation of Jesus. When the devil says, “If you are the Son of God, jump off!”, the devil can’t make him do it, he can only suggest it.
The devil can’t make you do it … but he can suggest it! The devil has never made you do anything, because he doesn’t have that power. He simply can’t do that. But he is absolutely world-class at making suggestions. Oh yes, he plants twisted ideas, he plays in your desires, he stirs up your doubts, and he pokes at your wounds. He “suggests” total nonsense, appealing to your human wants and needs, then you either choose it or you don’t.
You can’t blame the devil, he’s just doing what he does. Here’s what I’ve figured out along the way … liars lie. You can get all upset and try to understand it, but in the end, it’s just what liars do, they lie. When a liar is talking, it’s your responsibility to know they’re lying. The devil is the father of lies. The best lie is a truth that has been twisted. It has a lot of truth to it, it’s just been twisted to still sound good but point you in the wrong direction.
Jesus knows to check the source of the suggestion. This suggestion to jump off the cliff is coming from Satan, so that’s a strong no. It’s hard for us to check the source sometimes, because honestly Satan doesn’t always show up the way we think he would. Movies portray the devil as some red faced angry dude with horns and a pitchfork. Hmmmm, actually, he is a beautiful angel with a twisted heart. Don’t forget that. He shows up quoting God’s word. He shows up offering bread when you’re hungry. He shows up offering power to change things.
But, my sister, you have the Spirit of God living within you. That Spirit knows the truth. That Spirit can undeniably recognize the source of any suggestion. Start listening to your Spirit. Jesus says in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”
Lord, guide me to the truth. Don’t let me be deceived by the twisted suggestions of the enemy.
What has the devil been suggesting to you? Really, let’s identify that now.
Has he been suggesting you give up? Has he been suggesting you hide? Has he been suggesting you do it your way? Has he been suggesting you just settle?
Right now, as you seek the truth, God’s Spirit within you is confirming it all. You see the source now. That’s been the devil. He couldn’t make you do, but he could strongly suggest you do it. He could get in your head, twist your thoughts, play with your emotions, and hopefully cause you to choose his way.
Girl, you’re in a battle and it’s time to get out your weapon and fight. Use God’s word, the FULLNESS of his word. Read it. Deposit it into your soul. Open it up and receive your guidance and strength. Arm yourself to fight the twisted suggestions that have come to kill, steal and destroy.
One final thing on this story … notice the very end, verse 13, “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.”
Now isn’t that interesting. When Satan sees he can’t win with you, he leaves, but he’s always looking for an opportunity to come back.
Satan’s resources are limited. He can’t be everywhere all the time like God can. He has to choose his target, and sometimes he chooses you. But, if you show him it’s a waste of his effort to mess around with you, then he will take his evil and go elsewhere. Make it real clear attacking you is a waste of his evil efforts. It won’t work. You will take every twisted suggestion and put it up against God’s truth. You will check the source and not be easily tricked. You won’t settle for the easy way being offered. You won’t play his stupid games to only win stupid prizes.
Make it really clear today is not Satan’s day to screw with you, and tomorrow isn’t either. Put your sword in your hand first thing every morning … girl, that’s your Bible!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This week we’re studying the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. The devil has swooped in when Jesus was weakest from not eating for 40 days, and he’s making his twisted offers. While the devil is convinced he is going to defeat Jesus with these temptations, Jesus knows he is here to defeat these temptations and make a way out for you and I. He faced it all so that you and I could make it through too. Defeat is not our destiny, there’s an out!
Yesterday, in episode #1751 titled “Twisted Offerings” we read of the first specific temptation Jesus told about. The temptation to meet his legitimate need in an illegitimate way. He was legitimately hungry, so the devil tells Jesus to just turn the rocks into bread and eat. But that would defeat the purposes for which Jesus was there. He wasn’t there to use his supernatural power to battle the devil, he was there to show you and I how to overcome temptation when we ourselves are weak. And here, Jesus is showing us how we can be tricked into meeting real needs the wrong way.
Ahhhh, Jesus is helping us untwist the offerings of the devil and see them for what they really are! Jesus, keep going, your girls are ready for more.
Now, we read of the second specific temptation of the devil. Luke 4: 5-8, Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”
Just reading it, that really doesn’t seem to apply to you, now does it? I’ve skimmed over this scripture many times and gotten absolutely nothing from it. But now I’m seeing there is sooooo much for us here. So much that meets us right where we are today and addresses some of the exact temptations we’re dealing with.
To understand it better, let’s read another translation. The Passion Translation says it like this, “The devil lifted Jesus high into the sky, and in a flash showed him all the kingdoms and regions of the world. The devil then said to Jesus, ‘All of this, with all its power, authority, and splendor, is mine to give to whomever I wish. You can have everything!”
You know what this shows me … this shows me not all dreams and visions are from God. The devil is literally giving Jesus a vision of how good his twisted offer will be. But Jesus knew who he was dealing with and he knew, if the source is Satan, he wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with it.
Girl, not every dream you have is from God. Not every vision you receive is divine. Sometimes the devil is all up in your head twisting things. And sometimes those wild fantasies you have are because of the crazy crap you watch on Netflix. Before you go running after a dream and a vision, you better check the source. It’s not all Godly.
About a year ago I started having day dreams about going on the show Survivor. I’m being for real. I could see it. I would be the mother figure that would speak wisdom, pray before we eat our 1/4 cup of rice, and turn it all into an awesome adventure. Sounds good, right? But, I checked the source and soon I realized that wasn’t from God.
What’s the source of that bright idea you have? What’s the source of that dream, that vision, that possible next step? Have you asked, “God, is this from you?” I can’t even begin to tell you how many times in a single month I pray the Wreck It Prayer. Have you heard about it? It goes like this …
God, if you’re in it, I want it. If you’re not, I don’t.
I’ve come to the place of understanding if God is not the source of the dream, I absolutely DO NOT WANT to go off chasing it. If the dream isn’t from him, it will end up being a nightmare. So, God is invited to wreck anything that doesn’t come from him. And he does … and I’m glad. By the way, I’m not going on Survivor … but you know you would have watched if I would have!
Jesus knew the source of this vision he was seeing was not of God. The source was Satan, and if it comes from Satan, it’s twisted.
The devil is offering him all the kingdoms of the world. He’s offering him glory, power, fame, dominion.
Hmmmm … was that even the devil’s to offer? Actually, yes. In the beginning, God had given Adam dominion over the earth, but Adam and Eve were fooled and forfeited it to Satan. Jesus refers to Satan in John 16:11 as “the ruler of this world.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 refers to him as “the god of this world.”
So yes, actually, the devil had all of this to offer Jesus. It was a legitimate offer. But, here’s what Jesus knew … Jesus already knew the end of the story. He knew Matthew 28:18 was coming … He knew after giving his life on the cross, after rising up out of that tomb, he won back the world and he would say, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” He knew Revelation 11:15, “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”
The power, the authority, and all the kingdoms of the earth were going to be given to Jesus, the devil was just offering him the easy way.
Oh yes, THE EASY WAY!
The devil says, “Jesus, you don’t have to suffer. Let me show you an easier way. That cross sooooo isn’t necessary. You can avoid all of that. You don’t have to die. In fact, you don’t even have to wait. I’ll give it all to you now.”
Jesus was tempted with the easy way. Jesus was tempted with immediate gratification, he could have it all right now. And all he had to do was worship the devil.
Whew … aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t fall to the temptation of the easy way? Aren’t you grateful he went to that cross, he suffered, he died, and he rose again all so that you and I could be forgiven and redeemed?
Jesus, thank you for not taking the easy way … and thank you for showing us not to take the easy way either.
The devil is still roaming this earth with his twisted offering of taking the easy way. The shortcut, the hack, the backdoor, the pill, the shot, the fast pass. Girl, CHECK THE SOURCE!!!!!!!!!
The devil loves the hack because he knows how susceptible we are to wanting something for nothing, or a lot for a little. If you spend 5 minutes on TikTok, you’ll see how you can have a flat stomach, a big booty, puffy lips, flawless skin, thick hair, a gorgeous man, all the clothes, all the money, all the fame … all the things. Just follow me. Just buy this. Just do that. Just click here. It’s easy. It’s fast. Eve, just eat the apple.
EVE … PUT DOWN THE APPLE!
Girl, you don’t need it all. You don’t have to have it now. And you certainly don’t have to get it the easy way.
Always seeking the easy way, the shortcut, the hack, is what has created a whole lot of the messes in your life. Honey, don’t you know God has promised he has good plans for your life? He promised he would be working in the details to make things good. You can count on that. You don’t have to settle for the easy way offered by the enemy.
Jesus knew fame, power and glory offered by the wrong source would be nothing but defeat of the divine plans he was here to fulfill. So, he wasn’t fooled. He wasn’t fooled by false visions offered by the fallen angel.
Jesus knew suffering was part of the plan, and skipping the suffering would shortchange our salvation. So he stiff-armed the twisted offer of the easy way. Now he says, “My girl, the easy way isn’t for you! I’ve shown you how to hold on to the promises of God and push through. I’ve shown you how to go through Hell and focus on Heaven. Do not be detoured from your destiny.”
Check the source. If that’s not from God, honey, you don’t want it.
Are you just trying to find the easy way? Are you falling into the trap of wanting it all so bad right now you’ll accept some twisted offerings along the way? That’s your apple. It’s twisted. Don’t take it.
The devil tempts us with the easy way. Jesus said no to the easy way and he strengthens us to do the same.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This week we’re studying the personal story Jesus retells of his 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. He didn’t accidentally wander his way into the wilderness, he wasn’t running away – no, he was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness for this encounter. An encounter that would allow our savior to fully understand every temptation we would ever face. And here, in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil in every single way you and I will ever be tempted, Jesus himself made a way out of that temptation.
Yesterday, in episode 1750 titled “Take the Out”, we read the first 2 verses in Luke 4 and we learned this powerful prayer in the middle of temptation, “Lord, show me the way out and help me take it.” Jesus has made a way out of whatever it is that has threatened to trip you up, distract you, derail you, and cause you to become entangled as a slave to the tricks of the devil. There is a way out. Ask for it. Look for it. Take it.
While the devil tempted Jesus the entire 40 days in the wilderness with all the things, Jesus comes back and tells of 3 specific twisted offerings of the devil. At face value, they don’t seem to apply to us all that much … oh, but girl, they do! Let me show you.
Today, we will look at the first of the 3 specific twisted offerings of the devil in Luke 4. Now remember, Jesus has been in the wilderness for 40 days, he hasn’t eaten anything, so he is very, very hungry.
Y’all I did a 10 day juice cleanse one time where I ate nothing but fruit and vegetable juice that entire time. My belly button was gnawing on my back bone. I was hungrier than a tick on a skinny dog. I was running on fumes and food fantasies. On day 7 of the cleanse, it was my youngest daughter’s birthday and she wanted Olive Garden for dinner. I could smell every pasta dish in that restaurant. I was lusting over some strangers fettuccine alfredo. I would have seriously paid $5 to just lick someone’s fingers after they ate that bread stick.
Have you ever been hungry? I mean really hungry? Jesus was hungry. 40 days no food hungry. I don’t even know what that feels like, but I know this much, when you’re hungry you are weak. You would eat anything from anyone, even just a bite. And in this weakness of extreme hunger, the devil comes walking by. I imagine he had his arms folded, maybe flicking his chin with his finger, one eyebrow raised, and a belittling tone in his evil voice and says in verse 3, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Verse 4, Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.'”
When does the devil show up with his twisted offerings? Absolutely any opportunity he has. And his greatest opportunity is when we are weak. In our weakness we are vulnerable. When we are tired, when we are lonely, when we are bored, when we are hungry, when we are hurting … this is our most vulnerable state. And we have an enemy who roams around like a roaring lion looking to devour absolutely anyone he can. Lions know when to attack. They attack when the opportunity is greatest. The opportunity is greatest when we are weak.
Girl, when you’re feeling weak, that’s when you reach out to your strongest girlfriends. That’s when you get yourself in the middle the circle and let them protect you. Did you know that’s what elephants do?
In the wild, when a female elephant is weak and vulnerable, the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. With their butts in, they form a circle around the one who is weak, heads out on alert. The stand so close, the one in the middle cannot even be seen. They kick up dirt so her scent cannot be tracked by the enemy. Basically, they’re acting like a pack of gangsters you don’t want to mess with. They send the signal, if you want to get to the one who is weak, you have to first go through us. We’re 40 tons of female aggression, so good luck with that.
Girls, that’s us. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing for one another. Circle up when one is weak. Protect her. Kick up some dust. Why? Because the lion is on the hunt and he’s looking to devour one.
But here’s what you do when you’re struggling and feeling weak … you run off and hide. You silly girl. Haven’t you ever watched a nature show? Don’t you know that one who runs and hides alone is the one who is eaten?
You have a real enemy and he absolutely, without a doubt wants to eat you for lunch. He wants to devour you, tear your whole life apart, and leave your family in the wake of his destruction. You can’t afford to hide out. Get in the circle … you have sisters here!
I digress … Jesus is hungry. The devil slides in with his twisted offer of using his power to turn the rocks into bread. Jesus shuts that down! Absolutely not, Satan!
Here’s why … there’s great danger in meeting a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.
There it is, that’s one of the twisted offers of the devil you have been dealing with. You have a legitimate need. There’s nothing wrong with the need.
You need to be loved. You need to be happy. You need to feel better.
The problem is the twisted ways you are willing to meet that need.
Jesus could have turned the rocks into bread, but it would have been the wrong use of his power. He was there to create a way THROUGH the temptations you and I would face, not to miraculously feed himself. The need was real, but the way would have been wrong.
Your need is real … but honey, has the way been wrong? Really … have you accepted a twisted offering from the devil? Have you been tricked?
Satan appeals to legitimate desires, and he offers a twisted way to fulfill you.
You need to be less stressed at the end of a really long, hard day … girl, have a drink. Here, have two. Don’t worry about all that right now, just feel better as you drink your worries away. Twisted offer.
You’re lonely and you just long for the love of someone to make you feel not alone … girl, here’s that familiar ol’ someone. You can send them a little text just to see what they’ve been doing. You could chat, maybe hang out. All while you know you have absolutely NO business in that relationship.
You want to feel good about yourself, but you just can’t get over the way your belly hangs over those jeans these days. And that back fat, gag me. You’re disgusted with your own self. Girl … you can lose 25 pounds in 2 months. Just buy this crap, put this crap in your body, and watch the fat just fall off you. What are you doing to yourself?!!!!
You’re weak in your need and the enemy has a twisted offering for you. Have you been blindly accepting it?
Legitimate need, legitimate desire … illegitimate ways. Do not settle for doing this the wrong way. The enemy of your soul is behind that, don’t be tricked. He’s been looking for a way to trap you, chain you up, and hold you as his slave in his prison. But Jesus has made a way out for you!
Jesus shuts the devil down in 2 very specific ways.
- He does it immediately.
- He speaks truth.
Jesus doesn’t he-haw around with this twisted offer. No, he knows … you dance with the devil and you’ll end up burned. I also would like to suggest if you dance with the devil, you can’t be surprised when you end up in hell. Life here can be like a living hell because we dance around with the devil and his twisted offerings.
Jesus shut down this twisted offering of the devil immediately. In fact he does it with one word, and that word is followed by an exclamation point. Meaning he likely yelled it. NO!
No, Satan! Not today Satan, and not tomorrow either. Shut him down. Don’t entertain his twisted offerings. Don’t imagine how good it will feel for just a moment, how good it would taste, how happy you would be, how much fun you would have, how alive you would feel. That’s dancing … and it’s with the devil. No!
And Jesus speaks truth. He quotes scripture to the devil.
What are you going to tell the devil when he tells you you’re not good enough? When he tells you you’re not important. When he tells you’ll never be strong enough to stick with this. When he tells you that you will be alone for the rest of your life. When he tells you you’re broken, worthless, and hopeless.
You better know the truth about you.
I know the truth about you. Let me circle in around you right now and remind you of a few truths. You are God’s masterpiece. You are supernaturally strengthened by his Spirit and made to be more than a conqueror. You are loved, wanted, treasured, cherished, and of tremendous value. You are never alone, not for one second. You were specifically designed for great things and your future is worth living for.
I’m going to kick up some dust for you, Sis!
The devil has tempted you with some twisted offerings. But they’re not right. Your spirit knows that. Declare right now, just as Jesus did, I will NOT meet my legitimate needs and desires in illegitimate ways. No, Satan. I know the truth! I am not fooled.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Within your Bible is the most interesting story personally told by Jesus in a total of 13 verses. Now, unlike other stories told by Jesus, this isn’t a parable. This isn’t a made up story to illustrate a point. No, when Jesus uses a parable, he always clearly states it is a just a story. But what Jesus is about to tell us here isn’t a made up story, this is for real. It happened. And it not only happened, but only Jesus could tell about it.
This is the temptation of Jesus. Over the next few days, we’re going to look at all 13 verses and learn some absolutely life changing lessons from Jesus’ encounter with the temptation of Satan. Oh, it’s going to be so good. You should see these 2 pages of my Bible highlighted in 4 different colors, filled with ah-ha moments written down. I’m so excited to share this with you!
Let’s begin in Luke 4: 1-2, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.”
So, Jesus is coming from the Jordan River. What happened at the Jordan River? He had just been baptized by John the Baptist. And when he was baptized, the Holy Spirit had descended on him like a dove. And there was a loud voice coming from heaven that said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Oh, what a highlight day! That’s some rainbows and glitter and fluffy kittens kinda happy stuff right there! All the feel goods! All the happiness! YAY JESUS!
And he went from that to the wilderness. Dang.
Have you ever been in a wilderness in your life? It’s the place where nothing is growing, everything is ridiculously hard, and you feel absolutely lost. Maybe that’s where you’re at right now. What got you there?
It’s easy to blame the devil for the wilderness in our life, but we give his evil far more credit than he deserves. Sometimes GOD HIMSELF leads us to the wilderness. How do I know? Because Jesus came back and told this story himself and he made it very clear it was the Holy Spirit that led him there. And I know this much, Jesus wasn’t confused. Sometimes we get confused about the voice of God. Sometimes we twist what we hear to fit our feelings, but that’s not what happened here. Jesus was led to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. He was intentionally put in this place of hardship, this place of nothingness, this place of loneliness.
And it happened right after all the good feelings of being baptized and hearing God declare his delight in his son. Then, BOOM … hardship.
Why? Because God chose to identify Jesus with our sinful human struggles in every way.
Think about this, when Jesus was 8 days old, he was brought to the Temple and circumcised. Circumcision was part of the law of cleansing from sin. Jesus didn’t need to be cleansed from sin, therefore, he really did not need to be circumcised. He was perfect, spotless, and blameless. He could have been spared from that painful tradition of the law. But, God chose to identify him with the sinners of the world from the very beginning. He would face everything his beloved creation faced, and do it perfectly.
Ultimately, this led Jesus to a cross.
We think of a cross today as a symbol of salvation and hope, but please understand, there wasn’t a single person wearing a cross around their neck or hanging a cross on the wall of their fireplace. Then, a cross was a symbol of one thing … execution in the most brutal form. The cross was an instrument of death for sinners.
And this is where God destined his perfect son to go. He was perfect, spotless and blameless, yet he was to be identified with the sinners of the world and die the sinners death in our place. On a despised cross.
So, this is why God’s Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness. Because all God’s people find themselves in a wilderness at some point. And this is why Jesus would be personally tempted by the devil, because we are all targets of the powers of Hell. Jesus willingly went to the wilderness where he knew he would be tempted by the devil for 40 days because temptation is what we all go through and Jesus didn’t dismiss himself from it. No, he subjected himself to temptation for us.
Hebrews 5:15, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” And just in case you’re confused, that’s Jesus.
What are you being tempted with? Maybe you’ve fallen victim to that temptation and it now has it’s claws in you. Yes, claws that hold you back from living in the freedom and fullness of life Jesus came to offer you. Maybe that temptation is a constant battle for you. It’s always there. Some days you win and some days you lose. And on the days you lose, you really beat yourself up. You hate yourself when you do that, but you can’t seem to make yourself stop.
Jesus understands. He faced that too. He faced all of it. In his 40 days in the wilderness, the devil thew every temptation at him. He went through it all so that no matter what your battle is, he can personally say to you, “I understand. I faced it too and I can show you the way out.”
My sister, there’s a way out of this temptation. The thing that is constantly tripping you up, holding you back, making you question, creating guilt and shame in your life … Jesus has the way out of that for you. He endured it too so he could identify with you and help you.
Wow. Can we just take a moment to recognize how absolutely amazing our Jesus is. I’ve known for a long time now that he hung on that cross with me on his mind and that’s infinitely HUGE, but it’s even more than that. He willingly endured the temptation of the very things that trigger me and trip me up just so he could say, “My girl, I understand how hard that is. I understand why you do what you do. I don’t hate you for it. I love you so much, I want to show you the way out of that.” How can Jesus show you the way out? Because HE MADE THE WAY OUT!
That’s what he was doing there in the wilderness with the devil. He was making the way out of every single temptation that would ever come knocking on your door.
1 Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Yes, he can show you the way out because Jesus first endured that temptation for you and HE MADE THE WAY OUT ahead of you.
It’s easy to believe the temptations we face today in the 21st century are nothing like the temptations of over 2,000 years ago. You’re wrong. They’re all the same because sin hasn’t changed. Sexual immorality … still the same sin today. Jealousy … still the same. Deceit … still the same. Envy, pride, wickedness, foolishness … still the same. Yes, a whole lot of it is now done on a screen, but at the core, it’s still the same. Jesus faced all of that so he could make a way out of it for you.
And my friend, THERE IS A WAY OUT. When you are facing temptation, there’s a really powerful prayer to pray. Try this: “Lord, show me the way out and help me take it.” I absolutely guarantee you he will show you the off button. He will show you the trash can. He will show you the door. He will show you the exit. I pray you would feel his supernatural strength to TAKE IT.
The way out of that temptation is there for you because Jesus willingly followed the lead of the Holy Spirit to the wilderness to encounter every temptation of the devil so he could understand all you would really go through.
Now, I have a little challenge for you before we meet again and continue our study on the temptation of Jesus. I want you to personally read the story. For real, read it first for yourself. Luke 4: 1-13. It will take you less than 3 minutes to read.
Don’t rely on me to read God’s word for you … You put that in for yourself. His word is living. It is alive and it is sharp enough to cut through every single thing that has been holding you back.
Maybe you have a print Bible. Open it up.
If you don’t have an actual Bible, use your phone. You can use the Bible app, or just google Luke 4. I would recommend reading this in the New International Version or the New Living Translation.
As you read, remember, this is a real story of what happened to Jesus, what he went through for you, and what he came back and told his disciples so it would be recorded in God’s word for you to read now. It’s there for a purpose. That purpose is to help you right where you are with what you are facing, so you can move toward everything God has for you next.
Temptation. The way out. Take it.
(205)709-2582 Italy Retreat
CHANGE – biglifementoring.com
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What is it in the future that has you afraid? You’re afraid of what may happen … or you’re afraid it may never happen.
Did you know God’s most often repeated instruction to us is “do not fear”. Wow. He knew we would struggle with this. So again and again, he reminds us, don’t be afraid of that, don’t worry about that, don’t stress over that, don’t paint painful pictures and sing sad songs about things that haven’t even happened yet. But, we do struggle, don’t we?
Research shows about 85% of the things we worry about never even happen. What a sad waste.
But my friend, our worry about the future is a failure in one major thing … we’ve forgotten God is already there. God is not limited by time and space. He is here, he is there, and he is everywhere … all the time. He holds the first day of your life and the final day of your life, both within complete view at the same time. There’s no where in time he hasn’t always been, or isn’t already in for the future.
He’s already there.
And because God is already there, he’s already made a way for you through it. He’s already accounted for every hardship, every struggle and every step. He is there, and he is here, right now.
Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Can’t God do that? Isn’t he capable of getting you through every single thing you will ever have to walk through? Isn’t he able to strengthen you to do impossible things with supernatural joy? Honey, he’s not only able to do it … he’s promised to do it for you. You can count on it. He will be right there with you, bringing you through to victory.
The problem is, human minds cannot conceive the full victory of God. We’re so consumed with here and now, while God sees well beyond the things we’ve even dared to imagine. He’s seen the end from the very beginning, and he knows that’s not really the end. The end for us IS the victory. One day this will all be over, and while that may be a scary thought right now, the truth is, that’s the greatest news ever. There’s an eternity in a perfect paradise awaiting each of us who have accepted Jesus as our savior.
We know that, don’t we? Yes – but honestly sometimes that doesn’t make our fears about this life seem any less. How does that solve the problems you’re facing now? How does that help with the things that kept you up last night?
Ahhhh, we constantly limit God and put him in our little box. God isn’t limited to just offering eternity to us, he deals in the here and now too. When he sent his son Jesus to die for us, it wasn’t just about our future destiny in Heaven, it was also about this life, today. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full.” My friend, that includes NOW. Jesus is for TODAY too.
The fullness of life Jesus offers is for this place in your life right now, the next phase you’re unsure of, and the promised eternity afterwards. ALL of it. Jesus is for every day of your existence. You never have to live a single moment without him because there’s never a single moment of your life he hasn’t already worked through. While he’s here with you today, he’s already ahead of you knowing where this goes next. He’s already in your best day and your hardest day, just as he was in your first day and will certainly be in your last day.
He was there. He is here. And he will be there. Always. Forever. You will never, ever be alone.
Now what I love to do is take a scripture and read it in several different translations. I use the website biblehub.com to read dozens of translations all together. I also have several different translations downloaded on my Bible app, so I can easily switch back and forth on a specific scripture. Let’s read today’s scripture (Isaiah 41:10) in a few different translations.
MSG: Don’t panic, I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
You may think you don’t have the strength, but honey, God is giving you HIS strength. The strength that moves mountains. The strength that breaks chains. The strength that tears down prison walls. The strength that parts seas. That’s the kind of strength being given to you. That’s what is helping you. That’s what is holding you steady. It’s there for you. There’s no reason for you to panic. Not with strength like that.
This is how you get up and move forward with confidence. This is how you keep going. God has given you that strength. Now, he expects you to use it!
The funny thing about strength is, you use it or you lose it. Muscles atrophy quickly without use. If you don’t do what you can do, you will eventually lose that ability and no longer be able to do it for no other reason than you didn’t do it while you could. If you took perfectly good, healthy working legs, and you laid them in a bed and refused to get up for a several months, those healthy working legs would turn into useless limbs without the strength to do anything. Muscles literally atrophy within 2 to 3 weeks of not using them.
So here God is offering you his strength within you … but if you don’t use it, you begin to atrophy. You become less and less capable, less and less confident, and more and more stuck.
The strength is here for you, honey … use it! Stop panicking and start using the strength God has given you.
TPT: Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.
Oh, I love that … do not YIELD to fear. What does a yield sign mean? It means you wait and let whatever is coming pass first. It means look, then if absolutely nothing is in your way you proceed with caution. And God is saying, STOP LOOKING AT YOUR FEAR. Stop waiting for it to pass. Get in front of that fear with faith. Stop looking for what may go wrong. You’re creating the anxiety here.
With God, that fear has to get behind you. You don’t yield to it, it yields to you. You’re a mighty force of power with God as your focus, now move forward! Every single situation you will ever face is already guaranteed to come with the personal help of God. Did you hear that? Let me say it again.
EVERY SINGLE SITUATION YOU WILL EVER FACE IS ALREADY GUARANTEED TO COME WITH THE PERSONAL HELP OF GOD.
Imagine you don’t personally have a ton of money, but I do. Now imagine I’m your very generous sister. Imagine that I have not only promised, but I have proven I will always help you when you need it. Wouldn’t that take away your worry about money? Yes! Why? Because the one you know has money has promised and proven they will help you.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE IN GOD. But not just with resources, with every thing. He has wisdom, answers and guidance. He has solutions and healing. He has restoration and next right steps. He has provision and he has protection. He has everything. And he’s already proven he is a generous God. Seriously, he gave his son for you, what more wouldn’t he do?
And this is the promise and the proof you live with every single day. There’s absolutely no reason to yield to fear and be stuck waiting for it to pass. No, you move forward and tell fear to get behind you. You have been infused with the supernatural strength to overcome. You are being held steady by a hand that never shakes.
Your worries and fears paint a picture of a future without that hand. But God’s hand will never leave you. Ever.
The one who has all the healing, all the answers, all the next steps, all the provision, all the strength, all the blessings … this is the one who has said, “I AM WITH YOU. I WILL HELP YOU.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There’s an 8 year old video that recently went viral with millions of views online. A little boy named Jordan stands with his pastor at the front of the church to get baptized. The pastor is doing his baptism speech, and you can see little Jordan growing with anticipation of his big moment. And just as the pastor lifts his hand and says, “In the name of the Father …”, little Jordan shouts, “I’ll do it”, and dunks himself under water. He comes up and says, “I did it!”
He was waiting and waiting and waiting, and finally he just decides he will do it himself. I have to giggle and wonder where Jordan is today, 8 years later.
It’s really the perfect picture of us. We wait and wait, then we just decide to do it ourselves. Sometimes God can just take entirely too long. And what happens when we can’t wait for God … well, we typically make a mess.
Where are my control-freak sisters at? Control freaks manifest themselves in several ways, one being anxiety and another being impatience. You worry about the details and how it’s all going to work out, and in your need to have it all work out according to your plan, you start rushing it. Is that you?
This morning I did a google search for control freaks in the Bible. Interestingly enough, AI came back with 2 examples … and they were both women! We have Martha and we have Sarah.
Martha was a woman who wanted everything to be perfect, but in her pursuit of a super clean house and an impressive meal on the table, she completely missed the point. Jesus was at her house for dinner, so she was busy and filled with anxiety. I mean let’s cut her a break, if Jesus were at your house, wouldn’t you be a little anxious too? What in the world would you cook him? (Jesus, at my house you’re getting pumpkin bread because that’s the one thing I can do super well every time.)
Martha is flying around the house like a mad woman, cooking and cleaning, while her sister Mary sits with Jesus and listens to everything he is saying. I imagine Martha has been giving Mary the look … you know the one that says, “girl, you better get in this kitchen and help me.” But, Mary just sat there with Jesus. I bet Martha got extra loud with the pots and pans, maybe even a little groan or sigh to signal her need for help … still Mary just sat there.
So finally, out of absolute frustration, Martha goes to Jesus and says in Luke 10: 40, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was an anxious control-freak, choosing to spend the one evening she has Jesus in her house foolishly stressed about cooking and cleaning. She missed the whole point. Jesus was there to spend time with her, not be impressed by an immaculate house and 4 course meal.
Looking back at a whole decade of my life, I realize I was a whole lot more like Martha than Mary. I got caught up in how everything looked and missed what was really happening. What was really happening is my children were growing up and they would never be that little again. What was really happening is time was passing that I would never get back. But dang it, my house was spotless and I had 7 perfectly decorated Christmas trees.
Looking back, I make my own self gag. I was the control-freak missing the whole point. I’m so grateful Jesus didn’t give up on me during those years, and I’m really grateful he didn’t just leave me like I was. Now, I can sit with you and have the most beautiful conversation while the pumpkin bread is burning in the oven, and we’ll just add extra butter to soften it back up. It will be okay.
Maybe you need to say that with me today. It will be okay.
It will be okay if it doesn’t all get done. It will be okay if it’s not all perfect. There are more important things here.
Now, the second example of a control-freak in our Bible … Sarah. Sarah was a woman with a promise, but that promise felt long since expired in her wait. She was a whole lot like little Jordan standing in that pool of water waiting, waiting, waiting, then finally saying, “I’ll do it!”
You see, Sarah and her husband Abraham had been promised by God to have all these descendants. Now descendants come one way … babies. But they had no babies. At the time of God’s promise, they were both already old. In fact, Sarah was in her late 60’s and couldn’t have children. So the promise seemed really far-fetched, but they received it anyway. Lord, bring on the babies as you have promised.
So they wait, and they wait, and they wait, and nothing happens. And Sarah’s standing there feeling like little Jordan in the pool, wondering how long this is going to take. And finally, Sarah says, “I’ll do it!”
How? She will have her young, fertile assistant sleep with her husband, and she can have the baby for them. Yes, that’s how God will fulfill his purpose and give us children!
Wow, sometimes us control-freaks really like to give God a helping hand, don’t we? Like God needs us to get involved with his divine design and human it all up. But we are impatient, and waiting can really bring out the crazy in us.
Sure enough, Sarah acts crazy and creates absolute chaos for her family. Her assistant has a baby, Sarah’s jealous of her, and poor old Abraham is caught in the middle of it all. And all this time, God had promised to do it the right way. All this time, God had the way already made and the time would be perfect.
At just the right time, Sarah did become pregnant herself with their promised child. Sarah was 90! It was 23 years from the time of the promise until the fulfillment of that promise. It took from chapter 12 of Genesis all the way to chapter 21 of Genesis. That’s 9 chapters of life.
I don’t know what chapter of life you’re in right now, but I bet there’s something you’ve been waiting on and it feels like it’s taking entirely too long. But here’s what all us control freaks need to remember today … Genesis 21:1-2, “The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.”
You don’t need to do it yourself. God will do it, and he will do it perfectly. What’s causing us such issues is our very unnecessary timeline.
A few years ago, I was impatiently petitioning God for a continued request for our family. Lord, when will you bring our daughter back? When will you make her whole? By Christmas, okay God. Christmas would come and go, so I would extend the deadline. Okay, God, I’ll give you more time … how about by next Summer. And finally, I heard God say, “Take me off your timeline.” Then he asked me for 30.
30? 30 days, God? I could be good with 30 more days. No, he said, 30 years. Would you trust me with this if it takes 30 years? Would you still have faith that I am working if you’re waiting for 30 years? Would you still choose joy every day in 30 years of waiting for me to bring her back.
And I said yes. Yes, I will wait for 30 years. And something truly incredible happened the moment I agreed to that 30 … I let go of control, all anxiety and impatience was dropped, and I’ve been filled with nothing but absolute peace since.
Maybe it’s happening in the next chapter … or maybe it’s 9 chapters like Sarah. Or maybe it’s the full 30 years God prepared me for. No matter what, I will not be the control-freak who gets mad and huffy and starts throwing stuff around so someone feels sorry for me and comes to help. Nor will I be the control-freak who twists and turns things in my own attempt to fix things my way. I will not baptize my own self here!
One last funny story. A few weeks ago at our BIG Life Outer Banks Retreat, we had gotten up on Friday morning for a sunrise plunge in the ocean. The waves were absolutely wild and swept half of us out on our first steps in the water. Linda had asked to be baptized that morning, so I stood with Linda in the water and everyone gathered around. At this time, the water was up to about our knees, but just as I lifted my hand to say, “In the name of the Father, the Son …..”, all the water was swept out and we were standing on nothing but wet sand.
So we waited and waited and waited. I said, “Linda, we’re going to wait for the next wave to come in. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
Just then, a wave came in and absolutely slammed us both. Linda went completely under and barrel rolled to the shore. I didn’t baptize Linda … God did that himself!
His timing, his way. It is literally my favorite baptism ever.
So, my sister, are you going to do this yourself, or are you going to really let God do this? Release control … you never really had it anyway.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There are two steadfast, unchanging, forever true statements that apply to every single day of your life. If you get these truths down deep in your soul and operate from them, you will struggle less and find joy more.
Ready?
- God is always good.
- The devil is always a liar.
Always. Without fail. God’s goodness surrounds you and the devil’s lies bombard you. God’s goodness goes before you and the devil’s lies chase you. And here’s the thing … neither of those will ever stop.
God is good. It’s who he is and how he operates. There is no bad in him. There are no lengths to which he will not go to prove his goodness to you. He’s already given the ultimate sacrifice in his son for your rescue. That’s how good he is.
I like to think of myself as a good person, but sorry ’boutcha, I’m not giving one of my kids to save your butt. That plain ol’ ain’t happening! But that kind of love has been proven for you. God declared nothing would stand in the way of the goodness he has planned for you, so he cleared every barrier you could ever create. There’s no sin you can’t come back from, no bad path you can’t turn around on, no wrong that hasn’t already been made right. Nothing can stop his goodness from getting through to you. Again and again, God wakes you up with the offering of a life you don’t deserve.
You may think your good deeds have earned you the right to a good life. But look around sister, my guess is you won’t have too look far to find someone who has given more in their life and never wavered from their faith, yet their circumstances are worse than yours. We are entitled to absolutely nothing. None of us get what we deserve, thank God. Everything we have is a gracious blessing from God above. Everything that didn’t go disastrously wrong is a direct result of your good God who saves you again and again.
God is always good. Where that truth gets twisted is when bad things happen. How could a good God allow this to happen? If he has the power to change it or stop it, why doesn’t he? Is he withholding his goodness? I’ve struggled with that question. I would love to tell you I have the answer that will help you never question his goodness again. I don’t. Faith is required here.
We live in a fallen world where we’re all running around with free will. We’re not holy robots operating from a divine motherboard that always does the right thing. We’re human, and humans royally jack things up. We’re like sheep who continually wander off into ditches and ruts and get stuck in the same thing we were just saved from. That’s why God sent us the Good Shepherd. Jesus rescues us time and time again. Every day he brings us back in. Every day he redirects our wandering steps. Every day he cares for us as we snuggle up close one minute, then go running wild the next.
Psalm 106:1 “Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever.”
Psalm 92:15, “The Lord is just! He is my Rock! There is no evil in him!” Other translations say there is no wrong in him, there is nothing bad in him, and he has no unrighteousness in him. Understand, that’s who is in control of your life. That’s who directs your steps … the one who has absolutely NOTHING BAD in him. The one who is never wrong and always good and right. What does that mean? I think that means you can really trust him.
God’s goodness never stops. He never stops pursuing you. Never stops rearranging things for you. Never stops making things new again after we screw them up. He is always good. He is always taking what is bad and working it together to make it good.
Today’s circumstances may not be good. People may have made the wrong choices and now they effect you. You may have been hurt, used, abandoned, discounted, run-over, used, over looked, talked about, left out, singled out, pushed out, and counted out, but in the mighty and capable hands of God, every single bit of that can be worked together for good.
In your hands, maybe not so much. That’s why you have to turn it over. Let it go. Hand it over to the God of goodness and let him work with it. What he can do with your broken pieces is greater than you could have ever done with the whole thing!
Whatever you’re going through, God’s love is not going to run out in this. His goodness is not going to be used up. He’s not giving up on you just because you keep taking one step forward and two steps back. The Lord loves a good tango! Your missteps become a beautiful dance with God. His goodness will outlast your circumstances. His goodness will endure this hardship. His goodness will only be multiplied in this struggle.
Go ahead and praise him now for what you can’t see coming. Thank him in advance for his good works concerning you. They’re on their way!
Why? Because God is always good.
And the devil is always a liar. Why are you still shocked by the cunning and crafty ways of the enemy? Why are you still offended by his personal attacks and surprised by his low blows? A snake is a snake, and he’s the king daddy of snakes. Of course he slithers around and strikes. That’s what snakes do!
Let me tell you something … liars lie. I’m not going to sugar coat this. The devil is a liar so all he’s going to do is spew his desperate, dark lies towards you, the girl who’s been called to the light and been set free. He wants you back in his darkness. He wants your company in this despair. He craves your depressed thoughts. He feeds on your worries and twists them to become crippling. He holds you back with his whispered lies that twist God’s truths about you and your future to render you incapable of stepping into the power available to you.
The devil is always lying. Jesus told us in John 8: 44 “(The devil) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
The enemy of your soul is the master of deception and you entire life he’s been trying to deceive you into believe you’re not who you really are, and thinking you are what you’re really not. We must learn to recognize his lies. I wonder if you have believed any of his untruths. I wonder what twisted crap from the pits of hell you’ve been tricked into believing in your life.
Today, we are walking around as loved and chosen daughters of the King with the spirit of God dwelling within us, but we have surrendered our power because of a lie we have believed. A lie that tells us we’re not good enough. A lie that tells us we can’t. A lie that tells us something bad will happen if we step out and step up. A lie that tells us we are stuck. A lie that tells us we will never change. A lie that tells us we have to earn our way in. A lie that tells us we’re broken beyond repair. A lie that tells us we’re inadequate and unworthy.
Have you ever simply asked God to help you single out the lies you’ve believed? Have you asked him for wisdom in knowing the difference between what is truth to push your forward, and a lie to hold you back?
To me, there’s only one way to no longer be fooled by the lies of the enemy. One way to overcome the attacks from the pits of hell that are specially designed to hit your weakness and poke at your wound.
Here’s how: Ask God for discernment. Lord, help me to know when I’m hearing a lie. Help me to know when I’m believing a lie. Help me to know when I’m operating from a lie that I’ve believed for years and it’s hindering me from living up to the potential you placed within me. Help me to receive, believe and operate from your truth. Rewrite my self-talk in truth.
God is always good. He’s always at work in the details of your life to make them good. He’s always seeking to pour his goodness out for you. He’s always plotting to guide you to the goodness he has in mind for you.
The devil is always lying. Liars lie. End of story. He can never be believed. There is no truth in him. Never again be fooled by his lies and adopt them as your truths. Never again trade your peace in the truth for worries over his lies. Never again accept his dealings of twisted stories and guaranteed defeat. He’s the defeated one, don’t let him drag you down with him.
God is always good. Dwell in his goodness today. The devil is always a liar. Don’t believe him today.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God wants to use you. Oh yes, he does … he has found a way to use you for his good works and, girl, he’s been trying to get you to see what he’s doing here. What he’s doing is taking the very thing you struggled with in your past to be used for good in the future.
What … you think you can’t be used? You think you’re insignificant with nothing to offer? You think you’ve been disqualified from goodness? You’re wrong.
One very wise preacher once said, “There is no reason why if you’ve gone very far in sin, you should not go very far in usefulness.” The further you’ve been on the wrong path, the further God can take you on the right path. The more you personally know what doesn’t work, the more you fully trust what does.
This is why God used Paul in such powerful ways. He had gone really far down the wrong path. He had passionately persecuted all followers of Christ, trying to kill them. I mean really, you can’t be any more wrong than that, right? I bet you’ve been wrong, but have you been that wrong? And yet this man, Paul, the one who had spent years being really wrong, is the one God chose to write the majority of the New Testament in our Bible. He is the one charged with the mission of bringing God’s word.
If God can find a way to use Paul, don’t you think he can find a way to use you?
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1: 15-16, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”
He fully recognized the power of God’s mercy that covered how terribly wrong he had been, then he stepped into his calling to use that for good. And, my sister, this is the calling he has on my life and on your life. We are to live in the power of God’s mercy that covers our wrongs and start using it all for good.
That’s why I’m here today. It’s why I’m talking to you. Because I was the girl who was wrong … really wrong, now I’m just trying to let God use that for good.
Do you know why I can sometimes say things that make you feel like I’ve somehow tapped into your deepest inner thoughts and feelings and bared the things you can’t even put words to? BECAUSE I GET IT. You and I are not that different. You struggle … I struggle.
Let me tell you where I was so wrong before that required God’s mercy. My priorities were all jacked up. I rushed through absolutely everything. Beneath everything I did was a selfish layer of it being about me. How would this make me look? Would it make them love me? Would it make them say nice things about me? I would elaborate the story to make it bigger. I would twist the truth to make it fit me. All while everything in me had gotten twisted.
I was a really nice person … on the outside.
I would do anything for anyone … as long as it made me look good.
I was there … but I wasn’t really there.
God and my family got my sloppy seconds because I was too busy trying to impress someone else.
And that’s the truth of how I was living. Everything was surface level and superficial. Spiritually I was dried up. Oh, but I was running marathons and making all the money. I had the big house, the great body, and the perfectly dressed kids. I would wake up on Sunday morning before the sun came up, run 20 miles, then sit with my family in Church and feel absolutely nothing. Nothing.
I was a professional box checker. Oh, I checked all the boxes because filled boxes were a priority … all while being totally empty.
And let me tell you something … if God can take a girl like me and turn her into someone who will hide away to study her Bible for 5 more minutes because it fulfills me so much … if He can take a girl like me and turn her into a humbled soul who no longer needs your praise … if He can take a girl like me and turn her into someone who will sit in the moment, undistracted and fully present … if God can find a way to use a girl like me, then I just know he can find a way to use a girl like you.
Catherine is of my sweetest friends. She recently quit her full time job to dive head first into the undeniable calling on her life. God has found a way to use a girl like Catherine. Her entire life had once been completely trashed by her addiction to alcohol. Everything and everyone in her wake was collateral damage to her next drink. She didn’t know God, but God sure knew her, and he was in relentless pursuit of her.
She finally ended up in a rehab where a woman gave her a Jesus Calling devotional book. On the right day at her rock bottom, she opened to just the right page, and there, she met God. And the work God has done in her life to bring such a radical change is nothing short of miraculous.
Now, God wants to use that! He wants to use her struggle to help the next girl in her struggle. He wants to use her past for future good. What’s she doing now? She’s opening a foundation called “Salty and Lit” to help women walking through addiction back to the fullness of life they were created for. She’s creating resources for those who can’t go to rehab because of finances or family. She leads our BIG Life AA meetings online faithfully every Wednesday night where we are watching the most beautiful breakthroughs happen. She’s showing women they are not alone in their hidden, secret struggle and they too can be free.
Read the words of Paul again and know these are the same words girls like Catherine with a former addiction, and girls like me with formerly jacked up priorities, can say about the mercy of God and the way he wants to use us today:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”
Jesus has had so much patience with me, now he has found a way to use me.
Where has Jesus had patience with you? Are you letting him use your past for future good? Are you sharing your story of struggle to offer strength in our savior?
Paul couldn’t have fixed himself. Catherine couldn’t have fixed herself. I couldn’t have fixed my own self. Only God can do that. If God has fixed something in you, let him use it to help someone else!
God found a way to use me. Do you see how he wants to use you? You’re the one he can use!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever wondered why God, in all his power and majesty, made the world the way he did? Why would he create the Earth to be a round ball, then why would he make it spin? Why would he position the sun to create light and darkness, day and night?
God designed our world to go through light and darkness on a daily basis, when he could have just as easily made it bright and sunny every day, all day. But God, in all of his wisdom and authority wanted day and night. He wanted bright sunny skies and dark nights.
Psalm 104: 19-24 “He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night … How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all!”
It is God’s wisdom that makes the sun to set. It is God’s knowledge that makes the dark of night. There is purpose in this. The sky gets dark at night for a reason. It is a forced reminder we were never meant to see everything. An invitation to trust what is unseen instead of trying to see it all, know it all, and control it all.
Maybe your sun has gone down. Maybe life just got dark and you can’t see the next steps clearly. You don’t know what’s ahead because everything in front of you is in the dark unknown. How do you move forward when you can’t see? What do you do when you don’t know? How do you trust when you’re scared?
The truth is, everything is more scary in this darkness. Have you ever watched a scary movie in the day? All scare tactics are totally ineffective. Watch it at night in a dark house and suddenly you’re afraid of going to your own bathroom alone. Blame the darkness, it makes your mind run wild.
Is your mind running wild in the darkness? Are you running through worst case scenarios as fast as you can imagine them? Are you surrendering to the night, convinced the day will never come? Convinced this will never get better? You will never be okay again? Oh honey, you just can’t see the new day getting ready to break. You can’t see the light that’s on it’s way.
Maybe that’s why God created this round rock we live on to spin around the sun and give us light and darkness. Maybe it was to teach us that the world will keep spinning, and no matter how dark the night was, the light of a new day will always come.
Have you ever watched the sun set and worry it would never come back up again? No! That would be complete nonsense! You’ve never been given a reason in the world to assume it would be dark forever! It is dark, then it’s light again. It’s been that way every single day of your life. It’s no accident.
This is all the design of a loving God who created you and put you in the middle of this beautiful world he formed with his thoughts, his hands, and his words. You live here where you learn to never question night turns into day. Darkness is replaced by light, then it grows dark again before the light returns. There’s a rhythm. A rhythm you can’t control, but you are to trust.
Yes, this is why the sky gets dark at night. For you to learn the rhythm of life. The rhythm of light and darkness. The rhythm of seeing and not seeing. Knowing and not knowing. Trusting.
Psalm 139: 12 says of God “even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, or darkness is as light to you.”
You can’t see right now, but God can! You’re uncertain of what may happen next as you stand here in this darkness, but God knows. This is not a mystery to him. If he has kept it a mystery to you at this point, trust it is for a reason.
What would you do if you knew … well you might just screw things up. You might start doing things you’re not supposed to be doing right now. You might get overwhelmed and disqualify yourself. If you knew what God was bringing your way next, you might miss what he has for you here now. So, he keeps it in the dark and he says TRUST ME. REST IN ME.
If you don’t know, you’re not supposed to know. And if you’re not supposed to know, it’s because God wants you here in this moment knowing at just the right time he will shine his light and reveal what he has been working to bring you.
IT WILL COME.
Has the sun ever failed to come up for you? Ever? No. The dark night is always followed by the light of day. You trust it to be true and you don’t freak out when you see that sun setting. You welcome it. You step into night trusting this is the time to rest. This is the time to be renewed. This is the time to prepare for the next day that is surely on it’s way. He’s teaching you to trust him here, honey.
God has never failed you in this. And sweet girl, God will not fail you here now.
Dark times happen, but this is not dark to God. He can see right through this. He has night vision and his work continues here. You rest. You trust. Do whatever you need to do to be ready for the light to return and reveal what God has been doing during this darkness. You will see it and you’ll be glad you got ready for it!
What’s God working on for you? Oh I don’t know girl, but if it’s dark right now it’s supposed to be. The reveal is going to be amazing! Watch for the sun to come up. You know it’s coming again! This darkness will not last forever.
If things seem dark right now, just know it’s night time. It’s a time of intentional unknowning, unseeing, rest and trust. It’s preparation for when things become known and it’s go time!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever rushed into something before you prayed about it? Yeah, me too.
Have you ever worked yourself silly trying to do something and never took the time to pray about it? Me too!
Have you ever not prayed about it because you’re sure God’s already doing his thing and it’s taken care of better than you could even ask for anyway? Oh my gosh, it’s like we’re sisters … I totally do that too!
Get this, the majority of the time I don’t pray about things because of my extreme and utter faith in God’s goodness and power. He doesn’t need me to guide him. He doesn’t need me to tell him what’s going on. He knows every detail before I even become aware of it and he’s already got it all worked out. I spend most of my time thinking I’m just getting out of his way and trusting God, not going into the board room and helping make the decisions.
In my realization that I’m not in control, I’ve forfeited the privilege that God has invited me in to take an active role in the allocation of his power. In my abundance of faith in his ability, I’ve missed his invitation to be part of his great works.
I often don’t pray about it because I know God doesn’t need my input.
And here’s what God revealed to me … he doesn’t NEED my input, but he DESIRES my input. He wants me to come in close enough to talk to him about the things he already knows about. He wants me to seek his favor and blessings when he already has my name written on them. He wants me to tell him I’m counting on him 100%, when he never intended to ever let me down anyway.
When you fail to ask God, sometimes you miss his answers because you never formulated the request. You forfeit the opportunity to be in absolute awe over his power at work in specific areas of your life because you left it as a blanket prayer and God wanted to knit it all together piece by piece. You don’t see the knitting together if you’re just blanket praying this thing.
Look back and you too remember those very specific prayers that God answered so clearly. It’s because you ASKED!
James 4: 2 “You do not have because you do not ask God.”
Oh my goodness, what are we missing in our lives because we never asked God for it?
I wonder if he had the strength and willpower for you to resist that temptation you stumbled so hard into if you would have only asked him for it. ABSOLUTELY.
God never wanted his girl to struggle with this. He never intended for you, his prized and precious chosen one, to fall into this temptation, but you didn’t ask him for the strength available to you. So you feel powerless, you feel defeated, you feel stuck because you lack what God had designed for you.
Hey, you could start asking him now.
For those of us who have young adult children who have left the house, we have an insight on the dynamics of this relationship with God. We have lived longer than our children, so we know a little better than them. If they would call us and ask us before diving head first into some of their stupid decisions, we would be able to save them so much trouble, but they don’t ask do they? They move out and they spread their wings and sometimes they dive bomb into world class stupid decisions. All while you could have saved them from that. You would have done anything to save them from it. But they were off living in their freedom instead of calling home to ask Mom for some advice.
And how much more does God know than us? He’s done a whole lot more living that us. He’s literally seen IT ALL.
Not only has he seen everything that has ever happened in the history of the world, but he’s already seen the end and knows what is coming next. He’s got this thing figured out! AND he’s waiting on your phone call (I mean prayer) to get a little guidance.
Girl, CALL HOME! Talk to your Daddy! Your Heavenly Father wants nothing more than to help you navigate this. He wants to help you avoid the dangerous detours. He wants to help you step into your greatest and fullest potential, and he would prefer to get you there without self-destructing along the way.
Ring ring ring, yeah hello, Father God, I’ve got this thing going on, this decision to make, this problem, this opportunity, this hot mess of a relationship, this disaster, this crazy awesome offer, this bright idea … God, what should I do? I’m asking for your advice. I need your guidance. Would you help me get this right?
God will always welcome you back no matter what. You can wander off in your freedom and make your world class stupid decisions. You can drag yourself back home addicted, broke, ashamed, and nearly gone, and God will welcome you back with the widest open arms of nothing but love and compassion. Every single time, without fail, he will dust you off and redirect you on a better path. He will even use all those wrong paths for good things in your future. He’s that good!
But, he can also help you avoid all of that in the first place. He desperately WANTS to guide you. He wants to show you his best plan and let you step right into it without delay. He wants to save you from all the things that could create your guilt and shame, eating away at you from the inside. His original design for your life is never touched by any of those things, but if you’re not seeking that design you will get tangled in the webs of this world and stumble into darkness. He can no doubt save you, but if you haven’t gotten tangled yet, why wait until you are … ASK FOR HIM TO GUIDE YOU TO HIS BEST FOR YOUR LIFE.
Just as the college girl could call home and Mama would guide her in things to avoid before she stepped into them, we could ask God to guide us before we take the next step. Guidance comes to those who ask for it. If you’re not asking, my guess is you’re stumbling a whole lot. You’re wandering off on dead end paths growing frustrated that you’re not getting anywhere.
God will welcome you back anytime anywhere. Never question that. He’s one prayer for help away. He’s the prodigal son’s father waiting for the return, and when you return he runs out to meet you and throws you a party.
But also remember, you have an invitation to a relationship that keeps you from ever wandering away in the first place. You have the opportunity to talk to God about everything first and receive his almighty guidance, favor and blessings.
1 Thessalonians 5: 17, “Never stop praying.” Other translations say, “Pray all the time, make your life a prayer, pray without ceasing, and pray continually.” But how … how do you pray all the time and still live your life? How can you possibly get everything done that you need to do when you’re supposed to be praying. Honestly, days of nothing but praying seem boring and a bit of a waste in my mind. But that’s only because I had prayer wrong.
My sister, your prayer isn’t about a formula, a position, or location. It’s not about closed eyes, bended knees, or church pews. It’s about a continual awareness and ongoing conversation with your Heavenly Father. It’s seeing that blue sky and sunshine and recognizing God’s faithfulness. It’s hearing the sounds of life all around you and being grateful you’re here. It’s inviting God’s providence into every decision with an inward turn toward him and an open hand to receive.
Now I see praying all the time and making my life a prayer is so much more exciting and invigorating. I’m literally seeing God everywhere in everything, and acknowledging his presence, power and provisions. Wow, God, I see that! Oh my goodness, God, that’s amazing. Nice one, Lord, that’s impressive. Ahhhh, thanks, Father, I know you did that just for me and I receive it. Okay, God, I’m about to go in here, please go before me and show me the way. Lord, if you’re in it I want it, but if you’re not, I don’t. Father, how about this opportunity, can we? That’s continual prayer!
Yes, God knows everything. He doesn’t require you telling him anything. His power is unlimited. He’s not stuck until you pray about it. But he has so much more to give you if you will only ask.
Ask him because you genuinely desire to follow his will. Ask him because you know his way is better than your own. Ask him because you trust his plan is ridiculously good and you want to step right into that goodness.
What do you want to talk to Him about today? He has something for you here if you will ask.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
We’re all looking for that ticket to happiness. What is it we are missing and how can we get it so we are always happy? Our Creator designed us to find the sweet secret of happiness within only in HIM.
Scripture refers to this inner happiness as contentment. The Hebrew word was autarkeia and it meant a mind set on the secret of happiness completely independent of all outward things. Meaning nothing outside of you can make you truly happy, it’s all about what’s in you. And my sister, God has been working in you to bring you to this place of sweet happiness. Contentment. Autarkeia.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6: 6-8, “True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”
Is that you today … don’t you really have enough already? You have food for today. You have clothes to put on today. Then you have the makings of great wealth in contentment. When we know and trust God, we can accept things as they are, believing it’s all under the wise and loving providence of our God who loves us wildly, knows what is good for us and is always working all things together for our good.
Is that who your God is? He sees all things and knows all things. He’s involved in every detail of your life. He loves you wildly, relentlessly, and endlessly. He has good plans for you and he will work everything together to bring you into those good plans for your life today, for your future, and for your eternity.
My friend, if there’s any part of that you question, then you will continually struggle with this sweet secret of happiness within called contentment.
The enemy cannot offer contentment, because he does not love you. He does not want what is best for you. His plans are to kill everything good in your life, steal everything God has given you, and destroy every ounce of hope, faith and love in you. What the enemy offers as a counterfeit to God’s contentment is a constant quest for more.
More money. More success. More things. More followers. More fame. More, more, more.
The truth is, there’s nothing inherently wrong about any of those things, other than the claws they set deep within us making us crave more.
Really, think about it … Do you make more money today than you once even dared to think was possible? And now, even with that higher salary and bigger paycheck, you think more would be better, huh? The claws are in deep, Sis.
1 Timothy 6:10 TPT, “Craving more money pushes us away from faith into error, compounding misery in our lives.” Replace the word ‘money’ with anything you’re wanting more of and test it to see if it’s true. If you’re a shoes girl, you know the sheer excitement over putting on those new shoes. But the excitement is short lived and then you need another pair of new shoes. Then more and more. And soon, you’re a slave to the unending hunger for more and you’ve literally created misery in your life.
This desire for more and more replaces God’s offer of contentment. Contentment says “ahhhh, this is good just as it is and I am happy within.” But the enemy’s counterfeit offer of more comes in and steals our happiness and turns our focus to what else there could be.
You know, I’ve never once seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer. You can’t take any of this with you, so why have we allowed it to become our focus during our short time in this life? Oh, I know why … because we have been tricked.
If the enemy of your soul can’t have your soul, then he will settle for your happiness. He will settle for keeping you so stirred up in a quest for more that you never feel content. He will consider it a win if he can steal that sweet secret of happiness within and keep you on the perpetual prowl for what’s missing.
Psalm 62:10, “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Our God is a God of riches. Honey, he paves the streets of heaven in GOLD … he has absolutely no issue with fine things. An ounce of gold is currently valued at over 2,600 US dollars. And that’s the pavement of heaven!
His lavish love delights in giving us good things. There’s no end to God’s resources, he has it all. However, the problem becomes when our hearts are set on these things. When our lives are centered on what we can get, what we can earn, what we can buy, what we can build, then we lose our way … and we forfeit our contentment.
Think about this … however excited you are to get that thing is how disappointed you would be to lose that thing. This level of excitement and disappointment reveals our traded contentment. Honey, God wants you to be content WITHOUT IT. If he knows you will be content without it, then he knows he can open his hand and bless you with it. If he knows your contentment would remain if you lost what he had given you, then he knows you have truly embraced the sweet secret of happiness within.
Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-12, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” Paul knew the sweet secret of happiness. He had found the gift of contentment.
Contentment. Autarkeia. Because we know God loves us and works in every detail of our lives according to his good plans, we can accept things exactly as they are. It is well with my soul.
As a little girl, I went to church a few times with my Grandma. I remember her singing that old church hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Have you ever heard the story behind that song?
The song was written by Horatio Spafford. Horatio had been a successful attorney and real estate investor, but he lost his fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Around the same time, his 4 year old son died of scarlet fever.
He thought a vacation away from everything would be good for his family, so he sent his wife & 4 daughters on a ship to England where he would later meet them for time away. However, while crossing the Atlantic ocean, the ship crashed and sank. All 4 of Horatio Spafford’s daughters died. His wife survived and sent a telegram that said, “Saved alone. What shall I do?”
Horatio set sail for England to get to his wife. At one point on the voyage, the captain of the ship told Horatio they were passing over the spot where the shipwreck had occurred. As Horatio thought about his daughters who had died there, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. He wrote them down and they are the old church hymn our Grandma’s sang:
When peace like a river,
attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll—
Whatever my lot,
thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well with my soul.
If God can offer contentment to a man who has literally lost everything, he can offer contentment to this girl who’s stressed about her house. To the girl who’s stressed about her job, he’s offering contentment no matter what happens with it. To the girl who’s stressed about her marriage, he’s offering contentment deep within that doesn’t even make sense.
It’s all so temporary. Set your mind on the eternal and find the sweet secret to happiness within.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I’ve always dreamed of hosting a Poppy and Franny Camp for our future grandkids. (My husband is Poppy and I am Franny and yes, we have arrived to the greatest destination in life … grandparents!!!). Poppy and Franny Camp is a special time at our house where we play and intentionally make all the memories. The future has arrived and we hosted the long awaited Poppy and Franny Camp in July for our first grandson, Maverick. To our delight, camp has gotten extended and we have even more time with our little boy. He’s here with us and our days are filled with the adventures and excitement of life through a 2 year old, and our nights are filled with a tiny human crawling in our bed to sleep sideways. It’s all one huge blessing and I intentionally keep every detail in it’s rightful position of being a blessing and I refuse to allow it to ever become a burden.
I wonder if we all need to pause today and check our blessings. Have we allowed them to become burdens? Have we lost perspective? Have we tried to rush this? Have we gotten caught up in the things that don’t really matter and missed the things that do? Unprotected blessings become unintentional burdens.
My little blessing has something he says dozens of times every day. He says, “I-tuck” which translates to “I’m stuck.” He’s never literally stuck, he just can’t figure our how to do something. “I-tuck” is his cry for help. But interestingly enough, in his 2 year old way, he doesn’t want you to do it for him, he just wants you to help him ever so slightly, then let him continue do it himself.
And isn’t this exactly what we do? We call out to God, “I’m stuck”, anytime we can’t figure it out on our own, but we only want enough help to continue doing it our way. I see it now, I’m a perpetual toddler, and God is forever a good, good father.
Hold that thought … we’re coming back to it.
Earlier this week, I was flying from San Fransisco back to my little island off the tip of Florida, and I was mesmerized by the mountains below. I’ve been in those mountains before … in fact, I’ve been stuck in those mountains. They’re the beautiful Spring Mountains just outside of Las Vegas. These desert mountains cover over 300,000 acres. The hiking trails crawl through crevices and deep ravines, then over large boulders with beautiful views.
From the widow seat of isle 14, the mountains appeared to be flattened all into shades of brown and gray. I could see the trails all winding and eventually connecting. It was all so simple from so high up. It all made sense from this perspective. But on the ground … I know how hard those trails are.
My hiking experience in the Spring Mountains went a whole lot like most of my hiking adventures … I got a little lost along the way. Lost to the point the only way out was to do a little rock climbing because I had wandered my way into the “rock climbing section”. That’s my gift y’all … I can take a simple hike and turn it into an epic adventure. We will end up scaling rocks and wishing we had ropes, but we won’t have ropes and we will survive to tell another great story of how we can do really hard things!
Deep in between the massive boulders of the mountain, I could see no way out. But how many of us know from personal experience, just because you can’t see the way doesn’t mean the way doesn’t exist. It was there … I was just stuck. Stuck because my position didn’t allow me a higher perspective.
That’s where God comes in! God’s position is always perfect. He sits high above the Earth with a perspective that sees it all. Isaiah 40:22, “God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him.” That’s a position with a higher perspective. High above us, things look different. And with this perspective, our problems are flattened and the way is so clear.
Just like the view from seat 14F on the airplane. The trails all connected. There was clearly a way out. Even the highest peaks were flattened to be nothing more than a variation in color. Yet, this is precisely where I have been stuck before. Somewhere in that 300,000 acres of peaks and valleys, boulders and crevices, I was stuck. But my God knew my exact location and the way out.
I don’t know where you may be stuck today, but I know for sure, God knows the way out for you. His eye is on you, you have not gone unnoticed by your loving father. This is not hopeless and you are not helpless. With God’s higher perspective, these mountains in your way are flattened and the way out is so clear. My sister, your job is to call on him for help, then trust him as you take the next step.
One thing I figured out is, God faithfully guides my next step but he expects me to actually take that step. Sometimes I would prefer a rescue helicopter to come swoop me up out of my problems, but instead I’m simply supernaturally strengthened for the next step I wasn’t so sure I could take. That’s how God gets me unstuck.
Now, the way to stay unstuck is to learn the lesson from my grandson. He says “I tuck”, but it doesn’t mean he really wants me to help him. It means he wants me to encourage him as he does it his way. He wants me to sometimes spot him in case he falls doing it his way. The last thing he wants me to do is full on fix it for him. He’s entirely too independent and head strong for that.
Girl, this independence streak of insisting you do everything your own self is causing some major messes in your life. You’re making this all so much harder than it needs to be. What if your way isn’t the right way? What if your way will have you wandering down the wrong trails for 5 more miles … or 5 more years. Have you ever looked up to realize you’ve been going the wrong way for 5 years? There’s only one thing worse that going the wrong way for 5 years … go that way for 6 years … or 7 … or … are you going to just keep going?
What if your way will only make this worse? If you’re stuck, not sure what to do from here, ASK GOD TO HELP YOU!
Then, when God helps you, trust him! Trust his perspective allows him to see things you cannot see. Trust his way is always better than your way. Trust when he gives you the next step to take, you should just take it. Where’s the next step? It’s ALWAYS right in front of you.
God knows his girls get stuck … a lot. In fact, he knows without his help, we can never make it through this on our own. That’s why he sent his son Jesus. Jesus came so that you would get unstuck, Sis. He is your way out and he is your way through.
Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Are you afraid right now, looking around where you are stuck? Don’t be. Are you discouraged right now, feeling helpless and hopeless? You’re not! God sees the way through this and he will guide you. He will strengthen you for your next step. Take it, Sis. Take it!
Let’s look at that same scripture in 2 different translations.
MSG: “Don’t panic, I’m with you. (Receive that directly from your loving and all-powerful God right now.). There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”
TPT: “Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. (Think about yielding to fear like yielding to traffic. If you’re yielding, then you’re giving it the right of way, letting it go first. Isn’t that what you’re doing with fear? You’re letting fear lead you? You’re letting fear go first as you stay stuck without moving forward. Yeah, God says DON’T DO THAT. Don’t yield to fear, I’m right here!). Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation.”
Today, may you be infused with God’s strength and see he is truly helping you with every situation. Call out to him for help. Tell him, “Lord, I’m stuck and I fully want your help for my next step. This doesn’t have to be my way, I want your way. I can’t see what you can see, so I trust your way is better than my way. Show me the way through. Show me the way out. I’m lifting my foot in faith as you guide my next step.”
This is how you get unstuck, my friend.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever had one of those days where you worried about all there was to worry about? One of those days where you thought about all that was wrong and could go wrong? One of those days where you dwelt on the struggle, wallowed in the hardship, consumed by the negativity? You know, one of those days … have you ever had one?
WELL LET ME ASSURE YOU OF ONE THING … TODAY WAS NOT GIVEN TO YOU TO MAKE IT ONE OF THOSE DAYS!
The purpose of this day of your life isn’t to worry. God’s plan for you today isn’t to stay stuck in this negative head space, anxious about all the things. Sometimes we can get ourselves in such a funk that we don’t know what may unfold, but we have predetermined to just be anxious about it.
Did you know it is possible to instead be excited about what may unfold? That’s totally an option! Anxiety over the unknown is not mandatory here, you could exchange it for excitement instead.
Hey, I wonder how God is going to show up for you.
I wonder what good plans he’s working together now.
I wonder what blessings he has lined up and what wondrous works he’s planning on your behalf.
I wonder how this could go RIGHT … like ridiculously right.
I wonder how you could be at the right place at the right time by the design of the Almighty.
I wonder how he is aligning miracles with your name on them, and you won’t even see it coming until you step right in the middle of it.
Lord, help us to shift our reaction to life from anxiety to excitement. Help us to see your hand at work in every detail, and trust that it is good. Help us to break the habit of worry, and exchange it for peace that fosters overwhelming joy.
This doesn’t all have to calm down for you to be peaceful. This doesn’t all have to work out before you exude joy. The offering of peace and joy is right here in the middle of the uncertainty, in the depths of the unknown, in the trows of the battle. Today’s happiness does not have to be sacrificed just because of the lack of perfection in circumstances. The majority of the days of our life will fall short of perfect, however every single one of them has the potential for living richly.
When our eye is on the storm, we miss the Jesus in our boat.
Matthew 8: 23-26 tells us about the disciples facing a terrible storm while they’re in a boat with Jesus. It says, “Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
While the disciples are absolutely freaking out, what is Jesus doing? He’s actually sleeping on the boat. Jesus is peaceful, he is calm, he’s not worried at all.
Looking at different translations, scripture refers to this storm as fierce, furious, violent, and terrible. Yeah, you ever had one of those in your life? Not just a regular storm, but a furious one. The terrible kind that tears some crap apart in your life. The violent kind that rocks your whole world and turns you upside down. Yeah, it was one of those kinds of storms. The waves swept over the boat and they were about to sink. They were going under, and Jesus is sleeping.
Sometimes that’s exactly how it feels. It feels like you’re going under and Jesus is sleeping on the job. You have him in your life, but what good is it doing? You’re sinking here and see no sign of rescue. So what do you do? Don’t hesitate to do exactly what the disciples did … WAKE UP JESUS!
When they woke him up in their panic Jesus he said to them in Matthew 8: 26 “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and suddenly there was a great calm.
Completely calm. Everything that was threatening them was immediately gone. It became quiet. They must have sat replaying his words “Why are you afraid?” What should they have done differently? Was it wrong to wake him? Were they not really in danger?
I’ve often wondered why Jesus responded to their panic with this harshness. Was it wrong of them to wake him? Was it wrong of them to assume because the waves were taking over their boat that they were probably going to sink? Should they have just laid down in the storm and gone to sleep too?
What if this is simply about having a relationship with Jesus, and in that relationship he is your go to. He is the first thing you try. You don’t wait until the boat is sinking, you see the storm clouds and you wake him up. You don’t wallow in your worry and sit in the puddles of your endless scenarios of potential problems, you start talking to Jesus before it gets too bad.
And when you talk to Jesus, the fear starts to fade. Why did Jesus respond to their panic with “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith” … well could it be because he was available before it got so bad?
Here’s what we do … we wait until we’re totally at the ends of ourselves and what we can do on our own, then we turn to God. We try everything and when that doesn’t work, then we ask God to work. Isn’t that what you do too?
It doesn’t take a whole lot of faith to come to God when he’s your ONLY option. God wants a relationship with you that’s deeper than that. He wants you to come to him when you still have viable options on your own. God desires a relationship with you that has you talking to Jesus about a few little clouds before the storm shows up to sink your boat. It takes faith to stay close to Jesus when it’s smooth sailing. It’s real easy to leave him behind when you don’t need him.
Jesus is here with you today, you can move forward with confidence. You can step into the potential of this day and leave the anxiety behind. You can choose peace over worry. You can choose excitement over every anxious thought that comes knocking on your door.
What if the clouds in the distance come hang right over your head … well, what if that distant threat never comes your way because God is directing it?
What if the storm does come and hits you hard … well, what if this is your opportunity to see a miracle first hand as God makes it stop with one word?
What if this storm doesn’t go away … well, if it doesn’t go away then there must be a purpose for which God is going to use it.
What if your boat sinks … well, this may just be your opportunity to walk on water with Jesus.
I can’t promise you what’s going to happen in your storm, but I know this … you have the power to wake up Jesus! Wake him up with your prayers. Wake him up with your praise. And don’t wait until it gets to the point of disaster. Start talking to him now. But if disaster is already here and you wish you would have gotten him involved earlier … start talking now!
But remember, even in the storm, worry is optional. Anxiety does not have to be your primary emotion. Worst case scenarios do not have to run your mind. Peace is available here.
Matthew 6: 31-34 (The Passion Translation): “So then, forsake your worries! (Forsake means abandon). Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things you require. Above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. REFUSE to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What has been taken from you? What dream did you have that was taken before it was fulfilled? What opportunity were you living in, then it was gone? What direction were you going, then it was blocked? What good thing did you have going, then everything changed?
I was fired from a job once. Actually, that’s not true. I’ve been fired twice. Two times I’ve been pushed out of a job and forced to end my secure employment. That makes me sound like a bad person, but neither were a case of fault. I remember both days of my job being taken from me. I was hurt. I was scared. I was sad. I was mad. It wasn’t fair.
BUT, I had no idea how what was taken from me was preparing me for a much greater exchange. In both cases I had been holding on to a job that provided security only because I was fearful of life without a paycheck and insurance. No matter how miserable it became, I was still holding on tight. It had to be taken from me to see it was not best for me. Once it was gone, I was in position for a great exchange. I was finally free to follow my passion. I was available to step fully into my purpose. Having my job taken from me was the blunt push I required to accept the exchange. The exchange that brings me to you today!
You may be in the middle of losing that which you’ve been holding to so tightly. And honestly, there’s nothing more you can do. This isn’t going to be saved. There’s no fixing this. This thing that was once so filled with potential and delight is now being taken. But why? Why is it being taken? Why is a loving and mighty God watching this happen and not stepping in to stop it? Could it be because he has an exchange available for you? An exchange of what is no longer best for you, for something so much greater. An exchange of what you’ve been carrying around out of security, for something you didn’t have the courage to go for on your own.
Jesus was given to us as the great exchange. Our sins, our shortcomings, our failures, in exchange for his righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Colossians 2: 20-22, “Through Jesus God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”
Who did it? GOD DID IT.
How did he do it? THROUGH JESUS.
Who did he do it for? YOU!
You did absolutely nothing to earn this exchange. God simply believes you are worthy. He believes you are worthy of his son, so he made the exchange. He took all you couldn’t fix on your own, and he let Jesus fix it once and for all.
That’s freaking fantastic news! Forever and ever you have been covered by what has been done for you. What has been taken from you clears the way for your salvation, and what was given in exchange redeems you fully.
But what about today? Really, what about this day here in your life this side of Heaven? What about the real life events unfolding that steal your peace, spoil your plans, and seemingly ruin your future. Is Jesus just for salvation, or is he for this life you’re living now? Was there an exchange for what is being taken right now?
ABSOLUTELY!
Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that he came “so that you would have life, and have it more abundantly.” Yes, you will survive this, but more than survive, you will THRIVE in this. You will have life so full that it will overflow out of abundance. That is what Jesus came to give you this side of Heaven. Do you accept it? Great! Now, some things will need to be taken for this exchange.
Will you trust what has been taken from you is in God’s hands? Will you trust that while it may hurt, while it may be unfair, while it will be hard, God is the author of the great exchange. He does not take without making an exchange.
Do I have any listeners who were once young, unwed mothers? Do you remember how your world came crashing down with the devastating news that you were pregnant? The dreams for your future were taken in an instant. All your plans were ruined. You thought your world had come to an end. But now, you can’t imagine your life without the child you never planned for. Your life changed because there was an exchange of what you had planned, for something greater.
Or maybe there was a marriage you fought so hard to save, but he left anyway. Your “forever” was taken and you were left alone. You didn’t know it then, but God had a greater plan for your future than you could have ever imagined. An exchange was made and God ensured it would be ridiculously good for his girl.
The home you built, the home you loved, the home you dreamed of growing old in. Then you had to sell it. You had to let go of all you had worked so hard for and turn over the keys. Let me tell you, God isn’t so big that he doesn’t care about the home you live in. He cares and he moves on your behalf over these details. The home had to be taken from you so you could receive the future exchange. A positioning for something greater. An unfolding of more than you could have dreamed of on your own.
You were about to settle where you were, just calling it comfortable and good enough. But Jesus said, no this isn’t abundance. This isn’t overflowing. This isn’t the fullness of life I came to give her. There’s SO MUCH MORE. So the exchange begins, but it begins by what you have being taken.
Will you trust that anything being taken from you now is in preparation for a greater exchange? Will you trust that God’s eye is on you, his good plans are at work for you, and not a detail has been overlooked?
If something is being taken, go ahead and loosen your grip and tell God you’re awaiting the exchange. Tell him you’re counting on him to do what only he can do.
Yes, God allowed my secure job with a paycheck and insurance to be taken. It was devastating and embarrassing. But he wasn’t just taking it to punish me. He wasn’t taking it to hurt me. He wasn’t taking it to hold me back, he was in fact pushing me forward. I had been holding back. I had been delaying my own destiny by holding on to something that ultimately was just in the way. Once it was taken, I was free to dive fully into the exchange available to me.
Does it mean it’s been easy? No. Does it mean I’ve never questioned? I wish I could say I’ve always had faith, but my faith has wavered. But God never left me once, and he’s always, without fail, made a way for me.
He will do the same for you. He will take you right through the toughest times. He will lead you through the ashes of your burned up dreams and failed attempts. He will parade you right on by all that was taken from you, and allow you to step into the exchange he has made possible for you.
Your sins and transgressions exchanged for the righteousness of Jesus … that’s a GREAT deal for your eternity.
Your current position and comfort exchanged for overflowing abundance … that’s a GREAT deal for your today.
If it has been taken, it is being exchanged. God can be trusted here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Mark 6: 1-13 “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
5000 MEN + WOMEN & CHILDREN = 20,000
VIDEO OF 20,000 PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS A FIELD
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
JESUS ALREADY HAD THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. HE ALREADY HAD THE ANSWER. THE MIRACLE HAD ALREADY BEEN ALIGNED.
WHAT WE SEE AS A PROBLEM, JESUS SEES AS A POSSIBILITY.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
BARLEY BREAD WAS THE COMMON FOOD OF THE POOR. EACH LOAF WAS THIN AND SMALL, MUCH LIKE A CRACKER, NOT A LARGE LOAF OF FRENCH BREAD. TWO SMALL FISH – WE’RE NOT TALKING KING SIZE SALMON, MOST LIKELY A SMOKED FISH THE SIZE OF SARDINES. LITERALLY A LUNCH.
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down.
THE DISCIPLES HAVE TO TRUST THAT JESUS IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING THEY CANNOT DO. THEY ARE INSTRUCTING THIS MASSIVE CROWD TO SIT DOWN IN EXPECTATION, KNOWING FULLY WELL THEY ONLY HAVE THE LUNCH OF A BOY TO OFFER.
THE BOY HAD TO SACRIFICE THE LUNCH HIS MOTHER HAD MADE HIM.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
GOD IS ALL ABOUT MULTIPLICATION! OUR GOD IMAGINES, HE MANIFESTS, HE CREATES, AND HE MULTIPLIES. BUT, GOD’S MULTIPLICATION IS A RESULT OF 3 THINGS:
- TRUST
THE DISCIPLES HAD TO TRUST JESUS WAS REALLY GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO FEED THIS HUNGRY CROWD. THEY WERE TELLING THEM TO SIT DOWN IN ROWS AND EXPECT TO RECEIVE. THEY STEPPED UP TO LEAD OUT OF TRUST.
GOD’S MULTIPLICATION IS A RESULT OF:
- SACRIFICE
OUT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE CROWD, YOU CAN’T TELL ME THE ONLY PERSON WITH FOOD WAS THIS ONE BOY. YET, WHEN THE DISCIPLES SEARCH THE CROWD FOR WHAT COULD BE OFFERED, ONLY THE BOY’S LUNCH WAS AVAILABLE.
GOD ASKS FOR SOMETHING TO START WITH. HE DOESN’T CARE HOW SMALL IT IS. HE DOESN’T CARE HOW INSIGNIFICANT IT IS. HE ASKS FOR SOMETHING. ONLY THE BOY’S LUNCH WAS OFFERED, SO IT WAS THE BOY’S LUNCH THAT WAS USED.
IMAGINE BEING IN THE CROWD, BEING ASKED BY ONE OF THE DISCIPLES IF YOU HAD ANY FOOD TO HELP FEED THE CROWD, AND KEEPING YOUR OWN LUNCH IN YOUR BACKPACK BECAUSE YOU KNEW IT WAS INSIGNIFICANT. THEN YOU SEE THE MIRACLE. THEN YOU KNOW YOU DIDN’T GET TO PARTICIPATE AS GOD’S VESSEL FOR MIRACULOUS PROVISION BECAUSE YOU DID OFFER WHAT YOU HAD.
NOW I WANT YOU TO THINK OF SOMEONE NEVER MENTIONED IN THIS STORY, YET SOMEONE WHO PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN THE MIRACLE WE STILL READ ABOUT TODAY. THERE WAS A MOM. A MOM WHO BAKED BREAD THAT DAY. A MOM WHO GOT UP EARLY THAT MORNING AND MADE HER SON LUNCH. A MOM WHO MAYBE FELT WHAT SHE DID WAS NEVER IMPORTANT. BUT IT WAS … BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING MIRACULOUS.
IMAGINE KNOWING THE BREAD YOU BAKED WAS USED BY JESUS FOR THIS GREAT MIRACLE! IMAGINE THE KIND WORDS YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO SOMEONE WERE PART OF GOD’S MIRACLE IN THEIR LIFE. IMAGINE THE SACRIFICE YOU MADE WAS USED FOR SOMETHING SO MUCH BIGGER THAN YOU CAN EVEN IMAGINE. IMAGINE THE WORK YOU’VE DONE REACHES BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN SEE.
IF YOU’VE OFFERED IT TO GOD, IT HAS!!!!!!!!
GOD’S MULTIPLICATION IS A RESULT OF:
- KNOWING IT’S GOD’S WORK, NOT OURS.
EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS STORY IS SIMPLY A PARTICIPANT. JESUS DID THE MIRACLE, NOT THE MOM WHO BAKED THE BREAD, NOT THE BOY WHO OFFERED HIS LUNCH, NOT THE DISCIPLES WHO MANAGED THE CROWD … ONLY JESUS.
HERE’S OUR PROBLEM, WE LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO, AND WE DISMISS OURSELVES FROM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING MIRACULOUS. JESUS DOESN’T ASK YOU WHAT BIG, CRAZY, MIRACULOUS THING YOU CAN DO … HE ASKS YOU 2 QUESTIONS:
- WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
- WILL YOU BRING IT TO ME?
CAN YOU BAKE BREAD – DO IT FOR ME.
DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE LUNCH – BRING IT TO ME.
SEE THE NEED AROUND YOU – DON’T RUN AWAY FROM IT.
WE DON’T KNOW THE NAME OF THE BOY WITH THE LUNCH, WE JUST KNOW HE SACRIFICED IT. WE DON’T KNOW WHO HIS MOM WAS, BUT WE KNOW SHE BAKED BREAD THAT WOULD BE PART OF A MIRACULOUS WORK OF GOD. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE COULD EVER DO OR OFFER TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER, BUT WE SEE THAT NO MATTER HOW SMALL OUR TIME, TALENT OR TREASURE MAY BE, WHEN WE PUT IT IN THE HANDS OF JESUS, IT IS MULTIPLIED!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Mark 5:28-30, “For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
Jesus KNEW healing power had gone out from him. He knew someone’s reach of faith had activated his power. And he personally knows every time we reach for him in faith and his power is released.
JESUS KNOWS HE HEALED ME. AND HE’S LOOKING FOR ME TO SEE HOW I RECEIVED IT.
Jesus could have continued on in the crowd without stopping to acknowledge the power which had gone from him to this woman who had secretly reached for his robe in faith. BUT HE WANTED TO SEE HOW SHE RECEIVED IT.
He insists he know who’s faith had activated his power. With deep shame, the woman who had been forbidden contact with the public for 12 years, fell to the ground and confessed, it was her. Then Jesus said in verse 34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
How has he found you after receiving his power? You. Have you reached for him in faith before, and has he provided a way, gotten you through, rescued you, strengthened you, healed you? He KNOWS you reached in faith and he knows his power was sent out to you. Now, he’s looking to see how you received it.
- Have you identified yourself as “daughter”?
You are a daughter of the Almighty King – you’re a real life princess! He has declared you worthy! Why do you feel unworthy to ask him for what you need? Why do you distance yourself, thinking your needs are a burden to him? Jesus was in no way bothered by this woman’s reach, he was honored! He was moved! So moved, he stopped everything else to turn to her. - Jesus said, “go in peace”. She had spent 12 years stuck in this place of shame. 12 years of struggle. 12 years of trying everything and nothing would work. Now he says, GO – go live your life in peace. Receive peace of mind. I have taken your worries. I have lifted your burden.
What Jesus did NOT want her to do was receive the healing in her body, but continue with a worried mind. Isn’t that often us? God comes through for us, he makes a way, he strengthen us, he provides for us, he helps us overcome, but our minds are not filled with peace, instead our minds are filled with worries of the goodness not lasting. Of this breakthrough being short lived. Of the other shoe dropping. Of the next struggle and hardship. Of the next disappointment and set back.
But Jesus is coming back to see how you have received the flow of his power to see if you have moved on in PEACE.
- Jesus said, “Your suffering is over.” Reading the MSG translation of verse 34 – Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”
Live well, lived blessed. Are you? Are you living well with your healing? Are you living blessed with his provision? Are you remembering what he has done for you? Girl, you simply CANNOT live the same once you have received the power of Jesus!
Isn’t it interesting that after she had already been healed, after her bleeding had stopped, after her terrible condition had been healed, then Jesus said, “Be healed of your plague.” But she was already healed, why would he say that? Understand, healing must happen beyond the surface level of our condition, it must happen in our minds. We must SEE OURSELVES AS HEALED. WE MUST SEE OURSELVES AS BLESSED. WE MUST SEE OURSELVES AS THE CHOSEN DAUGHTER OF THE ALMIGHTY KING. This is complete healing.
Jesus is coming back to see how you have received his healing power in your life. Have you allowed him to heal the suffering in your mind? Have you allowed him to heal the suffering that has caused your fear and insecurity and anxiety and unhealthy tendency to try to please everyone?
What will he find me doing have he has healed me? Will I be wasting it? Will I be wallowing in my old story? Will I have moved on and forgotten the miraculous works he did for me? Ohhhhh no … may he find me being faithful! May he find me living well, living blessed and healed through and through!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Did you know that water baptism as Jesus instructed is a very visual representation of what happens when we accept him as our Savior? Who we once were is to be washed away, and we are to rise up with Jesus in living a new life.
Have you been rising up from how you used to live, or have you been struggling with some of those old thought patterns and routines? A new person has no business wallowing in their old ways. Christ changes us from the inside out, therefore our lives simply can’t stay the same.
Colossians 3:1, “You have been raised to new life with Christ …” What does this mean? To understand, we should look at how Christ lived when he himself rose from the grave. After his crucifixion, he was buried for 3 days, then Easter came and the stone was rolled away. For 40 days, Jesus walked the earth again on his mission before returning to Heaven. The question is, how did Jesus live in those 40 days after arising? He’s showing us how to live this new life!
- Jesus left the tomb. Yes, he walked on out of the darkness that had held him, and so should we! You can’t stay stuck in your struggle and wallow in that darkness. A girl who has been raised to new life gets out of that pit, out of that cave, out of that prison, out of that tomb. Honey, whatever has been hurting you, whatever has been threatening you, whatever has held you back in darkness, absolutely MUST be left behind.
There’s a song called “Ain’t No Grave” by Bethel Music that gets me all fired up. You should listen to it today. There’s a line sung on repeat at the end, growing with intensity each time. It says, “Oh, if you walked out of that grave, I’m walking too! Oh, if you walked out of that grave, I’m walking too! Yeah! Oh, if you walked out of that grave, I’m walking too – I’m following Jesus!”
The girl who has been raised to this new life with Christ walks right out of old graves, and she doesn’t go back! If you’ve walked out, don’t you dare go back! That’s not where you belong. That’s where the enemy wants to hold you captive again. Don’t go there.
- Jesus spent time with his disciples. He blessed them, and allowed them to bless him. As God’s chosen girls, raised to a new elevated life, we can’t do this alone. When our whole world becomes hyper focused on what we’re going through, our world suddenly gets so much smaller … and darker. But when you become “others focused” and see there are others going through things too, suddenly you’re not so darn overwhelmed with your own issues.
Even Jesus didn’t make it all about himself. When he came back to spend time with people, he showed up on the shore of a lake and had breakfast waiting for his friends who had been out all night fishing without any luck. Literally, this is what he did!
Quit thinking you don’t need anyone, and no one wants you. That’s a lie from the pits of hell. We were each made for community. We are designed for connection. If you are suffering the best thing you can do is get to serving.
- Jesus lived in supernatural power to do impossible things. Jesus didn’t rise up out of the grave to then play little. No, he showed up with power and intention to make things happen! And this same power has been given to you and I through the Holy Spirit.
When we play little and assume a position of anxious overwhelm, we are forfeiting the power Jesus has offered us. We have settled for living far below our Spirit enabled potential. We have sacrificed impossible things for the smaller possible things and dismissed ourselves from stepping into the fullness of life Jesus came to give us.
Is that what you want? Do you really want to miss out on living the big, beautiful life Jesus is offering? Do you really want to play little when there’s so much more available to you? Do you really want to sit there stuck when the power to rise on up out of this is already inside of you?
It’s a ploy of the enemy to make you think you’re powerless and hopeless. YOU’RE NOT! Not at all, beautiful girl, not at all.
After you’ve decided to rise up with Christ in this new life, Colossians 3:5 says, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.” You can’t go back to what had you stuck. That’s not where you belong. That old way of living must be put to death.
Do you know how you kill that? You starve it. All those old habits and tendencies that brought you to that pit of darkness before … yeah those simply don’t get fed anymore. You’re starving out that old crap! You don’t give it your thoughts. You don’t give it your time. You don’t give it space in your conversations. Anything you give it feeds it, then old ways start growing and taking over again. No, girl, you’ve been charged to PUT THAT TO DEATH.
That old you, how you used to think, how you used to talk, the things you used to do … that all gets thrown out like old clothes that no longer fit you. You have absolutely NO REASON to keep that wardrobe. It doesn’t work for you anymore.
But, here’s the thing, a girl can’t live without clothes. She’s got to put on something. If all you do is try to throw out the old without ever giving yourself something new, you will eventually go out and drag back in that old stuff. Have you ever donated a bag of clothes to a thrift store, and sometime later gone shopping in that thrift store and found your old clothes. Is anyone like me and felt sudden regret over giving it away and wanting it back when you see it there on the hanger? You have to remember you got rid of that for a reason. Don’t pay the price and drag it back home with you! (And you know I’m talking about far more than just clothes here, right?)
And this is why Colossians 3:10 says, “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
These are your new clothes, put them on. If you have a new, better wardrobe, there’s no possible way you would want the old stuff back. New clothes … put them on today. This is your new way of being once the old you has been starved out and those old thought patterns, habits and routines are no longer being fed. You intentionally choose a different mood, a different perspective, a different attitude. You choose your energy. Just like you open your closet doors and choose what you will wear for the day to clothe yourself, you choose how you show up and who you show up as.
Verse 14 says, “Clothe yourselves with love.” Putting on love today is a choice. And it’s a choice Jesus says represents your Creator and your Savior best. But girl, before you decide to go out into the world and love everyone today, start in these two places first:
- Could you possibly love yourself? Love yourself as God’s creation he himself declared as a masterpiece. You’ve tried hating yourself and that really didn’t work. So, how about loving yourself. Caring for yourself instead of punishing yourself. Talking nice to yourself instead of tearing yourself down. Showing up for yourself instead dismissing yourself from doing the things that would make you feel so much better at the end of the day. Put on LOVE for YOU today.
- Love your people. Yes, the people you share most every day with. The people who get on your nerves and you generally take for granted. LOVE THEM. What good is it to go out into the world and spread all this love to strangers if the very people you live and work with are not being loved well by you? Put on LOVE for others today, and let it start close instead of far.
It’s time to get dressed, Sis. That old stuff doesn’t work for you. Don’t hoard it, get rid of it! Give yourself the gift of a new wardrobe in your new nature like Jesus. Choose it. Intentionally put it on. Show up like that! This is your mood, your perspective, your attitude, your energy. It’s all your choice.
And remember, a girl who has been raised with Jesus strives to live like the risen Jesus lived. We get out of the place we’ve been stuck before, we seek to be a blessing to others and also let them be a blessing to us, and we use our supernatual powers to do otherwise totally impossible things! This is how we change, from the inside out, showing up in new clothes.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Without the power of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, we are constantly doing the things we know we shouldn’t do and living in a perpetual cycle of screw up and beat up. The power of our flesh is strong. We want what we want, and the flesh won’t stop nagging at you until you give it what it wants.
This is how we become slaves to our own ways. We’re not free to make better decisions, our old ways drag us back to old prisons where we’re chained doing the things we said we never wanted to do again. But here we are, doing them. Stuck. Miserable. Ashamed.
But Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, “Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you STAY FREE and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
I used to think that being a Christian meant I had to follow more rules and give up more freedoms. I thought it meant I couldn’t have fun and I would be continually measured and judged. But my friends, it’s quite the opposite.
Following Christ sets us FREE. We are free from the bondage of sin. We don’t have to stay stuck doing what we used to do. We are also free from slavery to the law. This law Paul is referring to is the 613 commands in the Old Covenant. Under the old law, you break one, you’re too far gone. There was no amount of obedience that could make up for one single disobedience. So the law held us captive in fear of messing up, never being good enough, always missing the mark.
And that’s precisely why God sent his son Jesus. Only the perfection of Jesus could make this right. Only Jesus could set us free forever.
The law was not abolished, but the law was completed through Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” He paid the price of perfection we could never pay.
So, how does that help us in our battle with the flesh that constantly craves what is wrong? Ahhhh, this is the key! Jesus’ sacrifice not only set us free from the law, but also gives us a gift to change us from the inside out.
If you are chained to the law, you will continually feel not good enough. You will see yourself as a failure. You will feel hopeless to ever do better. In fact, you know what someone does when they know they’ve already screwed up, they just go ahead and screw up some more. That’s the way our flesh works. Hey, I already screwed up and ate brownies for breakfast, why not have some cookies too? Hey, I lost my sobriety streak this weekend, so why not go ahead and have a little drink on a Tuesday too? Hey, I already had an affair, so what will chatting with this other little cutie really hurt? Hey, I’ve already blown up my budget, so I might as well see what’s on Amazon today.
This is how we dig the hole deeper. We make things worse because we’re already not good enough and without hope of ever making ourselves good enough for the perfection of the law. So God said, enough … I don’t want my girls struggling like this! My son Jesus will set them free from that trap of unworthiness. He will pay the price for their freedom. They will know they are already forgiven and free to come back to the fullness of life I have for them, even when they haven’t been perfect.
Now, the gift that changes us from the inside out … God’s Holy Spirit! Galatians 5:15, “Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.”
As I studied Galatians this weekend, I was absolutely slayed to realize what my flesh is capable of. That fleshy, sinful nature within me is capable of unimaginable, terrible things. I always put myself on some sort of pedestal knowing I would never do the horrendous things others have done, but the truth is, none of us belong on that pedestal. We’re all capable of those terrible things. We’re all susceptible to twisted thoughts and weak fleshy moments. In the wrong place at the wrong time, you could wreck your life and ruin a few others in the process. That’s what is in all of us. Evil.
I’m not better than a single soul spending the rest of their life in prison. That same flesh is in me. That same sinful nature prone to evil that dwells in them is in me. What a humbling thought.
But Jesus has set us truly free. Now, we have to STAY FREE.
How do we do that? We let the Holy Spirit guide our lives. The Holy Spirit prompts us from within revealing to us what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. It’s there. You know it. You’ve felt it. It’s that little voice that says, “you shouldn’t do that.” It’s that little gut feeling that says, “this is wrong.” It’s also that confirmation within that says, “whew, good job, you overcame that temptation and did the right thing just then!”
When we let the Holy Spirit guide us, we start changing. Naturally. From within! This is how we become the new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17 talks about, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” This new life is one with a new direction.
A life in Christ is under the direction of a new lead. Without Christ, all you have is the desires of your flesh with sinful cravings. But with Christ, you are given the gift of the Holy Spirit as your lead.
Maybe you’ve tried to change before and that change was short-lived and then you went right back to your old ways. Well, I have to believe if you’re hearing this today, that is the work of God’s powerful Holy Spirit saying, “My girl, try again with ME as your lead! Turn to me for supernatural strength. Let me heal this in you. Let me change your desires.”
One of my favorite examples of this is my dear friend Christel who’s husband struggled with alcohol for most of his life. It was ruining their marriage and she was at the point of leaving forever. One night he drove to the liquor store to buy another bottle of his poison of choice, and as he sat in the car battling the sinful cravings of his flesh, he felt the physical touch of God on his shoulder. In that instant, his desires were changed. He drove home that night without a drink and he’s never gone back. He has been miraculously healed of a life long addiction.
That’s the power of God. That’s what his Holy Spirit does in your life … it changes your desires.
If you begin following the prompting of his Spirit, soon you will see the sweetness of the life only he can offer and no one could make you go back to your old life. Nothing could make you trade the joy, peace and freedom God has offered you, and return to the old chains you were once held in.
This is change. This is freedom. This is what Jesus does for us!
Practice following the small promptings of the Holy Spirit. You’ll feel it … “I don’t want you to say those things anymore. I want this to change. I want you to turn this off. I want you to show up with joy and energy. I want you to be more patient with them today. I want you to just be kind. I want you to give this to me.” Trust it. Do it. Then, and only then, you will see your desires begin to change.
God started working on me to clean up some areas of my life. I felt those promptings for a long time before I surrendered in obedience. But let me tell you, once I did, he completely changed my perspective and my desire. I don’t want to go back to the way I was. I don’t want to return to the way I was doing it. I can literally see for myself how much better God’s way is. WHAT A GIFT!
God has the same gift for you, my friend. Open your hands and receive it. Follow his prompting. Make those changes. You will never regret it. You are free!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Why is it you assume God could never use you? Why do you dismiss yourself from a greater calling on your life? Is it because you’ve never felt really good at anything? Is it because you are just a nobody? Is it because you’ve failed before, and you really wouldn’t want to fail God?
Did you know the single most read author in the world likely felt exactly like you? The human who has likely had the greatest impact for Christ could have never imagined being used to tell the world about Jesus. His past was so wrong, there’s no way he could have ever made it right. But God …
God changes everything. He changes your story and he changes your trajectory. He changes the story you tell yourself about your past and he uses it for your future. He changes who you think you are to align with who you were really created to be.
You were created to be HIS. His girl. His masterpiece. His beloved. But, if you’ve spent your whole life feeling like you’re no one special with no special purpose to fulfill, it’s hard to see what could be possible for you. That’s when God plans a head on collision on your course.
The most read author, the one with the greatest impact for Christ, the one with a past of being 100% wrong, was Paul. Paul, the author of over half of our New Testament. He was the one God chose.
Paul writes in Galatians 1: 1, “I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority …” and that’s exactly right. No one would have chosen Paul to teach about following Jesus. He was the most unlikely candidate by human standards because of his past.
Do you know about Paul’s past? His name was originally Saul. He was born just a few years after the crucifixion of Jesus, and as a young boy he went to school to study the law of God. He knew all the laws and he was passionate about ensuring everyone kept the law. But, there was a growing group of people experiencing freedom from the law, and those people were known as Christians.
During Jesus’ time on earth, he stated he came to fulfill the law so that everyone who believed in him would be deemed as worthy and approved. He set people free from an impossible law they could never be perfect enough to fulfill. But Saul didn’t agree with this new found freedom. He, along with the other Pharisees, feared what people would do without the 613 commands they had been bound by.
So, Saul fought. Literally. He fought Christians. Acts 8:3, “Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.” Acts 9:1, “Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.” His mission was to put an end to this freedom Jesus had offered. As an enforcer of the law, freedom threatened to ruin everything.
At about 30 years old, Saul finds himself on a road to the town of Damascus where he planned to find every Christian and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. But God …
Acts 9: 3-9, “As he (Saul) was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Sal! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, lord?’ Saul asked. And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for 3 days and did not eat or drink.”
Imagine for a moment how absolutely terrifying this would be. The very thing you’ve been teaching AGAINST has just had an encounter with you. And this encounter has left you blinded. Everything you thought was right, is now being proven wrong. Knowing how Saul had been treating the followers of Jesus, imagine how he must have feared harsh punishment from Jesus himself after this encounter.
So, here he is blind. He’s not eating or drinking. He must have been certain this was the end for him. There couldn’t be a future beyond this. He had been so wrong.
But God …
God never looks at a single one of his children and declares they’re too far gone. He looks at their mistakes and sees how he can use it all for good. He looks at their story and sees how he it can be part of a greater story. And that’s what God saw in Saul. How his wrong could be used for right. How his story could be part of a greater story. And how you and I could see ourselves in this story and understand we’re not dismissed either.
Did you know that’s how God sees you? Everything that makes you ordinary is precisely what he wants to use. I used to think being ordinary, regular ol’ me was a total disadvantage. I didn’t have the degree. I didn’t have the unique skills. I didn’t have the training. For so long I tried to hide the real me and show up as someone I wasn’t. I wore business suits and lipstick. High heels and fancy purses. It’s a whole lot of pressure to keep up that facade. Then one day, I was live hosting devotional and I proceeded to mispronounce a word atleast 5 times in a row. The word I was trying to use was melancholy, however for some reason every time I said it, it came out ma-launchy. Ma-launchy.
I was so embarrassed. I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. The real me had come out … the me who mispronounces big words in a small town accent. The me that prefers to be barefoot in a sundress. The me that sings bad and dances bad, but does both anyway. That’s the real me I had been trying to hide. That day, God met me and showed me this is precisely why he has chosen me. I am just me. And me is all he has ever wanted. Real me. Authentic me. Regular ol’ me. Because if God can use me, couldn’t he use you too? If God has a calling on my life, could that mean he has a calling on your life too? If I’m not dismissed, then maybe you’re not dismissed either.
Saul was not dismissed. His entire life he had been boldly and passionately wrong. Now Jesus has an encounter with him on the road to Damascus, and that encounter has left him blind. But, that’s not where God would leave him.
Let’s keep reading. Acts 9: 10-19:
“Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! He is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.”
Now, with the power of the Holy Spirit, Saul was changed. He knew the truth and he became a crusader for the truth, and he was given a new name, Paul.
Yes, Paul, the author of over half the New Testament in our Bible.
Paul, who wrote Galatians. 1:1, “I was not appointed by any group of people or humans (of course he wasn’t – no one would have chosen him with his past of being so wrong), but I was appointed by Jesus Christ himself and by God the father, who raised Jesus from the dead.”
And because Paul knew it was JESUS who had met him on that road, he knew he had a mission to fulfill. His mission was to teach a SAVING FAITH that absolutely changes us in freedom. That’s what the book of Galatians is. A book of saving faith that changes us in freedom.
Remember, Paul was once Saul, and Saul was all about the law before. Keep all 613 commands, or be damned. Earn your way in, or be kept out. But after his personal encounter with Jesus, he understood grace.
Paul is known as the apostle of GRACE. He used the word grace over 100 times in his writings, when all the other writers of the New Testament only used the word grace a total of 55 times. Why? Because Paul personally understood God’s grace. Only grace could have saved him. Only grace could have redirected him. Only grace could have brought all he had done so wrong into right standings. Only grace could cover him in forgiveness and call him to a divine purpose.
Nobody else would have chosen Paul, but God did. Why? Because he knew his potential.
But this isn’t just about Paul. God wants to use Paul to show you and I something too. He wants us to see how he personally chooses the unlikely ones. And when he has chosen you, nothing can stop that.
Nothing can dismiss God’s call on your life. No mistake you’ve made, no slow start, or ordinary roots.
Could you dare to believe you are God’s chosen girl? You have a divine calling on your life. He wants to use you. Yes, ordinary, flawed, confused you. Do you know why? Because you perfectly display the power of his GRACE.
It is God’s grace that makes us good enough. God’s grace that puts us in right standings. God’s grace that gives us the freedom to change into more than we have ever been before. God’s grace that gives us a new name, a new identity, a new story, and a new direction.
Stop dismissing yourself. God wants to use you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I have sooooo much goodness to share with you today for our Friday Bible Study together!
Grab your Bible and study along with me to be blown away by God!
Ecclesiastes 1:2-8
Ecclesiastes 12: 13
Romans 1:20
2 Corinthians 5: 17
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today, we continue our search for meaning and fulfillment in life.
So far, we’ve found that trying to understand everything isn’t the answer. We can never understand the things of God. It’s not our place to know everything, it’s our place to trust there’s a bigger picture we cannot yet see.
We’ve also found that all the fun in the world will still leave us feeling empty. Why? Because things simply aren’t perpetually fun. Life is like the changing seasons, and some seasons are hard winters or harsh summers. That’s just life. The good news is, seasons always change and hard times don’t last forever. If all we’re ever searching for is pleasure, we’re missing the point and left unfulfilled. Honey, you can be sitting on the most gorgeous beach in the world in the bikini body of your dreams, and you could still be absolutely miserable. (Where are the girls that would at least like to give it a try?)
So now, we look at the third thing we often seek for meaning and fulfillment in life. What we can do, what we can build, what we can get and who we can become?
And this is where most of us get completely tripped up. We think our life purpose is wrapped up in what we do. We think we are defined by what we’ve built. Our quest becomes focused on what we can get. Then what we’re left with is who we’ve become.
Listen, and listen closely, THAT JOB WILL NEVER BRING YOU LASTING FULFILLMENT. THERE’S NOT A SINGLE HOUSE, CAR, SURGERY, TOY OR WARDROBE YOU COULD EVER BUY THAT WILL FILL THE HOLE YOU’RE TRYING TO FILL. Inevitably, success, money, and fame all lead to the same place … emptiness without something more.
And that is what Solomon found. In his quest for meaning and fulfillment, he became the king, acquired all the things, met every goal and conquered every battle, only to come to the same conclusion as before. Meaningless. It was all meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 2: 4-11, “I tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. I owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kinds and provinces. I hired wonderful singers and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could ever desire! So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I could take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. BUT as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless – like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”
Can you imagine being in a position of being able to have anything you wanted? Can you imagine everything being done for you and never having to wash a dish or clean a toilet again? Can you imagine everyone knowing and loving you? Sounds absolutely fantastic, doesn’t it?
This is precisely what Solomon has. He is the top of the top with the best of the best. He wants for absolutely nothing. He has achieved every goal he set and anything else he decides he wants to do, it will undoubtedly be done. And yet it was totally meaningless. In complete desperation, he sits on the throne he had worked so hard for, looks out over all of his accomplishments and successes and declares, “there’s nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”
College girls, you think if you just get that degree, then you will be happy. Hmmm, I can’t tell you how many people have a very pricey diploma hanging on their wall that has done absolutely nothing for them.
Or the sheer number of friends I have who got the degree, then got the job, and they hate the job.
Or, they love the job, but the job has sucked the life out of them and they have no time for anything else.
Or, the number of women I know who all they wanted was a family … now that family is all they complain about. That husband! Those kids! Ughhhhh.
Your purpose is not found in the career. Your meaning is not found in your family. Your fulfillment will never come from what you have done, what you have created, or what you have earned. And here’s why … at the end of the day, you still have that God sized hole in you that only he can fill. Eternity has still been planted in your heart and only an eternal perspective on this life will fulfill you.
It’s always heartbreaking to hear the news come out of Hollywood that then next superstar, movie star or rock star has taken their own life. People who had worked so hard and had it all. What more could they have possibly wanted to make them happy? My friends, it all comes back to that God sized hole within each of us. The more we have of everything else, the more apparent that God hole becomes. The more we fill our lives with everything else, the more we long for what we are missing.
This life, regardless of success, accomplishments, fame, and new really pretty shiny things, always goes back to feeling empty without God. There’s so much more than this, and your heart knows it!
There’s this wild thing known as a ‘Goal Hole’. Have you heard about it? It’s the shockingly unfulfilled feeling you have AFTER achieving your goal. No one tells you that after you achieve what you’ve been working so hard for, you feel disappointingly empty. No one tells you the high of success is quickly followed by an even lower low of un-fulfillment.
I learned of goal hole after running my first marathon. For 6 months I had pushed harder than ever before. I had gone from the girl who had learned to walk again after having a stroke, the girl who even pre-stroke had never run a mile in her life … to the girl who would run 26.2 miles and cross her first finish line. Training consumed me. I hated it and I loved it. My body transformed. My mind transformed. But after that race, after all the news articles and the 5 minutes of fame … I was still me. It’s just now, I was me without anything to work toward.
That’s what they don’t tell you … when you accomplish everything you’re working so hard for, you’re left wondering what’s missing. That good feeling doesn’t last like you thought it would. That high comes crashing down.
Within a few months of that first marathon, I was unable to run 5 miles. For real, a year later I had lost everything I had worked for and I ended up worse than I had begun. Talk about disappointment.
Even without a marathon, I bet it’s happened for you too. You’ve had success, then that success failed to give you everything you had hoped. It was short lived and led to disappointment. Disappointment that says, “Why did I work so hard for this? Is this really all there is?”
They say the cure for goal hole is to have another goal to work toward immediately after you achieve your success. I’ve tried that too. Let me tell you what that led to for me … BURN OUT!
We can become a completely obsessed, never fulfilled machine in search of the next thing that will make us temporarily happy, and eventually become a miserable soul who is missing the point.
You know why we get burned out? Because we were not created to just go from one goal to the next. We were created for more than temporary successes and momentary accomplishments. We were created for more than material possessions or earthly praises. We were created for ETERNITY!
Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God has planted eternity in the human heart.” That’s your God sized hole! And only an eternal focus brings the fulfillment and meaning you desire. EVER!
So, this life you have been given … yes, live it and live it well. Waste nothing. Enjoy the journey. Do great things. Get better and better. But never forget it’s all sooooo much bigger than that. There’s soooooo much more than this. Everything we accomplish in this life is emptiness without an eternal perspective and impact.
Solomon had temporarily fallen away from God in his quest to have it all, but in the end he comes back with this realization. There is more to this life and it’s only found in God. Without him, it’s all meaningless. With him, nothing is wasted.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Where do we find meaning and fulfillment for this life? We’re all searching for it, but where do we find it?
King Solomon was granted the gift of wisdom by God. He was made to be the wisest man ever to live, knowing more than anyone else. Yet, he too struggled to find meaning and fulfillment in this life that would be here one day and gone the next. The book of Ecclesiastes is his quest to find what he was missing.
The problem was, Solomon had temporarily fallen away from his God and his search was limited to what could be found “under the sun”. Under the sun is what we see. Under the sun is what is here and now. However, meaning and fulfillment for this life cannot be found under the sun because this is all temporary. Without an eternal perspective and the big picture, we are left desperately wanting.
Solomon sets out on a quest to find the life meaning he desired and the fulfillment he was missing through 3 things:
- More wisdom.
- More pleasure.
- More success.
Yesterday, in episode #1713 “You Won’t Understand” we look at what happens when we insist on trying to understand the mysteries of our unsearchable God. What Solomon found, in chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes is he simply couldn’t figure all of this out. Even as the smartest man to ever live, he could not understand the things of God and he ended up discouraged and convinced everything was meaningless.
And without God, it is. Without the promise of eternity, this is all just a waste because we’re here, then we’re gone. This wild ride ends in certain death. But with the eternal perspective of God, everything matters because it’s all leading to so much more than what is just “under the sun.”
Solomon’s quest for more wisdom brings us to the same place as our own demands for answers and understanding … unfulfilled and without meaning. We don’t find meaning and fulfillment in more wisdom because we will never understand all the things of God.
Now, Solomon moves on to his second quest. Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, “I said to myself, ‘Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the good things in life.’ But I found that this, too, was meaningless.”
I’m a fun girl. On the ennegram, I’m a 7. 7’s are labeled as the enthusiasts for life. We’re the ones who are perpetually excited and get everyone else excited. We make everything more fun. That’s a great thing – a gift. But every gift must be managed or it becomes a curse. Every unbalanced strength threatens to become a weakness to our own detriment. There’s never a boring or dull moment with us 7’s. Do you know why … because we tend to find surface level meaning and fulfillment from pleasure.
Here’s the problem … when we can’t make it fun, when there’s a lack of excitement in our days, we feel totally empty. Then we start searching for a way to fill that emptiness. What we typically find is a dangerously unhealthy temporary fix.
Example … alcohol. Isn’t it crazy that is exactly what Solomon did. Keep reading verse 3, he says, “After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.”
Jesus warned us, “In this world you will have problems”, so this means it won’t always be fun and exciting. There will be tough times. There will be hard days. The fun will run out. The excitement will wear down. The entertainment won’t be so entertaining any more. Then you’re left with the emptiness you were trying to fill … a dull ache that questions, what’s the point in all of this if it won’t last?
The point is, beyond the fun we can create and beyond the excitement of temporary pleasures, there’s a God who designed us for so much more. And his design of you and I includes that God sized hole within that only he can fill.
If this life were all there was, then pleasure would be the only point. Like Solomon mistakenly said, in chapter 8, verse 5, “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.”
Again, Solomon had fallen away from God. He has lost faith in the unseen and focused only on what he could understand and control under the sun. We must pause here and see that Solomon is wrong. He’s not wrong that it’s good to enjoy the life we have been given. However, he is totally wrong to assume we should enjoy this because this is all there is.
The delights of life are not meant to drug and addict us into living foolishly, but these joys that lift our spirits and make us smile are invigorating gifts from God. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having fun. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life. There’s nothing wrong with being excited about exciting things. What is wrong is to be addicted to those things.
Imagine if your child only comes to you to receive your gifts. That would hurt your heart, wouldn’t it? If their only motive in communication with you or relationship was the next gift you could give them so that they could play and have fun, that would be a very limited relationship. That’s the way we start treating God when we only pursue the pleasures and joys of life.
God, if you don’t have a gift of something fun for me today, then I’m out. Call me again when you can make it exciting.
Ouch … guilty.
When I first started hosting Retreats 14 years ago, my focus was on fun. The intention was to pack as much fun, excitement, adventure and laughter into a weekend as possible and send you home overflowing with happy memories. Sounds great … but the problem is, that was all it was about.
I left out God.
There was no deeper purpose. It was all surface level.
Looking back, I realize this is precisely why I encountered more drama than any one person could handle. More chaos than I was prepared to coordinate. More discouragement and disappointment and struggles to make it all come together.
I had missed the point. It couldn’t be all about the fun. It couldn’t be all hype and excitement. Retreat had to reach beyond that. God had to be at the center and absolutely saturate every detail. Once I invited him into the middle and let our fun and excitement be about Him, then everything changed.
Retreats sold out immediately and we went from hosting 2 a year to 1 or more every month. The chaos and drama was eliminated. His fingerprints are seen on every tiny detail and we have the honor of witnessing lives truly changed and impacted, and dang do we ever have fun in the process!
God had to show me the fun was meaningless without him.
God loves to give his girls gifts, but the gifts are not the point of the relationship. The point of this relationship is to guide us into a life that reaches far beyond this and into eternity. Life is not lived only for this life. There’s eternity in your heart.
You are literally designed for eternity. And this design is precisely why you will never find meaning and fulfillment through temporary pleasures and fun. That’s not who you really are. We mistakenly dive head first off that cliff, but we find an emptiness that can never be filled. Fun cannot be our focus. Pleasure is not the point. Excitement is not everything.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “I came so that you may have life, and have it to the full.” That’s a BIG life here, yes. That’s a life full of potential and possibility while you are here. But it doesn’t stop here. The life Jesus came to offer you reaches beyond your existence in your earthly experience. This is the appetizer, girl, save your fork! You haven’t even dared to imagine the beauty of what lies beyond this.
Beyond this, beyond what Solomon refers to as ‘under the sun’, is an eternity with our Maker and our Savior. An eternity of divine perfection and delight. A never-ending reward earned only by our faith in Jesus.
We’re all just on our way there.
May we enjoy the journey, but never become addicted to the joy and forget where it’s all leading. Meaning and fulfillment isn’t found in pleasure. It’s not found in fun. Those are sweet temporary gifts from God for our journey. But our destination is the reward!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You’ve been working the numbers in your head and the numbers tell you don’t get your hopes up. You’ve been doing the math and the math has been discouraging. There’s no way this is going to be possible for you. There’s no way there’s enough. There’s no way it will all come together.
That’s just the reality.
But my sister, there is far more at work here than what you see. Reality is what you see. What you cannot see is the power at work in the spiritual realms, and that power is not limited by reality. Your life is much like the iceberg. What you see is just the tip. There’s a mass connected to this in the unseen.
What’s in the unseen for you is God at work in the details. What’s in the unseen for you is a divine plan coming together regardless of circumstances.
However, your faith is required to experience the unseen. Your partnership has been requested in the working of this plan. Now my sister, don’t let the math get in your way and discourage you in the process.
GOD MATH. It’s the way God takes what could never be enough and makes it more than enough. It’s the way God reworks the numbers in miraculous ways to create an abundance. You want some God math in your life! This is your answer! I know you’re dealing with too little too late, but that’s just a primed situation for God math. But, here’s the key … he’s not going to do it without you.
Maybe you’ve been praying and you’ve been waiting for God to do something miraculous here, but what if God’s been waiting for you. God is unlimited in his power and ability. This isn’t a case of God can’t, maybe this is more a case of you won’t.
Look at the miracles of Jesus and see how he works. There’s a pattern to his miracles. Time and time again, he invites us to be his partners in the process. He could do it without us, but he doesn’t. He gives us a job to do. He gives us a role to play.
Matthew 14: 15-21, Jesus is surrounded by a massive crowd of people who had come to a very remote area to see him. They had been there all day and the people had grown hungry. The disciples say to Jesus, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the village and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary – you feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!”
This is where reality hits. The reality is there’s nowhere near enough to feed this massive crowd of people. It was absolutely ridiculous to assume somehow they could or even should feed everyone. Feeding a crowd like this would have taken about 8 months wages. 8 months from 1 person for 1 meal for everyone. That’s ridiculous.
Now, lets look at the sheer amount of food required to feed this crowd. Later we find out the crowd was 5,000 men in addition to all the women and children. Let’s just assume for every man there is 1 woman and 1 child, that’s 15,000 people. Assuming each person would eat 1/3 of a loaf of bread for their meal, this would require 5,000 loaves of bread. Do you know how much bread that is? That’s more than a massive semi truck can hold.
This is the need. The supply is just 5 loaves of bread. That’s 1/1,000. That’s .001% of what was needed.
You likely know the end of the story. The end of the story tells us all the people ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftovers. But how do you go from only .001% of what was needed to 12 baskets of leftovers after 15,000 people have eaten?
Here’s how (and this is what you need to know today) ….
Verse 18-19, Jesus said, “Bring them here.” (He’s referring to the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish they have. This .001% of what was actually needed.). Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the 5 loaves and 2 fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.”
That’s your answer. Now, it doesn’t feel like your answer, but it is.
Your answer is to stop letting the numbers distract you and do what Jesus says! You don’t have to understand this, you just have to be willing to take the next step.
Imagine being a disciple here for just a moment. You know the numbers. You know what you have is an embarrassing minimum that’s nowhere close to being enough to feed everyone. You know it, but the crowd doesn’t know it. You’ve done the math and the math isn’t mathing. And just then, Jesus tells the crowd to sit down. He’s preparing them to receive.
Right about now is when I start to panic. I have a habit of buying too much and cooking too much. I never want to come up lacking. If someone is counting on me for a meal, I want them to have more than enough. Now, stop right there … don’t you think Jesus cares even more than we do about his people? Don’t you think he too wants there to be more than enough? YES – he’s proven that! That’s why there were left overs. The only problem here is we don’t know what Jesus knows. We look at the numbers and we see .001% of what is needed. We see reality. We see the tip of the iceberg. Remember, there is sooooo much more at work here.
Jesus didn’t ask his disciples to understand what he was going to do, he simply asked them to participate in the process. They had 2 jobs: Bring what little they had to Jesus, then distribute it once Jesus had blessed and broken it.
There was no need for the disciples involvement. Jesus could have done it without them, but he graciously invited them to participate in the process so they could see God math. They would need this God math in the future. God math that said Jesus had no breath left in him, yet he would rise and return again to give us life. God math that said they could do nothing without God, but with him, they would do even greater things than they had seen Jesus do. God math that said even though you have failed, you have been chosen.
In John 2: 1-10, we see that Jesus has gone to a wedding celebration and the groom’s family had made a terrible mistake in their calculations. They had not purchased enough wine. Running out of wine at a wedding was a true disgrace and they would be filled with shame. But someone had invited Jesus to that wedding, and let me tell you, when you invite Jesus to come, everything changes!
Jesus is there with his mother Mary, and when she finds out of the disgrace the groom’s family would face because the wine has run out, she gets Jesus involved. And she knows the key to God math. Here it is, verse 5, Mary tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Next, Jesus gives seemingly ridiculous instructions to start gathering water. There are no grapes, just water. You don’t make wine from water. You make wine from grapes. You take those grapes and you let them ferment with time. A long time. But Jesus doesn’t require the correct ingredients. Nor does Jesus require a long time. Jesus requires one thing: WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU TO DO.
After Jesus’ mother tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you,” Jesus gives instructions. Standing nearby were 5 stone water jars. Each could hold 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from, he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first, but you have kept the best until now!”
Just as he told the disciples to participate in the process of the feeding of the crowd, he tells the servants to participate in the process of turning water into wine. And now, Jesus is telling you, if you want to see his miraculous works here, stop worrying about the numbers!
Your reality tells you there isn’t enough time, there isn’t enough money, there isn’t enough support. Reality says you will never be enough and this will never be enough. But Jesus says, “If you do whatever I tell you, there will be an overflow here.”
The wine Jesus made was the best and finest wine. It was better than money could have bought. The bread Jesus multiplied was far more than enough. There was so much there were more leftovers than there was food to begin with.
That’s God math.
This is about you doing in faith whatever God tells you to do next. This is about you showing up where you are, doing what you can, and trusting God to do all you can’t do. My sister, you don’t have to understand it to be obedient.
What really blows me away is God could do it without us. He didn’t really need the disciples to bring him those 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He didn’t really need them to distribute the broken pieces. Think about it. This is Jesus … he could have miraculously just made every stomach there full. He could have had this whole thing catered in advance. But he didn’t. Instead, he graciously shared in the miracle first hand with his disciples. He said, “Come and be part of the impossible with me. I want you to see this for yourself!”
And he did the same at the wedding. He could have had a secret stash of wine he had brought in. He could have had a wine salesman come wheeling through the village at just that time. He could have brought wine with him as a gift. But instead, he invites servants to be part of the miraculous process with him.
And now he says to you … you with the too little too late … you with the numbers that simply will not ever work … you with what never seems to be enough … you with a reality of lack and shortcomings … he says to you, “come and be part of the impossible with me. I want you to see this for yourself!”
Now, my sister, all you have to do is do whatever simple, seemingly unimportant thing he tells you to do next. For the disciples, it was to gather the tiny bit of food and start handing it out. For the servants, it was to fill these stone jars with water. And for you, it may be to show up today with a good attitude. It may be to put in extra effort with the best you can do. It may be to boldly ask again where the answer was previously no. It may be to take that next step of obedience and do the thing he has already been telling you to do. It may be to stop doing what he’s told you to stop doing. It may be to surrender this to him and lay it down.
Jesus is asking you to do something. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is. It’s your obedient next step to be a participant in his miraculous process. This is how your .001% becomes more than enough. This is how what is too far gone and far too late, happens now. This is God math.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This morning you miraculously woke up to a reality filled with the very things you once prayed for. Really, look around … how much of what you have today was once a prayer? And how much of that has now become so normal, so ordinary, and so totally unimpressive that you fail to recognize it as the answer to your prayers.
Oh, it happens to all of us. We get it and we forget to be grateful after time and eventually we take it for granted. We no longer realize the gift in all we have. Isn’t it crazy how the world turns our blessings into burdens? We get it, then we complain about taking care of it. We get it, then we don’t use it. We get it (you know, the husband, the baby, the new job, the new house), and then we’re stuck with it. Then what?
Have your blessings become burdens? Have you unknowingly taken for granted all you have been given? To “take for granted” means: failing to properly appreciate, especially as a result of over-familiarity. It’s all so familiar, so it’s all unimpressive and goes unappreciated. That’s taking something for granted.
If you’ve ever felt taken for granted, you know precisely what I’m talking about.
Jesus tells us a story of what happens when we take our Father’s provisions and blessings for granted. In short, let me tell you what happens … you end up in a mess of despair after realizing you wasted what you had.
Now maybe you’re like me and you’ve heard this story many times, but you’ve never heard it from a perspective of what you’ve been taking for granted. Listen again. Luke 15: 11-24:
Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
Why did the son leave? Simply because he failed to appreciate what had become so familiar. He was used to waking up in his father’s house. He was used to having food. He was used to having family. And he was bored. Bored, convinced life would be better somewhere else with someone else. So, he left.
And one day, he woke up in the mess he created and all he wished for was for everything he had taken for granted before. He wanted his house back. He wanted his food back. He wanted his family back. And scripture says, “when he finally came to his senses, he returned home.”
As a mama who has been waiting for over 5 years for a precious child to return home, I become hyper focused on the ‘return home’ part of the story. But what about the DON’T LEAVE HOME part of the story? What about the opportunity for us to learn the lesson, acknowledge the blessing, and live in full awareness of it while we have it instead of waiting until it’s threatened.
Some of us have run away, and God wants us to hear him say today, “My girl, I’ve always been waiting for you to return. My arms are wide open for you.” If that’s you, I pray you hear that to the depths of your soul right now and your feet start running back before your head catches on. Get yourself back to God! Remember, if you take one step toward God, he will take a thousand steps towards you. Turn around, Sis. Come on back.
But for most of us, we haven’t run away, we’ve just been drifting. Ever so slowly, we’ve drifted.
Here’s the thing about drifting … you never realize it when it’s happening, and it never takes you anywhere you want to be.
Over time, we no longer wake up excited about life, we’ve started dreading life. Over time, what was new has become old. Over time, what we have is no longer noticed. Over time, the answered prayer has become familiar and unacknowledged.
Really, have you ever lost something and only then realized how precious it really was to you? Have you ever had something taken from you and had to admit you didn’t appreciate it fully when you had it? I’m pretty sure that’s all of us. We’ve learned that lesson first hand. We’ve felt that regret. We’ve wished we could go back and change it. But what if today were our opportunity to change future regret?
What if you woke up today to the day you will want back in 1 year, 5 years, 10 or 20 years. What if this is your miraculous undoing of time?
Imagine that for a moment. At some point in the future, you’ve lost it, but today you’ve been given the priceless gift of going back to when you still had it so you could recognize it, appreciate it, and change how you treat it.
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THIS?
We recognize the movement of God required to give us that blessing, but what we often miss is the movement of God it required for that blessing to remain! You have no idea what God did to keep that child alive all those years! You have no idea what God protected your marriage from. You have no idea what could have happened with your job or with your house. But because you have no idea, you didn’t wake up absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude for what is still the same today as it was yesterday.
Here’s the danger with the drifting of our gratitude … one day we may be convinced that there’s something better somewhere else, so we go chasing after it. The son had everything he could ever asked for at home with his father. Everything. But he had always had everything, so he failed to recognize the blessing. He didn’t appreciate the blessing until he was hanging out in the pig pin, starving and wishing he could eat the pig’s food. He had to lose it all before he realized he had it all.
My sister, don’t let that be you. What do you have? Don’t wait until you lose it to appreciate it.
Who do you have in your life today that you know you won’t always have? Can you savor them a bit more now? Can you spend intentional time with them? Study their face. Hold their hand. Listen to their voice. Don’t make excuses. Call if you need to, one day you won’t get to.
If you’re able to go to the grocery store and buy food without concern of your debit card being denied, girl, don’t take that for granted. I’m pretty sure I’m still scarred from our years of financial struggle where every swipe of my card came with a prayer, “please Lord, let it go through.” That scar serves as a reminder to me today – girl never take for granted that you can now buy those groceries! He’s still answering that prayer … every time the purchase goes through and those groceries go home with me!
God allows us to get a few scars. Scars that remind us of how bad it was and how he came through for us. Scars that keep me from running off thinking somewhere else is going to better than where I am.
It’s a hard balance … how do you know when God is calling you to go because you’ve settled … and when God is telling you to stay where he has brought you. There’s a difference, but how do you know which one you’re in?
I asked God that exact question this morning, and here’s the answer he gave me:
“Wherever you are, if you will continually live in awe and wonder of all I am doing for you, my child, you will know where I am leading. You will see my hand when you look for it. Sometimes I will call you to follow me and go in faith to more. Sometimes I will direct you to stay and graze in the green pastures where you already are. You will know when you’re not drifting.”
YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU’RE NOT DRIFTING. As long as you’re drifting you will always be confused. You will always be uncertain. You will always wonder … until you crash.
Drifting is what causes our problems. Drifting is when you don’t see the reality of what’s around you. You don’t see where you are and where you’re going. You’re checked out. You’re not paying attention. Then you crash. You crash because you become untethered from where you were supposed to be, or you stopped intentionally going in the direction you were supposed to go.
When you drift, that’s what has happened. You either lost your tether or you lost your intention.
Lord, please show us where we have become untethered from you. Show us where we have drifted away from your plan. Wake us up to see all we already have so don’t waste it while we have it.
God, show us where we are drifting without intention into harmful waters. Help us to see where this leads and the regret it will bring. Give us the courage and strength to pick up the oar and move with intention once again. Intentionally seeking your way.
Just as the prodigal son, when we take for granted all our father has given us, we drift. All we ever have to do is come back to the awe and wonder of what God is doing and we will see his hand. He will welcome us back. He will celebrate us with a party!
Look around … the party is here already. Blessing upon blessing. Answered prayers from 20 years ago are still your reality today. How absolutely incredible that God has held all of that together for you! Now, don’t take it for granted.
Imagine this is your return ticket to a day of life when you still had it to enjoy. What are you going to do with this? I know … I’m going to practice not taking it for granted.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In today’s unscripted Bible study, we dive into 2 of the 7 things God’s
word says he hates. Oh wait, this applies to every one of us in the
thoughts we choose to entertain!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When you ask God to search your heart and show you what needs to change, don’t be surprised when you discover what looks good on the outside has been rotten on the inside. It’s so easy for us to dress ourselves up and play pretend nice, but God isn’t impressed by our show. God knows why you do what you do. He knows the real script behind the play. And he wants to go to work on your heart … not out of punishment, but out of divine love.
My friend, God cannot lavish his unspeakable goodness on his girl when her heart isn’t right. It’s like giving the car keys to a 6 year old and telling her you want her to enjoy driving the highway early. You would be creating that wreck by giving her what she isn’t ready for. And it’s the same with us. God knows he can’t give us anything we’re not really ready for without creating devastation in our lives. If our hearts aren’t right, we’re not ready for the blessings.
The enemy of your soul is who we call Satan. Not Satan with horns and a pitchfork. Satan was the most beautiful of all the angels. Scripture says he had a seal of perfection. He was exquisite, adorned with every precious stone. He was ordained and anointed as the mighty angelic guardian. God’s unspeakable goodness had been poured out on his creation in this high angel.
But something terrible happened. Something went wrong. All of this beauty and all of this power caused Satan’s angelic heart to become twisted and total devastation was the result. Satan’s sin was pride. He began to think he was better than God. He elevated himself above everyone else and assumed a righteous position of superiority. And as Proverbs 16:38 says, “Pride goes before destruction.”
But this pride didn’t stop with the fall of Satan. The destruction continues. I believe what God wants to do today is to check our hearts. Has something gotten twisted in us? Is something dangerous growing inside while we put on a pretty face and play pretend nice?
Proverbs 6: 16-19:
There are six things the Lord hates –
no seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord.
What caught my attention here was the sudden change in count. “Six things the Lord hates, NO SEVEN things he detests.” Was Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, confused or conflicted when he wrote this? No. Actually, dig deeper and you will find this was a style of writing to reflect that the final added statement was the result of the previous statements. The first 6: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies – those all result in number 7, a person sowing discord. Discord – problems between people.
Well, we seem to have an abundance of that today, don’t we? Problems between people. And let’s be real clear, GOD DETESTS THIS! The problem you have with other people, God’s not happy about it. The way you talk about them, the way you treat them, the way you look at them … God says NO!
What causes these problems between people? Look back at the list. It’s easy to dismiss ourselves assuming it doesn’t apply to us. I don’t kill anyone. I’m not plotting evil. But, what about the very first one on the list: Those haughty eyes.
Haughty eyes are prideful eyes. Yes, pride. The sin of Satan.
Eyes that look down and say, “I’m better than you.” Eyes that judge. Eyes that arrogantly declare yourself as prettier, more successful, smarter, more talented, better, right, or above someone else in any way. GOD HATES THOSE HAUGHTY EYES because this is the beginning of destruction.
If we were being honest, behind our sweet gestures and kind replies, aren’t we secretly looking down on others all the time? Aren’t we constantly weighing ourselves against them on some secret scale, and when we are measured to be better than them in some way we feel better about ourselves? Seems innocent enough. I mean who are we hurting with our secret little scale of comparison?
Let me tell you who we are hurting … EVERYONE, INCLUDING OURSELVES. God knows where this leads. He’s seen it before in his creation of an angel given the seal of perfection.
I don’t know if maybe you’re just generally beautiful and you are complimented all the time on your looks – or maybe you’re a really talented singer or artist or athlete or baker and you continually receive praise for your performance – or maybe you are really wise and you see things others don’t see and understand things on a deeper level. This is your strength, but understand it can also become your weakness. This can be the weak spot where the enemy of your soul twists your heart. This is where your eyes become haughty and over time you are better than someone else.
This is how pride begins. And pride comes before destruction.
God’s been at work on my heart to remove a secret sense that I’m better, or I’m right when they’re wrong. Pride has grown behind a facade that looks so darn nice. And God so lovingly wants to pluck that crap out.
Yes, he’s seen the destruction pride brings in the heart of his beautiful creation. Satan was the most beautiful. He was a perfect angel (literally). And if pride could cause him to fall, trust me, pride could get us too!
Lord, search my heart. Where have I elevated myself to a position of being better than someone else? Where have I assumed that I am right and therefore they are wrong. Find my secret scale where I’m continually measuring everyone else against myself, and destroy it!
When the secret scale is gone, then you can receive God’s immeasurable goodness. But as long as you’re measuring, you’re not ready for the immeasurable.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What are your plans? For real, what have you been planning to do? Plans for your future. Plans for a move. Plans for a career. Plans for a vacation.
As humans, we tend to make plans because God makes plans. We’re made in his image, so naturally, we make plans too. And your plans are not a bad thing. In fact, you should use your God given ability to make plans. Planning for absolutely nothing creates a boring, stagnant life with unmet potential. But as you make your plans, remember this, GOD HAS PLANS FOR YOU TOO! His plans are guaranteed to be good. His plans are guaranteed to prosper. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
God is simply asking that your plans be committed to him. Proverbs 16: 3, “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Verse 9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
These plans that you’ve been making, let me ask you, have you committed them to God?
What does it mean to commit your plans to God? The Hebrew word for “commit” is gol which means to roll. So, think about that … God’s word is telling you to roll your plans on over to him. When you roll something it’s because it’s too heavy to carry. I don’t pick up that boulder, I try to roll that boulder.
My life plans are too heavy for me. I can’t carry them, nor can I fulfill them well. You know what happens when I try to fulfill my plans my way? I make a mess! I make commitments I regret. I open doors to rooms I have no business being in. I create undue pressure and stress. However, I can avoid all of this if I roll those plans on over to God and ask him for help.
God didn’t create us to be mindless robots. Instead, he planted dreams and desires within us and gave us the ability to make plans. This is a gift with divine design. We’re not to waste it. Instead, we’re to partner with our creator to bring our plans to their fullest potential.
Is that the step you’ve forgotten? Did you forget to roll this plan on over to God? Did you forget to bring it to him for review first?
Why wouldn’t we bring our plans to God before we take our next steps? Oh I know exactly why … because I do it. I try to just sneak in my plans under the radar of God because I’m afraid he will shoot them down. Girl, do you know how totally impossible it is to sneak anything under God’s radar? He is omniscient meaning he KNOWS EVERYTHING, he is omnipresent which means he IS EVERYWHERE, and he is omnipotent, meaning he is all-power over EVERYTHING. You’re not sneaking this by him!
But I try! I can’t tell you how many fun adventures I’ve tried to sneak by God. I was so afraid God would spoil my fun if I talked to him about it first. I often tease it’s better to ask forgiveness after than permission first. Yes, that’s true of a public water fountain that in my opinion was absolutely made for splashing in with your girlfriend … however it’s not true of our God.
Here’s what we forget about God … God loves to say YES. He loves to go above and beyond. He loves to absolutely blow us away with indescribable beauty and quirky details. Look at creation. Look at the puffer fish … how fun is that little fella that just puffs up. Look at the sunset that could have been in gray tones, but instead God chose to paint it in our favorite colors.
Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Those big dreams that you have within you, let me tell you something, God’s not interested in shooting them down. Those hopes you have of beautiful things for your future, God’s not shaking his head at them. No! Instead God is saying I CAN GO EXCEEDINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY ABOVE THAT FOR YOU, MY GIRL!
If you will roll those plans on over to me, I can do even greater things than you can possibly imagine.
Go ahead and dare to think of your biggest, grandest, most ridiculous plan right now … you know, the one that is almost embarrassing because it seems ridiculously impossible … think of it right now. God says, “If you will commit that to me, roll it on over into my hands, I can go even above it!”
I have plans for a cross country roadtrip in a vintage Volkswagen bus as my mobile studio and taking the BIG Life Devotionals on tour. I want to come to your area. I want to set up in your local park. I want to sip coffee with you and share some Jesus time with you. I want you to come sit in the BIG Life VW Bus and take a photo! I want you to have an encounter with the love of Jesus that you will just never forget. And I want us to have epic adventures along the way!
Why would I ever hold those plans in my own hands when I have a great big God who can do so much more? I’m committing it to God, just rolling it right on over, so he can get all up in the details with his ability to go exceedingly and abundantly above, and do infinitely more. He’s not dismissing me from the work. He’s partnering with me in the work.
God’s not dismissing you from the work of the plans you have either. Oh no, my sister, he’s inviting you to roll those plans on over to him, then trust him to guide you in your obedient, faith-filled next steps. He wants a partnership with you in those plans. A partnership that doesn’t dismiss your plans, but goes exceedingly and abundantly above them in the way only God can!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
All of God’s creation (outside of humans), simply does what it’s created to do without thought. The plants and the animals live naturally, just as they were created. There’s no stress. There’s no worry. They represent the perfection in God’s design.
So, why can’t we (God’s greatest creation, the one’s he has called his masterpiece) yes, why can’t we live naturally with no stress and worry? Oh yeah, because unlike all the other creatures, we have the power of choice, and our choices can be wrong and mess things up.
But God says to his most prized creation, “Look. Look at my other creations and see how they do it. See how they just live. See how they naturally do what they were created to do with ease. Now, my masterpiece, do what I’ve created you to do.”
Today, we will look at four creations that show us how to live as we were designed to live.
- Matthew 6: 26-27, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life.”
Oh yes, we’ve talked about the faith of the mama bird before. She leaves the babies in the nest each morning and goes out to find their daily food. She’s not stressed. She’s not worried. She flies in faith knowing what she needs will be provided.
When she returns to the nest, there her babies wait with wide open mouths to receive everything being given to them. They’re always ready to receive. They are not prideful in being self-sufficient. No, they know everything comes from the one who is over them.
And Jesus tells us LOOK AT THE BIRDS. Do you see how they live naturally without stress and worry? Do you see how they fly in faith and receive in fullness? The birds live in partnership with God. They don’t worry about the provisions, but they also do their part. She flies out of the nest to go get what God is providing! She expectantly goes out to get it.
God does all of this for the birds, and we are so much more valuable than they are. We are the prized masterpiece. Learn to be dependent on God for his divine providence. Only he can make it happen. Only he can provide what is needed. Only he can fill you to overflowing. And he is faithful to do so!
How amazing that our God is so big and so divine, yet he has ordered the universe to depend on him for even the feeding of the birds. All of his creation needs him. So honey, of course you do too! You were not designed to be self-sufficient, capable of doing everything on your own. God designed you to need him most!
- Matthew 6: 28-30, “Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.”
Our worry is rooted in a low understanding of our value to God. When we fail to recognize God’s infinite care over the details of our lives, we turn to worrying over what we cannot control. Honey, if you cannot control it, God does! You need to learn how much God loves you so you can lean into his miraculous workings of providence in your life.
Your worry is accomplishing absolutely nothing. It’s a waste of your energy … energy God has given you to live well, and here you are wasting it over worry. Your worry is not without impact. The stress you are creating within your body is of tremendous negative impact. This is why God is saying, “LOOK AT MY WILDFLOWERS! LOOK HOW I CARE FOR THEM SO WONDERFULLY. WON’T I CARE FOR YOU EVEN MORE?”
Oh how God shows off in his display of the wildflowers. They grow where they grow. They just keep coming back, year after year, multiplying. They show up in their vibrant brilliance, unashamed, just as they were designed. While on my friend’s farm in Kentucky, I saw the wildflowers growing in her fields. The brightest, most magnificent colors of hot pink and yellow, stretching toward the sun. In Colorado, high in the Rocky Mountains, I saw wildflowers growing in the crevices of the rocks. A brilliant purple paints the gray in the way only an artist could do.
Only God cares for them. They’re wild. No one is picking the weeds around them. No one is watering them. That’s God’s job, and he does it faithfully. Now, won’t he do it for you too?
- Jeremiah 8:7, “Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year.”
Did you know the stork (yes the one we have credited for delivering babies on doorsteps in our cartoons) is given it’s name in Hebrew because it is called “the faithful one”. It is known for its early return home each season. It comes in first, knowing it is time to return.
Have you ever thought about the miraculous journey of a bird in migration. How do they know when to go? How in the world do they know where to go? They’re traveling thousands of miles with a very specific destination and seemingly nothing to guide them… BUT GOD.
The birds are divinely directed by their Creator. He has put within them everything they need for their journey. They instinctively know when to go and how to prepare. They naturally find their way to open opportunities, and they go for it!
Maybe God is saying, look at the migration of my birds because he is now telling his prized girls, GO FOR IT! You’ve got what it takes because I’ve put it in you. I’ve equipped you. You don’t think you can, but actually you can. You’ve just got to go.
There are opportunities awaiting you, my friend. Are you going to go for them? Will you trust God’s timing? There’s a purpose for the season of life you’re in. Embrace the purpose of this season and take the opportunities aligned for you here, knowing God is covering what is next.
- Proverbs 6: 6-8, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from theirs ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for winter.”
Remember how I told you about the same 6 CDs from the motivational speaker Jim Rohn that I used to listen to on replay for years? Jim’s teachings helped me see life differently and dare to believe there was more in me by God’s great design. One of my favorite teachings on those 6 CDs was the lesson of the ants. I can still hear him say, “The ants, the ants, the ants. They don’t wait, they work. They work, they work.”
God’s word is warning us of the price of laziness in our lives. We are given a day of life, and God wants to know what we did with that day. What’s your account for the time you have been given? What have you done with your days?
Is procrastination a problem for you? Do you wait and wait, while the work builds and builds? Well, that’s a real problem. God didn’t design his masterpiece to be a master procratinator. He didn’t design us to constantly need to be told what to do and when to do it. He put that awareness within you.
You know what you need to do. This isn’t a knowing problem, this is a doing problem. We know what we need to do, but we don’t do it when we need to do it. So little tasks pile up and become overwhelming. Then we sit in our overwhelm unsure of where to begin. God says, TAKE A LESSON FROM THE ANTS. The ants work hard when the work is to be done.
Stop doing nothing. Stop saying, “I’ll do it later.” It will only be harder later.
Don’t work out of worry. Don’t work out of frenzy. Work because you have been given energy and energy must be used.
People often ask me where do I get my energy from. Oh, let me tell you the secret. I was faithful with a little energy first. Energy is given where energy is used. It grows when it is worked. Energy is like dough. You have to work the dough for it to evenutally rise. Too many of us are sitting with our little pile of dough, staring at it and complaining how it isn’t growing. Girl, did you knead it? You complain that you NEED it, but you didn’t KNEAD IT.
You’re going to need energy one day, so you better knead the energy you have today. Knead it, work it, use it! God’s word says if you are faithful with little, you will be given more. However if you’re not faithful with little, you can’t expect to be trusted with more. What if that applies to our God given energy supply! If you aren’t faithful to use the little energy you have today to be productive and do what needs to be done, then tomorrow you’ll wake up even lazier than you were today. Why? Because you weren’t faithful with what you had.
But what if you stop procrastinating and stop waiting for someone to tell you what you have to do, and like the ant, you just do everything you can today? You faithfully use all the energy you do have doing everything you know to do. Yes! You know what will happen tomorrow? You will be given more!
Isn’t it crazy how exhausted you can feel laying on the couch watching TV all day? You can barely wait to drag your exhausted butt to bed at night. Let me tell you what that exhaustion really is … that’s boredom. Boredom is an energy suck. Get up! Stop the cycle of procrastination and do what you can today!
So, as God’s greatest and most prized creations, we know everything God created in the animals and the plants, he created even more wonderfully in us. We are divinely covered, divinely protected, divinely provided for, divinely equipped, and divinely called to show up and live well today!
Now, my masterpiece, do what I’ve created you to do.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I believe I’ve come to know something about you in our time here together. Now there’s a lot of you that is still a mystery to me, but this one thing I have come to know … You truly want to do the right thing. You want to make the right decisions. You want to go down the right path. You really WANT to, but you’re still questioning how. How do you know you’re making the right decision? How do you know for sure which way to go?
Isn’t that where you are? Your heart is in it, but you’re not sure your head is getting the right signals so you don’t know if you can trust your own thoughts.
The truth is, it’s a fine line between “God told me to do this” and “I’m doing this because I think it’s a good idea.” Some of y’all want to up and quit your job and you are waiting for one sure prompting from the Holy Spirit and you will gladly walk out that door. But your emotions make it hard to differentiate between a prompting from the Holy Spirit and a hot headed moment of emotion.
Some of y’all are making deals with God. God, if you’ll give me this sign, I’ll be obedient. God, when I randomly open my bible, whatever scripture I read first is my sign from you and it will be my confirmation. God, the first song that plays is my direct message from you. I’m listening! God, if you will speak to me in my dream. God, if you will just open another door. God, if you will slam this door. Girl, what hoop are you creating for God to jump through today to speak to you?
Now, before you shrink away in embarrassment because that’s what you’ve been doing, let me first tell you I’ve done that a whole lot in my life. A LOT. And do you want to know what I think? I think God’s just glad his girls are talking to him about it all. God’s glad we’re coming to him with our questions. I’m pretty sure hoops don’t bother our great big God. But what he wants to show you is he’s WAYYYYY BIGGER than those hoops you’ve created for him to jump through.
This weekend I began studying the book of Proverbs. A proverb by definition is a short statement giving advice. So, this is an entire book in our Bible of advice on life. This advice is being given by Solomon. Solomon is the son of David (remember David, former shepherd boy who defeated the giant Goliath and became a great king). Solomon became king after his father, but he felt inadequate for his job at only 20 years old.
So, what do you do when you feel inadequate and you don’t know how to do the things you must do now? YOU ASK GOD FOR WISDOM. And this is the first lesson of Solomon, he asked God. 1 Kings 3: 7-12, Solomon prays, “Now, Lord my God, you have made me king, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. Give me an understanding heart so that I can know the difference between right and wrong.” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom and said, “I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!” In the next chapter, 1 Kings 4: 29-31, we read, “God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. He was wiser than anyone else.”
So, this man, this man who felt inadequate for his job, this man who admitted he didn’t know anything but sought God for wisdom, this is the man who wrote the book of Proverbs. The man in whom God was very pleased for his request of wisdom and in turn made him wiser than anyone else, this is who is writing these short statements of advice in Proverbs.
Solomon’s very first lesson to us is to ask God for wisdom! God’s not disappointed that you don’t have this all figured out on your own. He’s not shaking his head because your head is still confused over this. No. God is pleased when we ask him for the same thing Solomon did. “Lord, give me an understanding heart so I can know the difference between right and wrong.”
Start there. That’s your step 1!
Now, let’s dig into Proverbs 2, the page of my Bible where I have written in bold letters ‘HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.” Y’all this is a valuable page in your Bible! The man who God gifted with more wisdom than anyone else is telling us how to make the right decisions from God. Since I know that’s what you really want, I know this is your answer!
I will be reading the first 11 verses of Proverbs 2 from several different translations. I’m using a mixture of New Living, New International, The Message and The Passion Translations to help us understand precisely how we make the right decision.
First comes a question, “Will you treasure God’s wisdom?”
Let’s pause right there. You’re asking God to help you make the right decision, but when he shows you will you treasure it? Will you accept it, trust in it, and act on it? Really, will you? Or are you just pretending here? God knows the difference between his girl checking boxes to get her own way and his girl who is truly willing to do in faith what he shows her to do.
Keep reading. “Will you treasure God’s wisdom? Then and only then will you acquire it. Train your heart to listen when God speaks and open your spirit wide to expand your discernment. If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and search for it in hidden places like hidden treasure, then you will find the true knowledge of God. Wisdom is a gift from a generous God. Every word he speaks is full of revelation and becomes a fountain of understanding within you. HIS WORD brings true knowledge and insight. With THIS wisdom you will be able to choose the right road and decide what is good and fair. You will understand what is right. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will become a good friend to your soul. Sound judgment will stand guard over you, discretion will protect you, and understanding will watch over you as the Lord promised.”
A man who asked God for wisdom and became wiser than anyone else is now telling you and I how to make the right decisions in our life. He is giving us divine direction.
Pray, “Lord, give me an understanding heart so I can know the difference between right and wrong.” Treasure and trust God’s wisdom. Train your heart to listen when God speaks. Practice small steps of radical obedience.
God is speaking to you. The problem is, you’ve been dismissing it as nonsense so you’ve never realized the difference between your own impulses and God’s promptings. Practice responding in obedience to what you believe may be God’s promptings and see for yourself the difference. Honey, if you don’t practice you don’t grow.
You have been given the treasure of God’s word. Within it is every answer you seek. How do I know that for sure? Because God’s word is LIVING. It is not limited to the typed words on the pages. However, if you read, study, and deposit those typed words on the pages into your heart, they become a FOUNTAIN OF UNDERSTANDING WITHIN YOU. There’s only one way you get that fountain of understanding inside of you … you put his living word in!
I know it feels frustrating to come to God with specific questions and feel like everything in your Bible is totally not relative to your situation, but my sister, don’t be discouraged. You’re putting that living word in and it doesn’t just sit stagnant in you. It becomes a FOUNTAIN OF UNDERSTANDING. Go back to our scripture. It says this fountain of understanding from his word brings true knowledge and insight. This is what you’ve been looking for! This is how you understand what is right. This is how you know what to do.
Make your deposit of his living word today. Search for his word like a hidden treasure. Wisdom is here for you. Guidance is here for you. Discernment is here for you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Everything you do represents God. Your maker has asked you to represent
him well … will you?
Enjoy today’s unscripted devotional from Colossians 3: 23-25.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever thought about what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus?
If I’m being honest, that doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun.
I like to make everything fun. I can turn the hardest work into something fun. I can take any old boring day and make it memorable. Everything becomes an adventure when you’re riding with me. But this … this doesn’t sound fun at all. Jesus, are you saying to follow you we can’t have fun? Are you saying every day has to be miserable? Are you saying everything has to be hard and serious?
Here’s where we get this all wrong. This whole denying self and taking up our cross sounds miserable, but it’s not … it’s actually the best trade you will ever make. It’s giving up what you could create on your own to accept what only God can do with your life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Other translations describe this life Jesus is offering as “more and better than we have ever dreamed of” and “more than we expect – life in its fullness until you overflow.”
SIGN ME UP FOR THAT LIFE! That sounds amazing! I can get excited about that.
Now remember, to accept this life that Jesus is offering, I must make the trade. The trade is outlined in Matthew 16: 24, “If anyone wants to be my follower, they must deny themselves, take their cross, and follow me.”
Do you want this full, overflowing, better life only Jesus can give you? Okay, DENY YOURSELF AND TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. But what does that mean?
This is more than just a saying. We have to dig deeper to understand what Jesus means here.
To deny yourself means you refuse to follow yourself. You’re taking yourself out of the driver’s seat and letting Jesus lead. It’s “Jesus, take the wheel.” But girl, you know you constantly take it back! You pray, Jesus, have your way, then you bulldoze your own dang way. You get all fleshy with your feelings and your emotions start making decisions, and that wheel is all in your hands. Then when you’ve made your mess, you sweetly invite Jesus to take the wheel again.
That’s what we do … for real. If I were Jesus, I think I would eventually be like, “no, girl … this is your car now, you’re driving!” It’s a good thing I’m not Jesus!
Where are you following yourself? Where are your emotions running the show? Where have your plans become the focus? Jesus is saying, “Let’s trade. You give me your plans. You bring your emotions to me. You lay this all at my feet first. Then, I will give you a life that is better than you could have ever dreamed of.” But honey, if you’re not willing to make the trade, your life is suffering.
Deny yourself. Make your commitment to Jesus greater than your commitment to yourself. Genuinely choose his way over your way. This is what Jesus is asking for. Jesus is asking for our full surrender. Not out of fear, but out of faith. Jesus, I trust your plans for my life so much, that I give up my own. I’m no longer my own leader, you’re the leader. Your way will be followed. Your timing will be trusted. Your word will be my guide. I won’t be a brat about this.
I bet God’s Spirit within has been prompting you to release something lately, hasn’t it? But you’ve been holding on, haven’t you? Would you dare to name that which God is asking you to give up? What is it? Is it alcohol? Is it a relationship? Is it an addiction? Is it a bad habit? Is it control? Is it your need to be right, have the last word, have everyone like you, know for sure what’s happening next, security … What is it?
God revealing these things he wants you to change isn’t a sign that there’s something wrong with you. That’s a sign you’re growing in relationship with Jesus! This is a wonderful thing! This is you get closer and closer to making that deal with Jesus.
I no longer follow my moods and emotions. I am no longer led my impulses and fears. How? Because I’m no longer following myself. I’m denying myself. “Self” with all her feelings, impulses and reactions no longer has the wheel. The wheel has been given to Jesus. I’m now following him! I choose Jesus over myself, my flesh and my way. And this will need to be a daily choice. Some days I’ll mess this up, but I’m always welcomed back to following Jesus.
Now, when Jesus says “take up your cross” what does that mean? We have made the image of a cross into something it really wasn’t. It wasn’t religious. It wasn’t spiritual. And it certainly wasn’t inspirational. When Jesus walked this Earth, no one wore a cross around their neck. No one had cross tattoos.
To pick up your cross was a death sentence. Condemned criminals were forced to carry their own cross to their place of execution. What this showed was a life previously spent breaking the rules was now fully surrendered.
So, when Jesus says, “take up your cross”, it means submit and surrender to him. This is where your life changes. SURRENDER.
As you grow in relationship with Jesus, his Holy Spirit lives within you and it continually shows you what needs to be surrendered. It’s not a one and done, it’s a constant surrender. Oh how he goes to work on your heart. Oh how he reveals secret ties that have held you back. Oh how we calls for changed thoughts and changed habits.
I mistakenly thought there were likely just one or two big things that God wanted to work on in my heart and once I got that right, the work would be done. Wrong. I’m learning there are a million little things right behind those big things that God wants to help tweak in my heart. And every time he does, my life gets immeasurably better. Now, we’re in this relationship of, “Hey my girl, this needs to change.” Then the moment I surrender and let the change begin, I grow. I get better. And when I get better, my life gets better.
AND GET THIS … IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE MISERABLE!
Becoming more and more like the girl God created you to be and the girl Jesus died so you could be, is BEAUTIFUL! It’s exciting! It’s exhilarating.
Denying yourself and taking up your cross is surrendering to Jesus with a commitment to trust him. And when you do, in exchange, you get the full, overflowing, abundant, better than you could ever imagine, life only Jesus can offer.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This morning it hit me … the overwhelming reality of what YOU might be going through. The burden you may be carrying. The weight of the decisions you may need to make. The immense pain you may be enduring. The total uncertainty you may be walking in.
In this humbling moment, I realized you may have come here today seeking a divine word from God that would somehow assure you he is in this with you. You may have pressed play today asking him for a sign. This may have been your Hail Mary pass trying one last time to hear from God.
If that is you, I have the sweetest news … God has been whispering to my soul about you today. He’s made me extra tender toward your situation and your seeking. I’ve asked him to use me as his vessel to tell you precisely what he wants you to hear.
Psalm 145: 13-19:
The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth
He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
God has made promises over you, and he wants you to know today that HE ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES. Others have failed you. Others have broken their promises and left you with a mess. You’ve probably made some promises that you have failed to uphold. But God’s promises never waiver. Ever. There’s nothing you could ever do to change his promises for you.
What are his promises for you specifically? Here are a few:
• God promises to be with you.
• God promises to help you.
• God promises to take care of your needs.
• God promises to answer your prayers.
• God promises freedom from sin.
• God promises to work everything out for your good.
• God promises nothing can ever separate you from him.
These promises, and so many more, have covered you today. Although you are walking through some hard times, you have absolutely nothing to fear. Do you hear that … there’s nothing to fear! God is with you in this. He will guide your steps. He will go before you and make a way. You can trust him. He will keep his promises.
My sister, do you hear that? Kim, God will keep his promises to you. Courtney, God will keep his promises to you. Kris, God will keep his promises to you. Nicky, God will keep his promises to you. Rebecca, Kelly, Catherine, Stacey, Laura, Diane, Sarah, Whitney, ALL of God’s girls, he will keep his promises to you. He’s not going to let you down. You don’t have to react in fear. You don’t have to run in shame. You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
Verse 14 says, “The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.” Remember the old commercial where a woman laid in the floor and in the worst acting role ever, she said, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get back up!” Who also remembers the really old commercial of a woman soaking in a big bubble bath and she said, “Calgon, take me away.” That’s precisely what our God does for us! He helps us get back up. He takes our burdens.
Jesus often refers to himself as the Good Shepherd and we are his sheep. Watch a few sheep videos and you will understand why. Sheep continually need help. Did you know if a sheep somehow falls on it’s back with it’s legs straight up, it’s stuck there. It cannot physically get up itself. The Shepherd is required. Did you know if a sheep’s wool grows too long and matted it will eventually paralyze that sheep. The Shepherd is required.
Your Shepherd is right here, my sister. He will get you back on your feet again. He will pick you up from this mess. He will relieve you of the growing burden so you can move forward. He’s not going to leave you here alone.
That same verse in the MSG translation says, “God gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.” Where are you ready to just quit? Where are you beyond your limits, stretched too thin and feel absolutely incapable of continuing? This is where God ever so sweetly says, “My girl, today’s a new day. My mercies are new for you here. I will supernaturally strengthen you anew today. This is your fresh start. Wake up to what I have for you here.”
Verse 17 tells us God is righteous in everything he does. My guess is, some wrong things have happened to you. Gosh, life can certainly be unfair sometimes, huh? We do live in a fallen world with humans who royally screw up on the regular, so of course wrong things have happened here. But with all that is wrong, you can know with certainty GOD IS RIGHT and HE WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
The definition of righteous includes these two words: Excellent and Consistent. Because God is righteous in every way, he’s going to do what is right for you and he is going to be consistently excellent in every detail!
You can count on that! Can’t you look back and see how God has been consistently excellent in your life? He has continually worked all things together for good. And if it’s not good yet, then God’s not done yet. And this thing too, this thing you’re facing right now, the thing that brought you here today seeking a divine word from God, THIS WILL BE WORKED BY GOD HIMSELF INTO SOMETHING GOOD. He will be consistently excellent in this. He will do what is RIGHT!
But what I really love is our God isn’t just righteous (vs 17), but go back up to where we started in verse 13, our God is also gracious. What a combination! He is righteous and gracious! He is consistently excellent in doing what is right, and he does it with divine grace and kindness.
What’s God doing today in your life? What is he saying to you? He’s saying, “Trust me, with divine grace and kindness I am, consistently excellent in doing what is right.”
Could God possibly take this mess you’re in and do what is right? ABSOLUTELY! Could God do what is right without hurting everyone and causing more pain? ABSOLUTELY! Could God somehow, someway, use all of this for good? ABSOLUTELY! Not you … you can’t do that, but God can! I believe he’s asking you now, “Will you let me?”
Finally verse 19, “He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.” Believing that God grants our every desire can be a slippery slope. If we’re not careful, we begin treating God like a genie in a bottle and we start making wishes. That’s NOT what this is about.
Instead, what God is doing is growing a relationship with you where your heart becomes like the heart of the Father. Through this, God is changing our will to align with his will. And once we are in alignment, we can genuinely pray for anything and it will be done. Why? Because we are not going to pray for anything outside of God’s will when our will is aligned with his.
That’s what God is doing here. Through all of this, he’s growing a relationship with you so you can see his will is better than your own. His plans are bigger than yours. In the fullness of this relationship is where we can finally bring everything to him and say, “God, my will is for your will to be done, and nothing else.” That’s what Jesus did, and that’s what he is asking you to do.
Are you ready to pray that today? God, my will is for your will to be done, and nothing else. I don’t have to be right. I don’t have to get revenge. I don’t have to understand. I don’t have to know everything. I truly want your will more than anything else.
Now that is surrender. And truly, that is freedom.
Only God can offer freedom in surrender. Only God can pick us up from where we have been stuck and give us the confidence to move on. Only God can make this right.
Once again, God proves, if we take one step towards him, he will take a thousand towards us!
Read that scripture one more time and receive the freedom in your full surrender here:
The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth
He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Right now it looks like you have no good options, but you have no idea what God is willing to do in response to your obedient next step of faith. You cannot see what radical provision and breakthrough God has aligned, and you won’t see it until you decide staying stuck here is no longer an option.
Too often we give in to the hopeless feeling that we are stuck and without options. There’s always a choice to be made … always. Making no choice is indeed a choice. Staying stuck is a choice. Giving up is a choice. Believing the worst is a choice. Now, what’s the other choice? And what might God do on your behalf as you decide to make a bold choice to not give up and no longer stay stuck?
If this is speaking to you personally today, you are going to love this little story tucked away in the book of 2 Kings. However, to get the full effect of the story, I need you to read the New International Version with me. All the translations give us the same story, but the specific wording in the NIV translation shows us a miracle we might otherwise miss.
2 Kings 7: Verses 3-8: Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”
At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.
The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.
Hmmmm, doesn’t sound applicable to your life today? You don’t get the lesson God is speaking to you? Let’s dig deeper because I assure you it is there!
First, understand the setting. The king of the Arameans had placed his army around the entire city of Samaria. They had cut off all the Samarian’s food supply, as to slowly defeat them by starvation. The famine in Samaria was so extreme, even a pint of dove’s dung sold for 5 pieces of silver. In today’s money that would be nearly $20 US dollars … yes for a cup of eatable bird poop. To say the people in Samaria were in extreme need was an understatement.
But even worse than the people in Samaria, were these 4 lepers who were forced to live outside of the city gate. A person with leprosy was an outcast, forbidden contact with others. Begging to go into the city with their people would have done no good. They knew there was no food in the city, and even if there were a tiny bit, they would certainly be the last people to be fed.
So, they knew … if they stayed where they were, they would die. If they went into their own city, they would die. And odds were if they went into the enemy camp of the Arameans who had surrounded them, they would die as well … but there was a chance they might live. So, they decided to take a chance.
Now, there’s something incredible happening within this scripture that we could easily miss. Look at the specific timing of their bold first step to get up and leave where they had been stuck. “At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans.” When was it? At dusk. Dusk is the beginning of night just after sunset, also known as twilight.
So, at dusk is when these 4 desperate, starving lepers decide they can’t stay where they are, they can’t return to what they knew before, and they would boldly make a risky move to go to the enemy’s camp. At dusk.
Now, look at what was happening in the enemy’s camp at that exact time. The Lord causes the Arameans to hear the sound of chariot and horses and a great army, so they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.
What time did the enemy run? At dusk!
My friends, this is absolutely no coincidence. Remember, it’s not odd, it’s God. Our God is in every detail! This was God in the details for these 4 starving lepers who had become so desperate they decided staying stuck where they were was no longer an option.
Exactly when they made their move of desperate faith, God made his move of orchestrated confusion on the enemy. There were no chariots circling around the Aramean army. There was no great invasion or military attack happening. God made them hear something that wasn’t even there. He confused them and made them run into the dusk. At dusk … the same moment the 4 outcast lepers from the besieged Samaria were taking their first steps.
Notice this wasn’t an act of inspired faith. They weren’t divinely inspired with a heavenly sign. They didn’t receive some sort of miraculous confirmation. No, this was desperate faith that caused them to leave where they had been stuck and dare to do something different.
I think that’s exactly what God wants his girls to see today. Sometimes we don’t get a miraculous confirmation. Sometimes we don’t feel inspired. Sometimes there is no heavenly sign to assure us of our next step. But sometimes that’s exactly what we’re waiting on. Honey, what if your next step isn’t made in the sweet aroma of inspired faith, but in the mess of desperate faith.
Desperate faith … Faith that says, I just can’t stay stuck here and while I don’t see any other good options, I’ve gotta try something.
My sister, the moment you take that desperate step of faith into the messy and ugly unknown, God may be doing something! He may be orchestrating confusion on the enemy for you. He may be clearing a camp ahead just for you. He may be aligning divine provisions at this very moment for you. Yes, the moment of your step of desperate faith
Lord, if you don’t do something, I’m not going to make it. So I’m taking a step and believing your eye has never left me and you are fighting for me.
These 4 lepers find a completely abandoned camp overflowing with supplies. All the food they could eat. All the silver and gold and clothing. Everything was there for them!
But, this was so much bigger than 4 starving men miraculously finding food. This was actually the end of the Samarians forced starvation by the Aramean army. Their people were saved. God had rescued them.
God had done it at dusk. At dusk he had caused their enemies to run in confusion and fear and leave their entire camp. At dusk, 4 desperate men had drug themselves into the camp to beg for mercy. But mercy was already aligned by the hand of God. And these 4 men with desperate faith saved their people from starvation. These 4 men who were outcasts became the heroes.
But it never would have happened if they would have given up. It never would have happened if they would have resigned themselves to the way things had to be, starving at the city gate, isolated in their sickness. It never would have happened if they wouldn’t have taken that desperate step of faith at dusk.
My sister … is this your dusk? Darkness is setting in. Options have run out. You can’t just stay stuck here. You can’t resign yourself to the way it’s always been. You have to do something. You have to get up.
I remember a time when I was desperately seeking a job. A time when there seemed to be absolutely no jobs. A job would be posted, but by the time I got there to apply, there were 10 others in front of me. So one day, out of desperation, I printed up a resume which included my extensive education at the tiny high school where I graduated #11 out of my class of 100, and my extensive work history of McDonalds. I took that resume door to door to all the places that had never asked for help. Until eventually, I walked into an office where they had literally just lost their receptionist.
And that was the beginning. The beginning of what became a career. A career that afforded me more luxuries than I could have ever imagined. Luxuries that taught me lessons I never knew I needed. Lessons that humbled me. Then humbled me met my mentor. A mentor that led me to seeing I was created for more. And that “more” led me here to you today to tell you the same.
My sister, you were created by God for more. Don’t settle here. Don’t assume there’s nothing more you can do. If you feel desperate … good! Now do something with that desperation and take a step into the unknown. God awaits in the unknown.
It’s dusk. It’s time to do something! God, I’m believing you can do something with my something.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If you were to draw a straight horizontal line and put an arrow on each end, this would show the infinite care and power of God. On the left side of line write: Individual Needs. Now on the right side of the line write: The Entire Universe.
God’s care and power is infinitely intimate and infinitely detailed. At the same time God’s care and power is infinitely massive. It’s just goes deeper and deeper, and on and on, bigger and bigger.
Psalm 147: 3-5 shows us the most perfect image of God’s infinite care and power. It says, “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!”
On one hand we have a God who bends down to bandage our wounds, personally. He comes to our rescue. He tends to our needs. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
Is that you? Has your heart been broken? Has your spirit been crushed? Did you have this picture of what you thought your life would be, and that picture was shattered? What was it that caused this pain in your life? Maybe someone left, someone was taken, or someone really let you down. Maybe you let you down. Maybe you feel like God let you down. Maybe you woke up today to a reality that is a total disappointment and nothing makes sense. My friend, God is drawing close to you. He’s coming in for your rescue.
That’s not just me saying that to make you feel better or help you get out of bed. Those are God’s holy words. These are his promises. He is bending down to pick you up. He will not leave you laying low. He will not forsake you in this place of darkness. That heart of yours will be healed. Those wounds of yours will be bandaged. You will not be broken forever.
Verse 3 in The Passion Translation says it like this: “He heals the wounds of every shattered heart.” EVERY shattered heart. Not some, not just them, no … EVERY shattered heart. Every heart that has been hurt by broken promises and dropped dreams. Every heart that has been hurt by humans doing human things. Every heart that feels an ache from the empty void within. Every shattered heart includes YOUR heart.
God cares about your heart and why it is hurting. No, it’s not foolish and it’s not insignificant. God wants to heal this brokenness for you.
And who better than Jesus to heal your broken heart? Look at his qualifications:
• Jesus personally experienced heartbreak.
I don’t know about you, but I want someone who’s gone through what I’m going through to help me. I don’t want someone who has never personally experienced financial hardship to tell me how to manage my money. I’m not going to read your book on marriage if you’ve never been married. I don’t want someone who is still in the toddler stage with their children to tell me how to touch the heart of my prodigal girl in her 20’s. Show me you have some personal experience, then I will listen. You earn the right to speak into a life through similar experiences.
Jesus had his heart so broken he not only cried tears, he sweat blood. Sweating blood is actually a medical condition where the blood vessels that surround the sweat glands constrict and then dilate to the point of rupture. The cause of this is one thing … extreme anguish. Jesus said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” (Matthew 26:38)
Jesus has earned the right to speak to us about heartbreak. Isaiah 53: 3 describes Jesus as “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” Honey, you can trust him to be gentle with your broken pieces. He understands your brokenness. He understands your grief. He understands your hurt. He understands your disappointment.
• Jesus has 2000+ years of experience in this work.
You never want to be the patient of a doctor’s first surgery. I have friends who get haircuts at the Hair Academy for $5. Now girl, you have no idea what hair you are going to walk out of that place with because the student cutting your hair has no clue what they’re doing! When they’re nervous holding the scissors, I hope you didn’t love your hair.
I once went to a dental school to have a tooth pulled. It was half the price and really, how bad could they possibly screw up pulling a broken tooth. Apparently BAD, REALLY BAD. It turned into weeks of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced and 3 return visits because apparently, my cute little dentist in training really didn’t know what he was doing. In the words of Pretty Woman: Big mistake. Big! Huge!
Jesus is not in training to heal broken hearts. He’s not still learning how to bandage up those wounds. He’s been doing this a long time, my sister. You’re in good hands here. There’s nothing he hasn’t seen before and nothing he hasn’t healed before.
• And finally, Jesus is qualified to heal your broken heart because remember, he is also God, they are one in the same. And because Jesus is also God, this means he is the MAKER of your heart. He holds the trademark on your inner beings and was personally involved in forming every part of you. He knows what makes your heart tick, he knows what makes your heart beat faster, he knows what desires fill your heart, and he knows what breaks it. So, he knows precisely how to heal it.
When your car breaks, it’s best to take it back to the actual manufacturer for repair. They have the exact parts for your specific car. Welp, Jesus is the manufacturer of your heart. He has precisely what is needed to fix you.
Girl, LET HIM HEAL THAT HEART OF YOURS!
Now, remember that horizontal line we drew with an arrow on each end. It represents God’s infinite care and power. We’ve looked at the left side which is his care and power over our individual needs in verse 3, “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” Now, let’s go to the next verse and the other side of the line where the arrow points to infinity the other way. Verse 4, “He counts the stars and calls them all by name.”
I went to the google to understand the infinite power required to count those stars. I discovered there are believed to be over 200 billion trillion stars. My brain can’t even wrap itself around that number. A billion trillion … here’s what that means to me … a ridiculous amount! The google can’t even agree with how many zeros are in a billion trillion. It’s somewhere between 45 and 71 zeros. Let’s just say it’s a LOT.
First dare to understand how great the number of stars there are, now imagine knowing the name of every one of those stars. GOD DOES! That’s infinite care. God cares about every one of those stars because they are his creation. How absolutely magnificent is that?
And now, remember that scripture tells us God looks at you and calls you his masterpiece! You are his favorite creation, the one he is most proud of. So honey, of course he knows your name. Of course he knows your story. Of course he knows your dreams and desires. Of course he knows your worries and fears. AND HE CARES.
We can look at this great big world and know the Creator of it is big and powerful. I’m not surprised to know that God can count and name every one of the stars. We kind of expect that of a big God. But the fact that that same big God would also bend down low to me when I’m hurting absolutely blows my mind! That God, the maker of Heaven and Earth, the one who holds the entire world in the palm of his hand, would be the one to personally tend to my broken heart when I am hurting, and personally bandage my wounds … WOW, his care and power is truly infinite. There’s simply no end! All I can say is WOW!
Now verse 5 in The Passion Translation: “There’s absolutely nothing his power cannot accomplish, and he has infinite understanding of everything.”
My friend, you don’t have to hide that broken heart of yours … God understands every detail of your hurt and his power can heal that. I just know it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How much longer must you wait? Really, doesn’t it seem almost ridiculous at this point?
I know after waiting for years and seeing absolutely nothing change, it becomes almost hard to pray about it. Is that where you are? You’re struggling to even pray for that person or this situation that you so desperately want to see change. It seems impossible at this point and honestly, almost cruel to keep having to ask and be denied over and over again.
So what do you do here in this place where hope seems to be pointless? What do you do when you’ve prayed all the prayers? What do you do when every sense of reality would tell you it hasn’t worked and it won’t work?
Answer: LOOK FOR JESUS.
In our wait, we’ve become so fixated on possible solutions and promised next steps that we’ve overlooked the fact that only Jesus is going to change this, fix this, restore this, or make sense of this, my sister.
Yes, go to therapy. But it’s not your therapist that will not save you. That’s what Jesus does.
Yes, get treatment. But the treatment will not heal you. That’s what Jesus does.
Yes, talk to a professional. But the professional will not fix this. That’s what Jesus does.
In the Bible we read about a place where sick people gathered seeking healing. One day, Jesus shows up on the scene and no one comes to him. No one even notices he’s there. Everyone is so fixated on the water they thought they needed and were missing the only One they truly needed.
John 5: 2-9: Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking.
This pool of Bethesda is the House of Mercy and Grace. Now, we know the boiling up of this water was likely a hot spring. These were warm waters that would bubble up, filled with vitamins and minerals, known still to this day for their healing properties for our bodies. Would it heal a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years, probably not. That’s a job for Jesus.
And where Jesus is needed, Jesus shows up!
Here, the sick had gathered in hopes for healing. But, this man had become hopeless because he believed only the first one in the water when it bubbled would be healed, and he had no way of ever being first. So, he lay there and nothing ever happened for him.
I watched this story on The Chosen yesterday and I saw something I had been missing. I watched as this man tried and tried, yet never made it. I watched him try to position himself close to the water to get there first, yet someone always jumped in before him. I watched as he grew more hopeless, and eventually he stopped trying. Stopped believing. Eventually he believed he would never be the favored one to receive his healing.
Isn’t that how we sometimes feel after seeing others get their breakthrough, but never us? We’re not the favored ones. It will never be us. Our prayers are never answered.
But Jesus wants you to hear him today as he says, “My girl, you are my chosen one! I don’t require any magical waters or mystical timing. I am the only thing you need, and I’m right here.”
I know you don’t feel favored because you’re still waiting, but you are highly favored by God Almighty! Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” You’re not favored because of what you’ve done or haven’t done – you’re favored because of God’s grace that has covered you. Girl, you can’t undo that!
Jesus delights in healing us! He’s absolutely giddy to show up and save you! He’s passionately pursuing you for your encounter of faith. He hasn’t forgotten you. He hasn’t passed by you. He’s pursuing you.
And here, in this encounter of faith, Jesus will ask you to believe him without limits. That’s what he asked of this sick man laying on the porch who had lost hope. He asked him to believe God’s help is not limited. It’s not limited to how it’s always been. It’s not limited to how everyone else has received it. It’s not limited to what you think it has to be.
This man believed the only way he would be healed was to be the first one in the water when it bubbled. But Jesus didn’t even use the water to heal him. NOT AT ALL. THIS MAN WAS COMPLETELY DRY! Jesus asked him to believe in the impossible, and believe it so much that he would attempt to do the impossible before he had proof it was possible.
Maybe that’s what’s happening here for you today. Is Jesus asking you to believe him for what has been impossible? Is Jesus asking you to get over how you have always thought it would happen, everything you’ve researched, everything you’ve heard, and every plan you’ve made … and be so bold in your faith to TRY IT WHEN HE SAYS IT?
God’s help, God’s healing, God’s restoration, God’s blessings are NOT LIMITED. We’re dealing with a totally unlimited God. Girl, take God out of your box.
Maybe you’ve put all your hope in one thing, but it’s the equivalent of this mysterious bubbling water … nothing more than a hot spring. You don’t need a hot spring, you need Jesus.
Lord, forgive us for getting so fixated on the solution to our problems that we overlook YOU. You are our only solution. WE NEED YOU.
He is the answer for your broken heart. He is the answer for your worry filled mind. He is the answer for your failing marriage. He is the answer for your overwhelming bills. He is the answer for your family. He is the answer for your business. He is the answer for your health. He is the answer for every question you have. It is Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, for pursuing us. Thank you for your favor that chooses us over and over again. Not because of anything we have done, but because of WHO YOU ARE!
If you’re asking us today if we want to get well, our answer is yes. If you’re asking us today if we want a real solution to our problem, our answer is yes. If you’re asking us today if we really want healing, restoration, and breakthrough, our answer is YES!!!!! Yes, Lord, we do. (Now, stop right there and consider that … do you really want it, or are you just saying that. Some of us are addicted to the drama. Some of us have attached to being the victim. Some of us wouldn’t even know who we are without our problem. Do you really want to get well? God’s not into lip service – he sees your heart.)
If you really want it, then here’s what you do next: Let you faith move you to action. If Jesus says it, girl, then try it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Within our breath, God has given us a divine gift. A gift that taps into the greatest of powers and deepest wisdom. Yes, right here in our breath.
From the moment we were born, we’ve been doing it, without even being aware. Right now, it is happening. And today, God says, “My girl, I want you to now know what you’ve been doing your entire life and start doing it with intention.”
At this moment, take a deep breath in. Now, slowly let that breath out through your mouth. Do it again, notice the sound of your inhale and your exhale.
This sound is not an accident, it is divine. This sound is the call of God’s name.
Do it again and listen. Breathe in. Breath out. This is God’s name. With each breath, you’re calling to your Creator.
Your inhale makes the sound of YH. Your exhales makes the sound of WH. Together, inhale and exhale, we speak YHWH, the original Hebrew name God revealed of himself to Moses. Your Bible likely adds a few vowels to make a word we can pronounce, Yahew, but God’s intentions were for us to continually breathe his name.
Open your Bibles, let’s check this out!
Moses had an encounter with God in Exodus 3. God appears in a burning bush and calls out, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. Then God proceeds to tell Moses he is aware of his people’s sufferings and he has come down to rescue them. God says to Moses, “Now go, for I am sending you.”
But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to do this?” God answered, “I will be with you.” But Moses protested again, “The people will ask me who sent me.” So, God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people: YHWH has sent me to you.”
What a bold move for Moses to ask God for his name. He feels so unqualified for this mission. So lacking. The imposter syndrome must have been screaming within him. “Moses, can’t rescue anyone. The last time you tried to help your people, you ended up killing someone. Now you’re running and hiding. There’s no way God is calling you.”
But God says two things to Moses that giveS him the confidence he needs to step into his purpose.
- Exodus 3: 14, “I Am Who I Am.” This means God has no equal. If you put God on one side of the equation, there’s absolutely nothing that can be equal to Him on the other side. God equals Only God.
It has been said that our God is the “becoming one.” I never understood that until I took God being the “I Am” literally. God becomes whatever is lacking in our time of need.
When we say we are too weak, God says I AM your strength.
When we say we are stuck, God says I AM your way out.
When we say we are lost, God says I AM coming to find you.
When we say we are hurting, God says I AM your healer.
When we say we are in need, God says I AM your provider.
God is mysteriously and miraculously always able to become everything you need. He is continually BECOMING your I AM.
Moses felt completely unqualified, but God is telling him, “I AM QUALIFIED! I have everything you will need. I have the strength. I have the plan. I have the provisions. I have made the way. Trust me, I Am.”
What do you need today? Can you lean in and hear God as he whispers to your soul, “I AM.”
I Am filling you.
I Am guiding you.
I Am with you.
I Am strengthening you.
I Am healing you.
I Am equipping you.
I Am calling you.
It’s who God is. It’s what he does. It’s his name.
- Exodus 3: 15, God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, has sent me to you.”
This is the name Moses’ ancestors have called him by. This wasn’t new. This was the God he has heard about his entire life. He is YHWH.
Moses’ mother’s name was Jochebed which literally meant “YHWH is glory.” And now God is showing Moses, with every breath he takes, he is calling out to God. Inhale, YH. Exhale, WH.
Without vowels, only YH and WH, it’s a name we breath. We are literally created to breathe the name of our creator. YHWH represents breathing sounds. When pronounced without vowels, it sounds like breathing.
A baby’s first breath speaks the name of God. YHWH. God hears, God draws near, God responds.
And think about this, what about when tragedy strikes. You know, when life hits you so hard you can do nothing but moan and gasp for air. The harder you try to catch your breath, the louder you speak the name of God. Inhale, YH. Exhale, WH.
Within the past 2 years, I’ve received phone calls from two of my best friends after each of them unexpectedly lost their husbands. They couldn’t speak. I only heard these deep, moans and gasps. They cried out in pain. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now, they were calling on the name of God. And God met them there in the worst moments of their lives and he has carried them through.
Remember that when you’re crying out in pain and anxiety. When you’re fighting for every breath and you hear the sounds of your labored inhale and exhale. You’re calling on the very name of God. YHWH.
Psalm 92: 15, God says, “When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue and honor them.”
With every breath, God is answering you. With every breath, God is rescuing you. Those times when it’s hard to breathe and every inhale and exhale is loud and labored, you’re calling even deeper to your rescuer. YHWH.
Hasn’t he always gotten you through? Seriously, he’s never not given you the strength to make it through even you hardest days.
Hasn’t he always provided? Hasn’t he always rescued you? You’ve never once been abandoned. Your God has always responded to you as you call his name.
Job 12:10, “For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.” There’s a song I used to sing in Church that said, “It’s your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, pour out our praise to only you Lord.” We are literally speaking the name of God when we breathe!
Now, God wants us to breathe with intention. All your life, you’ve been breathing out of habit, speaking his name without knowing. But now, God has made you aware so you can grow even deeper in your relationship with him.
Now, when you breathe and speak his name, you are more aware of his power filling your lungs. Not only is your body filled with his breath, but your mind is renewed with clarity. God has responded by breathing into you so you can live this life with his power! You can respond to his calling and step into your purpose. Just like Moses, when God calls, you can speak with confidence and say, “Here I am, YHWH!”
God uses Moses to lead his people out of 400 years of captivity. He worked through Moses in miraculous ways, and no doubt, everything Moses wasn’t, GOD WAS. How? Remember he is the I AM. He is the becoming one. He becomes whatever is lacking in our time of need and fills us to overflowing so we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS!
And when we have completed our earthly mission and God promotes us to an eternal paradise, we will take one final breath and call out his name. YHWH. And with that, God will respond with our final rescue.
How incredibly divine that God gave himself a name we can’t help but speak every moment we’re alive. All of us, everywhere, all the time, we have the name of God on our lips.
And now, we speak his name intentionally with our breath. God is everywhere. In every breath of every living creature. YHWH. We are fully dependent upon him, for without God, we have no breath.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I will breathe the same.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today’s devotional is an unscripted Bible study on Jeremiah 29:11,
examining God’s plans for us and thoughts toward us.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
A single question plants a seed of doubt, and that doubt can lead to a derailed life missing the mark for which it was destined. We have an enemy in this life and his best attacks are questions. You need to be aware of the danger of his questions and be ready to respond with truth. If you’re not, then honey you may just be stuck in a downward spiral of disappointment with no hope of things ever changing. Listen to me … it doesn’t have to be that way!
The devil showed up as a snake in the paradise called the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were living in bliss, enjoying all God had created for them and in comes the slithering snake. He doesn’t come in with a deadly attack, he slithers his way in with just a question. He asked Eve, “Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)
The question seems so harmless, but it lead to a conversation. Listen to me, YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE DEVIL!
He asked Eve a question, Eve engaged with a reply. This question led to doubt and a twist of the truth, then the next thing you know Eve is eating the fruit God told her not to eat, sin entered the world and screwed everything up.
The fall of mankind all began with a question from the enemy. Question plants a seed of doubt, and that doubt led to a derailed life missing the potential it was created for.
So, surprise surprise my sister … that slimy snake is still slithering around attacking with his greatest weapon … a question. His question makes you doubt who you are. It makes you doubt your value and worth. It makes you doubt your purpose in this world. It makes you doubt your ability. It makes you doubt your future.
And you’ve been feeling that, haven’t you? You’ve been doubting. Yip, that’s because the enemy has been planting seeds of doubt with his questions.
And here we are responding to the question with a full-blown conversation, just like we were never supposed to do. We’re still doing it! We’re entertaining the doubt and stacking up evidence to support the attack.
The enemy whispers “who are you, you aren’t enough,” and we engage in a conversation of agreement. You’re right, I’m not enough. Everything I start, I give up on. I never finish anything. I’m nothing but a failure. I’ll never change. There’s something wrong with me. I’m broken. Everyone else is better than me. I just can’t do it. I’m sleepy. I have no energy. I have no support. It’s too hard for me.
And girl, you just talked yourself into a total derailment of the good plans God has for you! Stop talking to the enemy!
So sister, we need a new game plan. Look around in your life … do you see how the questions have caused you to doubt, shrink back, and play little in your own life? Do you see how the enemy has been stealing what was yours? Well it’s time to take it back, and thankfully God gave us a clear battle plan.
James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” But today we need it in the strong and real language of the Message translation. Listen to this “Shout a loud NO to the devil and watch him scamper!”
NO, Devil! NO, your lies will not be entertained here! NO, your questions will not cause doubt in my life! NO, I don’t believe a word you say! Just NO!
Shut down that conversation and mental chatter. Don’t play out the scenarios of negativity and defeat. That’s not God’s plan for you. That’s the plan of the enemy and he knows if he can get in your head, he can sneak into every area of your life. Shout a loud NO when he shows up with his questions!
Doubt is deadly.
Eve engaged in conversation with the enemy and began to doubt what God had told her. Why could she not eat from this one tree? What would happen if she did? Was God keeping something great from her? Would this apple change her life?
And my guess is the enemy has slithered his way into your life and asked a few questions. Those questions have left you doubting if you’re enough. Doubting your value and worth. Doubting if God really hears your prayers and really cares enough to answer. Doubting if you are loved. Doubting if what you have within is good enough to do what needs to be done.
NO! We are shouting a loud no to the devil here. End of conversation. NO!
He is a liar from hell, he doesn’t get to plant his deadly seeds of doubt. Don’t you welcome him in and let him parade through your mind for one more moment. Slimy sucker … you and your lies are out!
The battle begins with a question. And we all see how we’ve been under attack with the questions. Do you want victory here? Are you ready to rise up and be the champion you were created to be? Here’s how … TRUTH!
VICTORY COMES WITH TRUTH.
You need to know the truth about who God says you are, his plans for you, and the hope for your future. This is your route to victory.
Today’s Truth: God hasn’t given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
That fear is not from God. He’s not a dealer of fear and doubt. Recognize where it comes from. Fear holds you back in uncertainty and renders you incapable of the next step. Fear leaves you stuck. Fear has you fighting threats that most times aren’t even real, so they’re impossible to defeat.
NO, Devil, I will no longer lay down and cuddle with fear. I will no longer replay the fear driven scenarios in my head. You’re no longer my go-to. I’m not turning to you any longer. My decisions will not be influenced by you. I’m better than that!
Why? Because God has given me a spirit of POWER. I’m not helpless or hopeless. There is power dwelling inside of me. God’s power that breaks chains, parts seas and moves mountains is now living inside of me. I can change. I can get better. I can survive. I can get through this. I have power and I’m rising up to use it, darn it.
God has given me a spirit of love. I don’t have to grow cynical and hardened. I can endure the hardship, I can take the insults, I can survive the attacks, and I can come out better because I am driven by love. Love trumps all. I am created to be loved and created to be loving. This will not turn me into someone I’m not. I will not lose myself going through this. I have the spirit of love within me and it will be on full display.
God has given me a spirit of self-discipline. Actually, I can overcome bad habits. I can break old chains. I can make changes and stick with those changes. I’m not lacking willpower. I have it within me. It lives in me, now I’m tapping into what has always been there. I can do exactly what I need to do, one day at a time. One choice at a time, I can be trusted to do the next right thing. I can’t control anyone or anything else, but I can control me … and I will!
Those are some TRUTH BOMBS! We just blew some lies up! We just lit the enemy on fire and his attacks were shut down.
Yes, the battle begins with a question. Victory comes with truth.
Remember your truth today. You were not given a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline! BOOM! Anything less than that is playing little when you were created for a BIG Life.
And bonus … today’s truth bomb comes with a theme song! Francesca Battistelli’s “The Breakup Song”
Fear, you don’t own me
There ain’t no room in this story
And I ain’t got time for you
Telling me what I’m not
Like you know me well guess what?
I know who I am
I know I’m strong, brave
And I am free
Got my own identity
So fear, you will never be welcome here
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You may be listening today because you are pursuing God, but I assure you, God pursued you first. He created you, he knows you, and he pursues you. And no doubt, he will find you! He will use absolutely anything to get to you, draw you in, and bring you into a relationship with him.
Let me tell you about an encounter with a young man who was clearly being pursued by God. On Saturday evening, I was on a United Airline flight from Denver to Miami, returning home to the Florida Keys after hosting the BIG Life Healing Retreat in Colorado. I had slept outside in 40 degree weather for 3 nights in a row. Sleep had been at a minimum, and living had been large, so I was tired. The flight would be 4.5 hours, so I looked forward to resting all the way to my midnight arrival. But, God had other plans.
I’ve come to love when God has other plans. Even when it’s inconvenient for me. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it’s totally out of alignment with my plans, I get excited, and here’s why … because anytime God’s plans ruin my plans, I know I’m stepping into something much bigger and better.
I was sitting by the window in row 36, and although the entire airplane had filled, somehow the two seats next to me were empty. They announced boarding was complete and I couldn’t believe my good luck with this jackpot! I would be putting my feet up! I would be knocked out in minutes!
Suddenly, a young man comes barreling out of the restroom and plops down in my row. However, not just my row, but the middle seat. There was no one sitting in the isle seat … we could have had space between us, but no …. My jackpot of an empty row had just hit major disappointment. Little did I know what a jackpot this was.
Hiding my confusion over his insistence to be hip to hip by me instead of scooting on over to the empty seat, he starts an immediate conversation. You know how you can just tell you’re not getting out of talking? Yeah, I knew … that nap wasn’t going to be happening.
In the 30 minutes we sat on the runway, he proceeded to tell me how nervous he was about flying and how he had already researched the odds of the plane going down. He had also intentionally chosen row 36 because it was the safest. I had chosen row 36 because it seemed more likely I might be alone at the back of the plane.
His name was Dorian, he was 22 years old, traveling back home to Florida after flying in to see a concert at Red Rocks. Guys, I have to admit, I even tried to slip out of the very close, face to face conversation by asking about the band he saw, pulling it up on Spotify, putting in my airpod and listening to his music. Fail. There was no getting out of this. Music or no music, we were talking.
As we begin to take off, he looks at me with absolute fear in his eyes and says, “Will you pray for our flight?” So, I grabbed Dorian’s hand and I prayed. It was then that I knew, this boy was being pursued by a God who loved him wildly and had him right where he wanted him.
Three hours into our flight, the isle seat is still empty, as Dorian and I are leg to leg, face to face, in economy seating and I’ve discovered he’s a total seeker. He was one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever spoken to, however when you’re that intelligent, faith can be a struggle. Faith was indeed a struggle for him. He’s studied all the religions, he’s read all the great philosopher’s books, even quoted them, but he didn’t know Jesus.
So here I sit with a young man who is terrified of flying, clearly actively being pursued by God, and of course it was the bumpiest, most turbulent flight I’ve been on in a long time. One, to keep me awake … and two, to keep Dorian seeking.
And it was right then I felt it … a prompting. People often ask how do you hear from God and know it’s him … well when there’s a sudden drop of a thought but it doesn’t go to your head, and instead it goes to your heart and it’s not something you would normally want to do but aligns with God’s goodness, then you know. And I knew. I knew I was to offer him the one thing in my carry on because it is most precious to me.
What’s that one thing … my Bible.
My Bible that is filled with highlights, notes, quotes, and prayers. Literally all my work from daily study time. The thing I open each morning to find the wisdom to share with you. Now God is prompting me to give it away to a complete stranger who certainly didn’t ask.
I would have happily given away my Lululemon crossbody bag, my favorite bright colored Teva sandals, my hand-painted denim jacket, my glass ring from Murano, my brand new happy hat with a VW bus on it. Anything … but Lord, my Bible?
I cried when I offered it to him. He accepted and we hugged.
Then, he turns on the overhead light, leans in and says, “Can we read some together?”
Y’all, I had the honor and privilege of being there when this young man opened a Bible for the first time. He opened to a place I had marked, John 10, and he began to read aloud. Running his fingers across the page as he read, he saw every line I had highlighted, and every note I had made. He read, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
How in the world did this happen? It happened because Dorian had been pursued by God!
My friend, God will follow you right onto an airplane and plop you down in row 36 to get to you! He will chase you until he catches you. Understand, GOD IS NOT GIVING UP!
Why was God chasing Dorian? Because he wants a relationship with him! Not to condemn him, not to punish him, but to love him and bring him into the fullness of life he was created for.
Has God been chasing you? Has he been relentlessly pursuing you? ABSOLUTELY HE HAS! Why? So you can have a relationship with the Creator of the Universe that will absolutely change everything!
Now maybe God caught you 30 years ago, but maybe he’s been chasing you again recently because you fell away a bit. Hey, that happens to a lot of us along the way. Here’s the good news, even if you fall away, God won’t.
Psalm 139: 1-7:
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!”
You see, my friend, it’s not just that God knows everything, HE KNOWS YOU.
It’s not just that God is everywhere, HE IS EVERYWHERE WITH YOU.
It’s not just that God created everything, HE CREATED YOU.
And God has been in pursuit of you. God is divinely involved in the details of your life.
God isn’t trying to control you, he’s trying to invite you into a life changing relationship with him. But here’s the cool thing about God … he doesn’t just write an invitation and hope you find it, he relentlessly pursues you to personally present it to you.
Remember after Adam and Eve messed up in the garden, they ran from God, but God still pursued them. (Genesis 3). He’s still pursuing you.
Now, for those of us who have been caught by God and walk in relationship with him, he’s given us another invitation … an invitation to be his wing girl! Oh my gosh, I love that so much … YOU ARE GOD’S WING GIRL!
When he prompts, all you have to do is respond in obedience. Sometimes he will prompt you to speak, other times he will prompt you to just listen. Sometimes he will prompt you to give, other times he will prompt you to receive. Sometimes he will prompt you to forfeit sleep, get over yourself, open up your hands, and just let his love flow through you.
And the results … well, that’s not ours. It’s truly none of my business what happens with my precious Bible from here. Maybe it will be treasured and maybe it will trashed. Maybe it will be mocked, but maybe it will be meticulously studied. The harvest is not mine, but what an honor to be part of planting the seed!
So, I have a new Bible ordered and on the way to me. I will start all over with my highlighting and journaling. And if he prompts me to offer it to someone he is pursuing in the future, I’ve already decided my hands will be open. Why? Because I’m God’s Wing Girl!
A “wing man” is someone who is on the “inside” and is used to help secure a potential relationship. Will you be his Wing Girl today? Will you let God bring you to the inside of his working as he pursues the ones he wants a relationship with?
I was once the one God pursued. I’m forever grateful to be his chosen girl.
And now you’re either the one he is pursuing to bring into relationship, or you’re the one he is calling to be his Wing Girl! Either way, won’t you accept?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God has something for you here. There’s something he’s doing. Something he’s aligned just for you. However, if you don’t have room to receive what God has for you, he cannot give it to you. You cannot embrace new things if you hoard old things.
I’m talking about old things like:
• The settling you have done in the past that has caused you to be stuck today.
• The guilt and shame you feel for what you’ve done or what was done to you.
• The regret that replays in your mind.
• All that heartache.
• Those triggers of feeling invisible, left out and not included.
• Those trust issues.
• Worry and fear.
• The resentment you carry because deep down you feel unloved.
• The anger that rages within you because it hasn’t been fair.
• The loneliness. The depression. The anxiety.
• The pure exhaustion from the journey.
• The brokenness.
• The desires you feel that have been twisted and confused.
• Frustration over the long long wait and questioning when and how it will ever change.
These are the old things. Old things which have been brought into your day and they’re taking up space. GOD WANTS HIS SPACE!
We often question how to hear clearly from God. How do we get to this place of knowing what God is prompting us to do and where is he leading. I’ve petitioned God on your behalf, my sister, and I’ve asked him how you can hear from him and how you can heal from these old things and his answer to me was this:
GIVE ME THAT SPACE.
But how exactly do you do that since God doesn’t seem to physically show up and sit down at the table or move into the spare bedroom? How do you give God the space of your depression? How do you give him the space of your fear? How do you give him the space of your regret, your shame, your questioning?
First, you must understand, everything takes up space in your life. There is no free rent in your mind, in your heart, or in your soul. It’s costing you something and it’s crowding out something else. God simply wants to crowd out the things that are not serving you and with this him in that space, draw you into the life he came to give you.
It’s really that simple. God is trying to crowd out that stuck feeling and replace it with his divine guidance for your next steps. He’s trying to crowd out the justified anger and resentment you carry and replace it with his unspeakable peace and joy. But honey, if you won’t trade what you have for what he’s offering, you can’t receive it. There’s not space.
Let me tell you, I’m a girl who loves clothes. I’m currently on a total kick of loving everything bright, happy, floral and flowing. The brand Natural Life and their big ol’ rompers and sundresses are pure happiness to put on. But, I have a problem. I am homeless by choice. My husband and I travel full time and live a drastically simplified lifestyle. Every piece of clothing, including shoes, must fit in 2 suitcases. TWO y’all.
Have you heard my story about the year of 2010 when God revealed to me my cluttered and overwhelmingly materialistic life was cheating me out of the future I most desired? I had built the huge dream house in Texas, and I had filled it with the prettiest things. I had a binder of clippings I had collected for years of the dream furniture, and piece by piece, I had gotten it. All of it.
And my massive closet was filled to overflowing. This overflow of stuff made me feel overwhelmed each day. And although I had it all, I felt incredibly unsatisfied with it all. So, one day, I took an inventory of the clothing items in my closet. I stopped counting at 508. Next, I did something drastic. I choose 10 clothing items, moved them to my linen closet, and locked the door on my big closet for one month.
For the next month, I wore the same 10 things. Not 10 outfits, 10 pieces. This simple challenge changed me and I’ve never gone back. I learned how to make space for what God had for me, and yes, I learned in my closet.
God will meet you in the middle of whatever your overwhelm is, and he will ask you to make space for him, and if you do, everything will change.
Here’s my rule of keeping space:
- If I want something new, I must get rid of something old.
- When something is no longer working for me, I immediately fit it or toss it. I never have anything in my suitcase that doesn’t serve me. I simply don’t have room for that.
Now, God is asking you to do this in your life! Not necessarily with your closet, but with your heart, with your mind, and with your soul. If you want to hear from him, if you want to be guided by him, if you want to receive his healing in your life, you must get rid of something old.
What’s old is all this crap you’ve been piling up inside that isn’t working for you. Anger, guilt, shame, worry, fear, resentment, regret, questioning … none of that is serving you and it’s taking up precious space in your life. GOD WANTS THAT SPACE.
You’ve been trying to hear from God, but your life is so cluttered with all that old stuff, there’s no space for his voice and his prompting. Offer the space the old stuff has been taking up in your life to God.
God, I’m releasing my regret and I’m offering the space it once filled in my life to you.
God, I’m evicting this fear and I’m offering the space it’s been taking in my life to you.
I’m making space for you.
God has always asked for space so he can give his people what he has for them. No space, no breakthrough. No space, no healing. No space, no change. No space, no progress. No space, and we stay stuck where we have been wandering.
In the Old Testament, God’s people had been wandering in the desert for 40 years. Moses had courageously and supernaturally led them out of captivity in Egypt, and they were on an 11 day journey to the land God had promised them. But they got stuck along the way. They began questioning, and complaining, and dwelling on how unfair their journey was. They grew angry, resentful, bitter, overwhelmed, anxious and discouraged. These things crowded out the offerings of God. There was simply no space for God to lead them when they were holding on to all these old things.
11 days turned into FORTY YEARS. After 40 years of wandering and being stuck, God empowered Joshua to speak to the people. Enough of this wandering. Enough of this being stuck. GOD WANTED SPACE!
Joshua 7: 12-13 MSG, “I can’t continue with you if you don’t rid yourselves of the cursed things. So get started. Purify the people. Tell them: Get ready for tomorrow by purifying yourselves. For this is what God says: There are cursed things in the camp. You won’t be able to face your enemies until you have gotten rid of these cursed things.”
My sister, your regret, your shame, your fear, your resentment, your anger, your doubt, your coping mechanisms, your unforgiveness of others and yourself have become cursed things in your life. God is clearly telling you these things are cursing your life and he can’t move you forward with them. GET RID OF THEM AND GIVE GOD THAT SPACE.
If you don’t have room to receive what God has for you, he cannot give it to you. You cannot embrace new things if you hoard old things.
Releasing these things may be a daily choice. Heck, it may be a moment by moment choice in the beginning. Clear your closet. Make the space. Receive God’s best for you. You can’t receive his best if you’re holding on to what has become a curse.
Hear God now as he speaks to clearly and directly: GET READY FOR TOMORROW BY PURIFYING YOURSELF. THERE ARE CURSED THINGS TAKING MY SPACE AND I WANT IT NOW.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I’ve had a recent prompting and examination of my heart after praying Psalm 139: 23 “Search me, God, and know my heart.” Here’s what I figured out … don’t ask if you’re not willing to respond to God’s findings.
He went to work on bringing to light why I do what I do. Where’s my heart in my choices and actions? Is my heart right about it. Honey, you can be doing the right thing with the wrong heart and it will be wrong. I also believe God’s mercy and grace is so big he can cover the heart that is right but the steps went a little sideways.
Why does God care so much about the heart? Proverbs 4: 23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Think of your heart as a spring of water. If that spring becomes polluted, everything downstream becomes polluted too. If the spring of your heart is polluted, it’s not long until everything else in your life is negatively affected. And of course your enemy knows this well. If he can get your heart out of alignment, soon your desires are twisted. Your passion is twisted. Your pursuits and your motives are all wrong. Then you’re doing things you said you would never do and one day you wake up to realize you’ve become someone you never wanted to be. It began with your heart.
God wants to check our hearts.
So, why do you do what you do? Why do you wear what you wear? Why do you scroll through social media? What is the intent of your heart?
Over the past several weeks, I felt a little ping in my heart about a beautiful daily practice I’ve had for over 15 years.
Daily Gratitude Photos
- Began as an effort to leave a legacy of my life for my young children at the time (I thought I was dying).- Became an effort to preserve my memories, should I lose them again. FEAR DRIVEN- Moved to a pure intention to live daily out of gratitude. To slow down, to savor, to be present. This changed my life.
For all those 15+ years, I’ve posted those daily gratitude photos on my personal facebook. 5,509 days, never missed a single one and dated and stored in monthly albums to remember my life and live it in gratitude.
WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THAT? Yet I couldn’t ignore the pinging I felt from the Holy Spirit that said something needed to change about what was a beautiful, life changing daily practice. Once I surrendered to that ping, I came to understand God was checking my heart, and that deep examination found that there was a part of my heart that was wrong.
While it was still about living in gratitude and documenting that daily gratitude, it had also become about the show. And let me tell you something, God is not impressed by the show in the slightest. The show had to end.
So, after 5,509 days, on day 5,510 I took that daily gratitude photo with a heart that was 100% set on gratitude, void of the show, and kept it private. Those photo storage albums are just for me now.
If I share a photo now, it has gone through the filter of checking my heart first. I’ve found there aren’t a whole lot of photos that have passed for the time being.
This small act of obedience did something radically awesome for me … it flowed DOWNSTREAM. When the stream of my heart was pure, it cleaned up some other things. My addiction to my phone was almost immediately eliminated. I didn’t need to post everything. I didn’t need to obesess over comments and feedback (there wouldn’t be any). Nor did I have a need to see what everyone else was doing that day.
Get the heart right and everything downstream is positively affected. When the heart is wrong, everything downstream is polluted.
God is asking his girls today, “WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO? WHAT IS YOUR INTENT FOR THIS?” That’s your heart check.
Everyone of us put on clothes every day (unless you live in a nudist colony, and hey, that’s on you … I guess the question is why … what’s the intent of your heart with your nudity?). The rest of us got dressed, but why do we wear what we wear?
Crop tops are a thing now. I’m nearly 6 feet tall with a stupid long torso. Regular shirts were crop tops on me, now I fight to keep a poop from hanging out on occassion. If you put on a crop top, the question is WHY? God wants to do a heart check. I don’t see anywhere in scripture where crop tops were listed as not allowed for God’s girls, so this is up for discretion. A heart check will clear this up. Why are you wearing that? Is it to impress someone? Is it to show off that one little ab you worked so hard for? Is it to entice someone? WHAT IS YOUR INTENT.
Are you wearing leggings? Some people say leggings are inappropriate. But I believe God is so much more concerned with the intent of your leggings that the stretch of your leggings.
God’s word isn’t a rule book on what to wear and what not to wear. It’s not a rule book on what you can listen to, what you should watch, where you should go, or what you should do. Especially not the new covenant under Jesus. Jesus eliminated the need for a fear driven lifestyle overrun by rules. Instead, he just gives us a new heart.
Ezekiel 36: 26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.”
The heart God gives us through Jesus discerns our intent and puts our choices in alignment.
For one, wearing leggings may be sin because the intent is wrong. For another, they can wear their leggings every day all day without concern because their heart is right about it.
For me, I love big beautiful, luscious glue on eyelashes. I’ve checked my heart and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them for me. But I’m not trying to impress anyone, attract anyone, or make anyone jealous. Girl, I’ll not only tell you the cheap brand I buy at the Walmart, but I will personally show you how to glue those puppies on! For someone else, eyelashes may be a bad thing because your heart is off and it will pollute everything downstream in your life.
A kept and protected heart enjoys life as it flows. The unguarded heart is restricted, distracted and restless without true joy. The heart that has been confused is always chasing. Chasing more likes and follows. Chasing more attention. Chasing more accolades. Chasing more recognition. And that’s an exhausting race that we can never win.
Check your heart, my sister. Where is your heart a little off course with polluted intentions? Why do you do what you do? Why do you wear what you wear? Why do you go where you go?
Earlier this week, I was mentoring a young woman that was confused if God was displeased with her wearing a swimsuit in the pool. As I flopped around in a one shouldered turquoise swimsuit and a fabulous mermaid tail, and she sat on the side of the pool unsure, I asked her, “Honey, what is your intent? Where is your heart?”
I can’t judge your heart. That is not my place. I would be wrong to tell an adult what she can or cannot wear. I’m not the fashion or flesh police. God’s spirit within you will do the checking.
As a follower of Jesus, you have a new heart within you, and that new heart has discernment over wrong motives. Don’t ignore the promptings that tell you this is a harmless thing … it’s not harmless if it’s with the wrong intent. It’s polluting everything downstream in your life. Guess what is downstream of your heart … EVERYTHING. Remember our scripture today, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I may not know what you’re going through, but I know fear has been knocking on the door of your heart and threatening to overwhelm your mind. Fear renders us incapable of taking the next steps of faith. Fear leaves us stuck. Fear keeps us in darkness. Fear robs us of the opportunity to see God’s faithful hand at work right here in our situation.
Fear makes us say no. Fear makes us shut down. Fear makes us tell stories in our head that grow bigger and bigger while our ability to do anything about the situation seems to grow smaller and smaller.
But that fear you feel does not come from God. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” And if fear doesn’t come from God, where does it come from? Two places: Fear comes from either a troubled mind that has gone untethered from the truths and promises of God … or the fear you battle comes from the enemy of your soul who woke up today with a mission to kill, steal and destroy.
Where does this fear come from, my friend?
God has been preparing your heart to serve him. He has been aligning your opportunity to grow in faith and step into a greater calling on your life. But before you step and before you serve, you’re going to have to tell that fear that it will not keep you from taking positive actions again today. That fear will not orchestrate your thoughts and create the stories in your mind again today. That fear will not overwhelm you, sideline you, keep you in bed, detour you, or discourage you.
Remember, it’s not that we have no fear, it’s that we tell fear NO. You will still have fear in hard times, but honey, in these hard times you can’t let fear have you. You can’t operate from a place of fear. When we come from a place of fear, we become control freaks who suck the life out of everything and everyone, or we walk down hallways of opportunities and miss the open doors aligned for us by God because we’re hyper focused on the door that closed instead.
Hear God as he says to his girls today, “Do not be afraid. I am with you. I see all of this. And I can work through this. This is not the end.”
Do you hear that … this is not the end. I don’t know what you’re about to give up on because it’s getting way to hard and you feel way too hopeless, but listen for God’s Spirit hit you in just the right spot and say, “This is not the end.”
This is bad. This is hard. This may even be unfair. This may feel really stupid. This may be totally ridiculous. But this is not the end.
Scripture tells us the story of a woman who was in desperate need, and in the middle of her desperate need, she was asked to give. How absolutely ridiculous! But let’s read the story, see God’s faithful hand in it, and apply it to our lives today.
1 Kings 17: 8-16: The word of the Lord came to Elijah, “Get up, to to Zarephath and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.”
First, widows were known to be poor. In this culture, if the husband died, survival for the wife became a known struggle. For Elijah to go expecting a widow to provide for him is absurd. But he goes in obedience, trusting God.
“So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks.” To be out gathering sticks confirms this woman is not only poor, she is desperately poor. The land was in a famine and had a shortage of food, not a shortage of wood. Gathering sticks shows she didn’t even have what others had. She was the poorest of the poor. Yet this is who God instructed Elijah to go to for provision.
What an odd choice for God. If I were choosing someone to provide for you, I would choose someone who wasn’t so desperate. I would choose someone who had a surplus. Someone, somewhere, had to have extra food. Yet God said, no, it’s this widow, the one gathering sticks in desperation, she’s the one who I want to use. She’s the one who will give and serve.
Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked – only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”
Literally, this woman is preparing the very last of the food she has for her and her son’s final meal, knowing there is absolutely nothing more. This is desperation. There’s nothing left for her to do. Nothing else she can scrounge together. Nothing she can beg for. Nothing she can make work. This is it. And now this man has asked her to give him some bread to eat.
It doesn’t seem God has prepared her to serve at all. It doesn’t seem God has even clued her in on her role in the story. Yet, remember, God had told Elijah in advance that he had commanded a widow to provide for him. Could this be the wrong widow? She has nothing to give.
But Elijah’s words in response to her desperate circumstances are precisely what we need to hear too. He says in verse 13, “Do not be afraid.”
This is where you have fear, but you don’t let fear have you. You don’t let fear make your choices. You don’t let fear harden your heart. You don’t let fear build those walls. You don’t let fear freeze your next obedient steps of faith.
Is that where you are? You feel like you have absolutely nothing left to give and this is absolutely the end, and now you’re being asked to give? You’re being asked to believe you actually have something to give? I know that’s the way it feels sometimes … as if you have nothing more to give, but God is saying something different. He’s saying right here in your desperation, there’s something you can do. There’s something you can give. This is not over for you!
Elijah says to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, “The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.” So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days. The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through Elijah.”
This was not the end for this woman and her son. It looked like the end. It felt like the end. Every bit of reality said it was the end. But God is not confined by reality. he’s not limited by measurements or amounts. He is infinitely powerful, and the mind blowing thing is, he has offered that power to his children! He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind!
Fear doesn’t have to overwhelm you. Fear doesn’t have to cause you to make harsh rules and mandate control. Fear doesn’t have to build walls to keep everyone else out. Fear doesn’t have to create negative stories in your mind that run wild and turn everyone into the enemy.
Fear doesn’t have to do that, but that’s what unchecked fear does. Fear will have you gathering sticks, preparing for your final meal before everything ends. But faith will have you giving what little you do have, then seeing God supernaturally refill your jugs so you never run out!
My sister, do not be afraid here. Do not operate out of fear. Don’t run in fear. Don’t shut down in fear. Don’t control others in fear. Don’t let your mind be ruled in fear. Trust God here. God is saying, “This is not the end.”
What would God have to do to get you through this? I don’t know … but I know whatever it is, it’s not bigger than God. If God can fill the jugs of the desperate widow who responded in faith, he can fill your jugs with whatever you need when you respond in faith.
He can bring supernatural energy. He can bring supernatural healing. He can bring supernatural provision. He can bring supernatural restoration. He can bring supernatural help.
You bring him your most desperate, most far gone, most absolutely hopeless situation … you know, the one you have kind of given up on because believing God can save it creates such fear in you … and let God do what only he can do. What exactly will he do? Gosh, I don’t know … but don’t you want to find out?
This isn’t the end for you. He has more for you.
Fear will keep you from ever seeing the miraculous work God could and would do. Fear will make you into someone you were never created to be. Fear will cause your purpose to be stopped short of it’s full potential and hurt others in the process.
But honey, it doesn’t have to.
God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind! Remember that. Gather your sticks. Pour out your oil. Bake that bread in faith today.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
An encounter with Jesus is no accident. He makes it his intention to meet with his chosen girls. It’s why you’re listening today. He has intentionally moved toward you to give you what you most need.
What is it you need today? What have you come here seeking? He is here to meet your needs and fill you to overflowing. You will not leave this encounter with him without receiving what you are seeking. He promises, seek and you will find. Our problem comes when our busyness, our overwhelm, our distraction, our frustration, and our desire to gain control cause us to stop seeking. When we are not seeking, it’s hard for us to find. When we are not listening, it’s hard for us to hear. When we’re not asking, it’s hard for us to receive. Jesus wants us to come to him with a thirst for more.
My friend, are you really thirsty for more? Or are you settled with where you are, what you know, and what you feel comfortable doing?
Scripture tells us about an unlikely woman’s encounter with Jesus at a well. You likely know the story, but there’s more for you to see here today.
Jesus was leaving Judea and going to Galilee. To get to where he was going from where he was, there were two routes. The preferred route avoided the despised people of Samaria. But Jesus doesn’t avoid anyone, does he? Which route does he choose? Of course, he chooses to go right through the region everyone else avoided.
Reading the story in John 4, beginning in verse 4-6, it says, “Jesus had to travel through Samaria, so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.”
Remember Jesus didn’t HAVE to travel through Samaria, there was another more preferable route. Jesus had a very strategically planned encounter, and that encounter would require him to be at a very specific place at a very specific time. Jesus “had” to travel through Samaria – not out of reluctance, and not out of lack of a better choice, but instead because of destiny that required he be in just the right place at the right time. Other translations say he “needed” to travel through Samaria, or it was “necessary” for him to be there.
What if Jesus has a planned encounter with you today? What if he has a destined meeting with you, and it’s not because he “has” to … no, girl, it’s because he wants to! He will go to the most undesirable places on the most unlikely routes to meet you. He has no problem with meeting you right where you are.
Did you know Jesus will come to you? I don’t care if you’re in the trenches, he will come to you. He will meet you in the alley, in the gutter, or in the ghetto. He will meet you in the crack house, the frat house, the liquor store, the bar, the hospital room, or the bathroom where you hide and cry. And he’s met you here today. You’ve been asking where he is … well, honey, he’s right here for an encounter with you. Today is the day, he said he NEEDED to meet with you. It was NECESSARY for him to find you here.
Notice scripture is very specific in what time it is. It says, “it was about noon.” This is important because noon is not the time of day to be at the well to draw water. You get up early and draw your water for the day before it gets hot. But on that day, at a very unlikely time, there was a woman who Jesus had intentionally come to meet.
Verses 7-15, “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. ‘Give me a drink,’ Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.’ Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying this to you, you would ask him, and he would give you living water.’ ‘Sir,’ said the woman, ‘you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this living water? Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life. ‘Sir,’ the woman said to him, ‘give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.’
Thirst is a very literal example of our need for Jesus. Jesus is the living water. What he gives quenches the deepest parts of us that are continually longing for more. For real, my sister, you know that part of you that feels like there’s something missing and you don’t know how to fill it … that’s your space for Jesus. Only he can fill that. Only he can take away that longing and give you a continual supply of happiness regardless of circumstances. Only he can give you the confidence you lack. Only he can give you the supernatural strength you need. Only he can guide your next steps. It only comes from him.
We are literally thirsty for what we don’t have. When we don’t have Jesus filling us, we start trying to quench our thirst with other things. Temporary things. We go online and we shop. It’s exciting to put it in the cart and check for the delivery date. It’s exciting to receive the box and open it up. But that excitement is short lived and soon we feel thirsty again.
We pour that glass of wine, we mix that next drink, we order the next round, or we pop another little pill all to feel better for a moment and numb the pain. We melt away the stress, remove our mind from the reality, and that thirst for escape is quenched for a bit. But then, it comes back and we feel even worse. Isn’t that true? You just feel worse after wards?
We are chasing after what we are longing for, and anything short of Jesus will only leave us wanting more.
I’ve heard we’re each born with a God shaped hole within us and nothing else will ever fill that hole. I’ve found that to be true.
I’ve lived in both extremes of not enough money to make it through the month, and all the money I wanted … there was still that hole.
I’ve been marathon level fit where every piece of clothing I put on looked dang good, and I’ve been in that ‘nothing fits’ stage where I hate my reflection don’t recognize myself … there was still that hole.
I’ve met all my goals, stepped into my wildest dreams, and lived the life I always wanted to live … there was still that hole.
A vacation won’t fill it. No beach is good enough. No man is good enough. No drink or pill or next hit lasts long enough. You were created with a need … and girl, Jesus is going out of his way to intentionally meet your need and fill that hole.
That is his living water. We work, we long, we search, we reach, but only Jesus gives satisfaction to the deepest pars of our soul that lasts.
Think about thirst. Have you ever been really thirsty? It’s greater than hunger. Thirst will make you absolutely miserable and truly desperate more than anything else. But just thinking about water doesn’t do anything for you. Even looking at water doesn’t help you. Walking in water, swimming in water, diving right in doesn’t quench your thirst. You have to do one thing … DRINK THE WATER.
They say you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Drinking the water is a necessary choice to quench the desperate need felt in thirst.
And Jesus says, I will give you living water. If you drink from the water I give you, you will never get thirsty again.” In fact he says if you drink his living water, then something awesome will happen inside of you – then you will have a well of water springing up IN YOU!
To be filled with what Jesus has for you, you must RECEIVE it. Knowing about Jesus isn’t enough. Talking about Jesus won’t do it. Only RECEIVING Jesus will fill that God shaped hole inside of you that you’ve always felt. To receive, you must believe.
Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
You are only filled by truly believing. Believing is as practical as receiving a cup of water and drinking when you’re thirsty. Believing is what fills that hole.
Here’s what is truly amazing about this living water Jesus offers us … anyone can drink it. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or how long you’ve been there, you can take a drink from the cup. It doesn’t matter how dirty you are, how much shame or guilt you carry, the cup is offered for you. But no one can drink from that cup and quench your thirst for you. Only you can do that.
But please understand, YOU CAN. The offer is there for you. There’s nothing you need to do to earn it, You are already God’s chosen girl, destined for an intentional encounter with him. This is what you’ve been missing! This is what you’ve been searching for. Not the man, not the career, not the body, not the money, not the success, not the fame, not a single thing … only Jesus.
And through this story, we understand we’re all qualified for take that drink with faith.
The time of Jesus being at the well is important because it shows this woman was an outcast for being at the well alone. She wasn’t allowed to come to the well in the early morning with all the other women. Why? Keep reading in the story. She has a checkered past. 5 husbands, likely some failed marriages and some great losses. And now, she’s living with a man who is not her husband. Her guilt and shame, grief and pain were on display daily as she drew water from the well in the heat of the day. But that’s precisely where Jesus met her.
He shows us ANYONE can be filled by him. You don’t have to clean your life up first. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You simply have to believe.
And when you believe and receive what only he can give, that’s when something starts happening inside of you. His living water becomes a spring of water in you. You are filled over and over again. Regardless of circumstances, you can feel peace. No matter the situation, you can have strength.
That longing you feel within you is a thirst. A thirst can only be quenched by the action of receiving. Your action of receiving the living water of Jesus is simply BELIEVING.
May you be filled today, truly filled. Filled with more than a temporary fix or momentary escape. May you be filled with ALL JOY and ALL PEACE that comes in BELIEVING.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today’s unscripted Bible study looks at the story of Peter walking on
water with Jesus. Peter says he would do it if Jesus told him to, so
Jesus says, “come”. It’s the moment of YOU SAY YOU WOULD, BUT WOULD YOU
REALLY?
He was the one with “little faith”, but look at what he did with Jesus.
Now Jesus says, my girl, I know you only have a little faith right now
and it doesn’t feel like enough, but I’m asking you if you will really
come with me. Little faith can do big things with Jesus!
Don’t just talk about it … be willing to actually DO something about it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God is calling you to step into a higher level of living. He’s inviting you into a greater purpose for your life. Wow, that’s exciting, isn’t it? Doesn’t it feel good to know the God of the Universe has chosen you?
Oh, but wait … maybe you don’t know that yet. Spoiler alert … he has. God has chosen you. Here is his invitation to join him in a purpose filled life! You’re alive today because HE WANTED YOU TO BE. Seriously, that is the only logical reason you were able to wake up. God’s miraculous works are at work within you and he doesn’t plan on wasting it.
Once you come to the understanding that you truly are here for a purpose (and that purpose is greater than working a miserable job so that you can buy and collect things that will all eventually ruin) then you have a choice to make … what kind of person will you be? If you’re here for more than just earning a paycheck, if you’re here for more than buying more clothes and getting a new car, if you’re here for more than climbing the ladder and affording a bigger house, then you realize it’s not about WHAT YOU WILL DO, but it’s all about WHO YOU WILL BE.
Who will you be as a wife? Who will you be as a mom? Who will you be as the daughter of aging parents? Who will you be as the friend of someone who is struggling? Who will you be as the girl who sees an injustice? WHO WILL YOU BE?
David once stood at a crossroads, trying to decide who he would be. He had already gone from the little shepherd boy who defeated the giant Goliath, and had become the King of Judah. But now, he was about to be crowned as the King of all of Israel. His territory was massively expanding. His purpose was growing bigger than he had ever imagined. God had appointed David as his King, and David knew it. He knew he was chosen. He knew he was stepping into this job for a purpose. Now he was asking himself what kind of person would he be.
Now that the house was growing into the largest palace, now that his power would be over all of Israel, now that he was all the way at the top of the ladder, who he would decide to be would continually be challenged and under attack. So before he took that throne, he wrote Psalm 101, his vow of integrity.
Verse 2-4, “I will pay attention to the way of integrity. I will live with a heart of integrity in my house. I will not let anything worthless guide me. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me. A devious heart will be far from me; I will not be involved with evil.”
Did you know Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr wrote an 80 page disposition on this exact scripture? He made it his guide for leading. It was his guide for the next, higher level of living. As he stepped into a greater purpose for his life, he made a vow of integrity.
Now, how about our vow of integrity? Remember, you’re in a battle against the forces of evil who want to take your life, but if they can’t take your life, they will settle for shrinking your life and making you play little.
Girl, GOD DID NOT CREATE YOU TO PLAY LITTLE! Stop backing down because the things you face will be hard. God made his girls to do hard things! You have chain breaking, sea parting, mountain moving, dead raising power inside of you. Why in the world would you play little? Oh yeah … one reason … you’ve been tricked. Tricked into believing you’re nobody and you can do nothing.
But that’s not the truth. You are God’s chosen girl. Chosen to live bigger. Chosen to fulfill a purpose. Chosen to partner with God and do his work! Just like David was chosen, so are you. Now, who will you be?
Here’s what David knew, he knew what we are at home, we are indeed. That’s why he said, “I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.” You can’t put on a show of being a blissful saint to everyone else, then be a bitter sociopath at home. What you are at home is precisely who you are. Who are you in your house when the doors are closed? When it’s only your family, who are you? When it’s only you, who are you? Because honey, that’s who you’ve really become.
One writer put it like this: Do you sing in the choir but sin in the chamber? Are you a saint abroad, but a devil at home?
Let me tell you something, accountability begins at home. If you want to change anything about your life, you change how you are in your private life. We’ve become so enamored by our public persona, but God is asking us about our private at-home life. What’s happening behind those closed doors? Who are you at home, because that’s who you really are.
The MSG translation says, “I’m doing the very best I can and I’m doing it at home, where it counts.” TPT translation says, “I’m trying my best to walk in the way of integrity, especially in my own home. I need your help!”
David knew his reign on the throne as the King he was called to be would begin at home. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr knew it. And we know it too. We can’t ignore this.
Next, David said, “I will not let anything worthless guide me.” Oh dang, does that hit you like it hits me? Haven’t we been letting totally worthless things guide us? And where has it taken us? Straight into an epic mess! Things have been crumbling down around us and we have been clueless because we are letting worthless things guide us. We’ve been distracted while the disaster grows.
TPT says, “I despise anything that moves my heart away from you.”
There’s our prayer … Lord, what has been moving my heart away from you? What has distracted me? What worthless thing have I allowed to become my guide for living?
You can’t rise up to the next level of living and step into your greater divine purpose if you’re following the wrong guide for living. I assure you, the Kardasians are not the correct guide!
I overheard a conversation between an 11 year old girl and a 20 year old girl at the resort pool last week. The younger girl was intrigued by the older girl who was from California and very trendy. Their conversation centered around the Kardasians and the latest face care routine on TikTok. Apparently if you use all their products, you will have a flawless face and a perfect life. WRONG GUIDE GIRLS!
Our hearts are being sooooo removed from God, and it’s happening right in front of our eyes. Literally, in front of our eyes. The MSG translation says, “I refuse to take a second look at corrupting people and degrading things.” My friend, to keep the heart, we must guard the eyes. Where is our discipline over our eyes? We’re letting it come right into our lives through the gateway of our eyes. We just keep watching. Keep scrolling. Keep clicking. Keep soaking it all in, and it’s saturating our hearts, changing who we are, how we think, what we say and what we do.
Today, God is asking us to start right at home. Who are you at home? Get that in alignment with who God created you to be.
Then, what are you letting into your heart through your eyes to guide you? Is it moving you away from God? GET RID OF IT. DELETE IT. STOP IT.
That’s bold. But it’s the bold action required for the girls who are willing to accept God’s invitation to live the lives he truly has available for us! How bad do you want that life?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You’ve heard of The Chosen, right? I know many of my friends have watched all 4 seasons of the show and some have even been part of the show in the episode of Jesus feeding the crowd of people. For real, we had some BIG Life girls in the literal crowd on the show.
Watching The Chosen has impacted countless people, myself included. It’s helped me see Jesus in a way I’ve never seen him before. I’ve simply never seen Jesus portrayed in such a beautiful human form with divine power and yet loving gentleness.
I’m completely stricken by this man Jesus. And to think, this is the one who loves me!
“The Chosen” doesn’t follow the normal timeline of most Jesus movies. It doesn’t end at the cross or the resurrection. Each episode is an in depth, detailed account of a familiar story in the bible. If you’ve struggled to understand scripture or apply it to your life, or you’re just looking for something positive to watch, find the series on Prime and start watching. I’m setting it as a goal to watch a different episode each week in August and actually study along in my Bible, journaling what God is showing me. (Maybe that’s a goal you would like to write too!)
Episode 4 in season 1 is still my favorite. It’s the account of a man in trouble and in over his head in John 21: 3-14. Simon Peter had a tax bill he couldn’t pay, a wife angry over him hiding it from her, and only one thing he knew how to do … fish. In desperation he spent the entire night fishing. His friends joined him that night in an effort to help bring in enough fish to pay his debt.
But, the entire night was spent dragging in empty nets. They were exhausted and Simon was desperate, knowing the deadline was now here and he had nothing.
This is what you call “the end of your rope.” When you’ve done all you can do and it still isn’t enough. When you’ve run out of time and out of resources, and definitely out of luck.
I have to wonder if anyone is there today? At the end of your rope? Where what was bad got worse and you don’t see a way out? You have a need, a true need.
This is where Jesus shows up. Jesus responds to need. His place is smack dab in the middle of your need.
Now I know the story of Jesus showing up on the shore after Simon’s night of futile fishing. I know what happens next, but watching it unfold in this series impacted me like never before.
I’m not a professional fisherman by any means. I don’t so much like fishing as I like catching. I’m all in if I’m reeling them in, but sitting for hours without a bite isn’t necessarily my idea of awesomeness. My husband on the other hand, well he can fish for days on end and find pure bliss. Catch or no catch, he’s just happy to be fishing.
I’ve been guilty of growing inpatient and throw out a hail Mary prayer like it’s a long shot and ask God to give me a fish. Bring a big one right to my hook and let me reel him in. I know God could do that. It’s not ridiculous to think it’s possible. But it’s never happened.
But maybe that’s because I’m not in NEED of a fish. I have no true need of catching a fish, I’m just bored from my unsuccessful attempts.
Jesus responds to NEED. What is it you NEED?
Simon needed fish. Fish were his livelihood, not just his weekend fun. Without a catch, he did not have what was needed to survive, and his entire night of fishing had left him without a single fish. Nothing had worked.
Here is his need … enter Jesus.
We read in John 21, Jesus is standing on the shore and asks, “hey boys, did you catch anything?” As if he didn’t already know. The fact that they hadn’t caught anything is exactly why he was there.
Then he tells them to go back out and put their nets on the other side of the boat. It’s all familiar right? We’ve heard the story before, just skip to the end where they catch so many fish their boats nearly sink.
Watching this unfold in the show, I saw something I had never seen before. Jesus watching it all happen. Jesus looking at Simon and his friends fishing with such compassion. He saw a need and he was responding to the need. Not because he had to, but because he WANTED to.
Jesus knew how frustrated they were. He knew how desperate they had become. And he knew darn well their nets had been empty.
Jesus knows you’re frustrated right now honey. He knows you’re growing desperate. He knows, and he cares. It is your need in this situation that has drawn Jesus in. He is here now in response to your need and HE WANTS TO HELP YOU.
He doesn’t have to, HE WANTS TO.
Won’t you let him?
His help often comes in the form of doing what you’ve already been doing that hasn’t been working, but do it again. Yes, again when it doesn’t make sense. Yes, again when it didn’t work before and you’ve made no progress. Dare to get up and try again.
Because EVERYTHING changes when Jesus is on the scene. The very things that have been nothing more than a disappointing failure can suddenly be an overwhelming success when Jesus is in it.
Jesus, I have a need.
What is your need? Have you told Jesus about it? Have you asked him to guide your next steps? Have you asked him to get involved?
God says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfect in weakness.” Weakness implies a need you can’t meet, a problem you can’t fix, strength needed which you don’t have, and this is where God’s power is made perfect. He responds to your need.
Why is it we immediately dismiss the opportunity to get Jesus involved because we think he’s too busy. Like he doesn’t have time to be fiddling with me and my needs. He has bigger things to be dealing with. I don’t want to “bother” him. Anyone else ever feel that way … like you would be bothering Jesus.
So, we don’t ask. We don’t seek him. We don’t invite him onto the scene.
Honestly, sometimes I’m so filled with the pride of a toddler who just keeps trying to do everything on my own. In the words of my grandson, “I do it myself.” Is that you too? You’re trying to do this yourself?
Girl, get over yourself! You were created to need him. And he WANTS to help you.
As I’m watching “The Chosen”, I see it in Jesus’ face … I see what I have been missing in this story. His excitement to help. His love in meeting a need. His ability to do the impossible with such ease, and his joy in responding to the need.
Scripture says after putting the net down on the other side of the boat, the nets were so filled with fish they began to break. John’s account of this story specifically says there were 153 large fish hauled into the boat. So much that it began to sink.
Imagine that for a moment. This is a small fishing boat. 153 large fish! That’s massive! This was Jesus’ response to a need. His response to frustration and hopelessness.
Why was he so excited to respond to Simon’s need? Because nothing proves who Jesus is more than a personal need being met. When you’ve received provision directly from the hand of God, you know and you never forget.
Simon would never forget who Jesus was. He would never forget his power. He would know personally his care for the details of his life, and this is why he would willingly leave everything to follow him.
Could this be why you have this need in your life right now? It’s a need that will change everything for you. This is where Jesus responds. This is where he does what only he can do in response to your need. And when he does, you will know. You will personally know his power. You will personally understand his love. And you will never be the same.
This is the purpose of your need my sister. It’s not a punishment. It’s an opportunity to know Jesus better.
He’s not too busy for you. He’s not off doing other things that are more important. He’s been anxiously anticipating your personal need so he can respond in his power. And oh if you could see his face. If you could see his love as he looks at you. If you could see his anticipation as he knows the miracle you’re about to experience.
And you will know. You will know Jesus in a way you’ve never known him before.
How could you ever know he’s a healer if you weren’t first sick? How could you ever know he’s a provider if you weren’t out of what you had? How would you ever know he’s a redeemer if you hadn’t screwed this up on your own? How would you ever know he’s a restorer if you weren’t in need of restoring.
Your need is no accident. Your need is by great design. Your need brings you face to face with Jesus and what he’s always wanted to do in your life … prove you can trust him! That’s what he’s wanted to do, just prove you can trust him.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What do we want to do when things get really hard? We want to run. We want to escape. We want to hide. But God tells us to do quite the opposite. God tells us to RESIST.
James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
The word resist comes from 2 Greek words: Stand and against. So, God’s word is telling us to STAND AGAINST the devil.
I don’t know about you, but I often feel very under-qualified for standing against the devil. But here’s what God has shown me … You can be the girl in the room with the least experience, the one who hasn’t memorized a single scripture, doesn’t know how to study her Bible, totally confused by the plan of God, but with a single mustard seed sized bit of faith, you can send Satan and his demons running when you mention the name of Jesus. Our enemy simply cannot stand against the authority of what Jesus did for us individually on the cross.
Matthew 17: 20-21, Jesus says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'”
The problem is, God’s girls have been coming up against mountains and running away from them, giving up their ground. We haven’t been telling those mountains to move, we’ve been assuming that mountain is what it is. Gosh, I really hate that phrase. “It is what it is”. It’s a surrender. It’s a backing down. That mountain is what the devil has used to discourage you and stall your forward progress. Your mountain has you running the other way declaring you can’t. BUT ACTUALLY, YOU CAN. WITH GOD, YOU CAN. Nothing will be impossible. Maybe you just need to tell that mountain to move!
So why are you hearing this today? Maybe it’s because God doesn’t want you to run from this. Maybe he’s telling his girl right now, “No, you stand there and resist this!”
My sister, the enemy has come after your family. He’s come up against your marriage. He’s salivating over your passion and your purpose. Your confidence, your healing, your calling … it’s all his tasty target. Every single good thing in your life has made the devil lick his lips and come in for the kill.
Now God says, STAND AGAINST THIS!
You don’t resist the devil when you curl up in a ball and pull the covers over your head. You don’t resist the devil when you give up and walk away. You don’t resist the devil when you self-isolate by putting up your walls to keep everyone out. You don’t resist the devil when you take another drink and ask God why you. No, you resist the devil when you take a stand, and you keep standing there.
Why are you giving up the ground God has given you? This is your family! This is your future! These are your dreams planted by your Creator. Don’t you walk away because the devil has shown up with his threats and made his attacks. Girl, you stand your ground and don’t you leave it! With the authority of Jesus, you tell the enemy he MUST flee!
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The definition of resist gives me a superhero image of God’s girls on a mission to fight the forces of evil. Listen to this. Resist: An overt recognition of a threatening force and a positive effort to repel it.
So first, it’s an overt recognition, meaning you see it clearly and know precisely what it is.
Do you see what the enemy has tried to do to you here? Oh I see the fingerprints of slimy demons all over what is happening here. He’s tried to distract you as he does his damage. He’s tried to exhaust you, beat you down, discourage you, and take all the fight out of you. He’s tried to twist the truth, confuse the mission, and blur the lines. He’s been whispering his lies, attacking priorities, and poking at commitments.
See it. See it clearly. Recognize it. This is a threatening force at work.
1 Peter 5: 7, “Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” ANYONE! And maybe right now, anyone has been YOU. It’s been your family. It’s been everything you’ve been working on, dreaming of, planning for. Now the enemy has been trying to absolutely devour it all. That’s the threatening force.
Now, what do we do once we’ve openly seen the real threatening force … we make a positive effort to repel it!
Yelling at whoever is yelling at you won’t fix anything. We aren’t called to throw rocks. You know what we’re called to do … we’re called to wash feet. POSITIVE EFFORT.
We’re called to love. We’re called to forgive. We’re called to invite them to our table. We’re called to be the calm in the chaos. We’re called to be the light in the darkness. We’re called to try again.
Why? Why should you try again? Why should you be the one to forgive? Why should you be the one to go first? Because this is the only thing that repels the threatening force.
You repel the negative with a positive.
Why is it when I say repel, I hear “pew pew pew” in my head. Repel like a force field around you, and the fiery darts of the enemy just bounce right off. Our positive efforts repel the threatening force of the enemy!
God is asking his girls this today: What positive effort will you take in the name of Jesus to repel the threatening force of the enemy?
How will you RESIST the devil by standing against the very things he has brought against you?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God’s goodness and mercy have been chasing you all the days of your life. Following you, pursuing you. Wherever you have been and wherever you go next, know that God’s goodness and mercy is always your companion, always available, and never in short supply.
Are there stipulations to this? Like, if you’re a good person? If you pray every day? If you are a member of the church? If you have been baptized? If you don’t cuss? If you read your Bible? If you tithe? If you cancel Netflix? I mean I need to know ya’ll. What’cha gotta do for this?
How do you earn goodness and mercy in your life?
The scripture is the final verse of the 23 Psalm. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life …” What’s the beginning? “The Lord is my shepherd …”
The stipulation isn’t on you honey. This really isn’t about you. You are the sheep. God is the shepherd. Goodness and mercy is the result of who God is, not how you’re performing.
A shepherd cares for his sheep because of who he is, not because there’s one sheep that’s really sweet, or really good, or really pretty. That’s absurd.
Yet if you think about it, isn’t that the condition we tie to receiving God’s goodness and mercy? I’ve got to whip myself into shape! Maybe if I pray more or promise to go to Church when this is all over, then I can be deserving of more of God’s goodness. He will be merciful to me when I’m faithful to him.
That sounds good. It even sounds right in our heads. That makes sense. But faithfulness is for our benefit, not his. Our faithfulness allows struggles to create growth. Our faithfulness brings harvest out of seeds.
But our faithfulness doesn’t bring out the good in God, he’s good without us. And if he is good without our faithfulness, that means he can be good when we’ve been bad. When we’ve been wrong. When we’ve strayed, he’s still good.
The shepherd is good to his sheep when they are obediently laying down in the green pastures or grazing by the still waters. But he is also good when the sheep wanders off into the wilderness and gets herself in trouble. In fact, what does the shepherd do when one stubborn sheep wanders off?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:12-13 “If a man has 100 sheep and 1 of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the 99 others on the hills and go out to search for the 1 that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the 99 that didn’t wander away.”
Jesus is talking about our relationship with him. He’s saying “this isn’t about you being good enough or you earning my love, this is about the power of my love no matter what. Wander away, I will chase after you. Get lost, I will find you. And when I bring you back to the place where I have for you, I will celebrate you.”
SURELY goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Surely. When David wrote this, his words were intentional. He didn’t say maybe there will be goodness. Hopefully I will have some mercy. Possibly, if I get on the right path and stay there. There was absolute certainty here. SURELY. It’s a done deal. It is true. God’s goodness and mercy are following you.
Following you. How do you see what is following you? You stop and turn around.
What if all this time the good shepherd has been following you in your lost wandering, and all you had to do was stop and turn around. Right here sister, just stop. Let his goodness and mercy catch you and sweep you up.
Chapter 107 in Psalms shows us a pattern. Four times, different real life scenarios are given of our messes. Listen for your situation here:
Verse 4-5, “Some wandered in the desolate wilderness, finding no way… They were hungry and thirsty; their spirits failed within them.”
Verse 10-11, “Others sat in darkness and gloom – prisoners in cruel chains – because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the counsel of the Most High.”
Verse 17, “Fools suffered affliction because of their rebellious ways and their inquiries.”
Verse 26, “Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths, their courage melting away in anguish, they reeled and staggered like a drunkard.”
Somewhere in there, we find ourselves. We’ve wandered off where we shouldn’t have gone. We’ve gotten ourselves lost or stuck. We’re chained to addictions and bad choices. We’re now filled with fear and too afraid to do anything. Which one are you?
With each of these 4 scenarios, we have our answer, and it’s always the same answer. Verse 6, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; he rescued them from their distress.” Verse 13, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; he saved them from their distress.” Verse 19, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; he saved them from their distress.” And guess what verse 28 says, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; he brought them out of their their distress.”
For every situation, the answer was the same. CRY OUT TO GOD IN YOUR TROUBLE, HE WILL SAVE YOU, he will RESCUE YOU and he will BRING YOU OUT of this!
I’m that mom who lost a few of her kids in the store … more than once. Heck, I’m that girl who continually loses her husband in the store still today. Without fail, I’m wandering around with that lost look and a store employee will say, “Ma’am, can I help you find something?” Yes, my husband!
So you know what I do, I call out to him. Literally. I call. Speed dial! “Babe, where you at, I’ve been wandering around looking for you.” His reply 99% of the time, “yeah, I know I saw you walking right by the isle several times, I’ve been right here. Turn around.”
Ya’ll how did we shop with our families before cell phones?
You know how we get found … we stop and turn around.
In the trail of dust behind you is God saying “here, I can make something good of this. I can fix this. CALL OUT TO ME!” Gosh he is faithful to make something good out of the things I have messed up.
He’s sure to always be there. SURELY. If you’ve been wandering around a lot lately, I promise he’s there. Not because of anything you have or haven’t done. Just because he’s a good shepherd and that’s what good shepherds do. And that’s what he will keep doing.
But, here’s a thought … what if we quit wandering away? What if we stayed close to the shepherd and trusted his guidance fully? What if instead of him making something beautiful out of our messes, we followed him so we could step into the beauty in front of us as he has always planned? What if our next step was the step of obedience instead of defiance.
Maybe it’s not even so much defiance we’re dealing with, but doubt. We have a lot of doubt right now so our steps are uncertain and delayed. But what if we let the good shepherd lead the way and we just stay close? His goodness and mercy have been chasing me, but now I’m going to let him catch me. I’m going to let him hold me tight. I’m going to let him guide me.
I’m stopping to see what has been following me. I will not wander another step on my own. I can’t.
David reminded us his goodness and mercy are absolutely certain, and they are certain for ALL of our days. It doesn’t say “some” of our days, our good days or lucky days. No, ALL of our days. His goodness and mercy will follow us ALL of our days. David is showing us how to live in faithful expectation that God’s goodness and mercy will continue.
Even on the days when we wake up late. Even on the days after we failed to do our best on the day before. Even on the days when it is dark and hard and scary. ALL OUR DAYS. All our days we have the offering of his goodness and mercy.
The Message translation says it like this “Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.”
Not his wrath or punishment. Not his big stick to beat you over the head. Not shame or guilt. No, it’s his beauty and love. Let him catch you. Let him swoop you up.
If we were to call God and say “God, where have you been, I’ve been wandering around all this time looking for you”, much like my husband in the Walmart he would say “I’ve seen you and I’ve been right here. Turn around.”
Lord, I’m calling you now. You are my good shepherd, please help me to stop wandering away. Teach me to stay close to you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This special unscripted Bible study (and extra girl chat) looks at the
difference between just bumping into Jesus and reaching out to him in
expectant faith. Grab your Bible, and let’s study Mark 5: 25-34 together.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How do we expect God to fill what has no space for him? Maybe we don’t leave space for him because we don’t really expect him to show up any way.
Is that where you are? You stopped asking because you’ve been disappointed? The time you’ve made for him didn’t do anything for you and you’re just as confused and overwhelmed as you’ve ever been.
My sister, I’m sorry you’re feeling disappointed. I’m sorry the circumstances of your life have made you feel forgotten by God or continually punished for something you can’t go back and fix. I promise that is not what God is doing. He is a good, good father who wants to bless you and provide for you.
Psalm 81: 10, The Lord says, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
Imagine baby birds awaiting the return of Mama and Papa bird with their regurgitated breakfast. Have you seen how wide a baby bird opens it’s mouth. It’s literally like their jaw is on a hinge and their whole head opens up to receive.
Yes, THIS IS THE IMAGE GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Open up your whole head to receive.
But we don’t. In our disappointment and fear of being denied again, we don’t open wide to receive. Heck, we hardly even look up. You know what we do … we ask someone ELSE to pray about it for us. Someone else please open your mouth for me. But honey, it doesn’t work that way … It’s really hard for me to be filled by what someone else is receiving while I’m not available to receive the same. If the baby bird won’t open it’s mouth in the nest, it simply will not survive. It is the one who opens his whole head on a hinge that receives.
Gosh, I haven’t been opening my whole head because I’m fearful of disappointment. I’m fearful of being let down. I’m fearful of asking for too much. I’m fearful of being a burden. I’m fearful of being wrong. I’ve been forfeiting God’s filling because this mouth hasn’t been wide open in anticipation. How about you?
Really, are you expecting God to do something about this situation? Are you expecting God to show up with a solution? Are you expecting God to make a way? Are you expecting him to bring healing? Or are you secretly hoping he will, but kinda doubting it would ever really happen, so you’re just being quiet about it.
Let me tell you something, baby birds are NOT quiet about receiving their breakfast! If you’re near a nest with babies, you become aware of their presence the moment their Mama and Papa return to the nest. They go wild! Feed me … I want it … Whatever you went out and found this morning, give it to me … My mouth is wide open to receive.
Yes, and God says, LIKE THAT! Open your mouth to me and I will fill it.
If you will anticipate God’s provision, he will provide. The problem is, you’re not sure he will really show up and provide for you. You’re questioning if God really hears you, really cares about you, and really has the power to do something for you personally. And all that questioning has your mouth shut. God will not fill the closed mouth. If you do not anticipate God’s provision in faith, you will not receive it. What did Jesus say? “You have not because you ask not.”
How many times has he come by with a blessing, and you weren’t ready to receive it? How many times has he had so much more for you, but you couldn’t receive more because you dismissed yourself a long time ago believing you weren’t worthy of more? Again, closed mouths are hard to fill, Sis. Open wide your mouth, and God will fill it.
The thing about those baby birds in the nest is, they are always ready for more. When Mama or Papa show up, those mouths pop wide open. Their hunger is insatiable and they will take everything being given. Their answer is real clear, “Yes, I want more! I’m ready to receive!!!”
What if God has so much more for you, but you’ve just been leaving it on the table. Girl, did you know there are unclaimed blessings on the table for you? While you’re over here busy dismissing yourself from goodness and miraculous breakthroughs, God has been lining it up for you just hoping you would finally dare to believe it’s for you.
Listen to me … God has asked me to tell you something important this morning. “My girl, this is for you. Open up with expectation.”
Psalm 130: 5, “I will wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word.” The Hebrew word translated into wait means expect. I’m expecting God. I’m expecting God to show up. I’m expecting God to move. I’m expecting God to provide.
God wants his girls to have a prayerfully expectant heart. Think about that. Is your heart prayerfully expectant? Or are you praying out of obligation? Is it just to check a box? Would you be absolutely shocked if the thing you’ve been bringing to God over and over again actually changed TODAY? I mean would it surprise the heck out of you if the thing you’ve been waiting on actually happened?
It shouldn’t. A prayerfully expectant heart is counting on God. A prayerfully expectant heart brings it to God, then looks up, expecting God to be in action. Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice: in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly.” If you’re watching expectantly, you’re really believing God will answer. You’re believing he heard you and he’s doing something about it. You’re believing the solutions, the breakthroughs, the changes, the healing, the provision is already in motion.
Let me tell you something, my mouth is wide open because I’m prayerfully expectant God is answering me. He’s showing up to fill my open, expectant mouth and heart. I won’t be shocked if today is the day everything changes. Why not today? But I’ll be okay if today isn’t the day because I also trust God’s timing. I’m fully expecting when it does happen to be divine timing, and my mouth will be open whenever that is, ready to receive it. And God, if it’s today, your girl is ready. My whole head is open!
Expecting nothing of our great big God is an insult.
Have you put God in a little box, assuming he’s too busy for you? Have you limited our great big God by believing it’s too late, too far gone, and far too hard for him? Have you closed your mouth because you believed the lies that tell you goodness could never come your way?
God desires to bless his girls and do good for them. He has prepared so much more for us. What a tragedy it would be for us to miss what he has for us because we weren’t open to receive it.
Immediately after God tells you to open your mouth wide so he can fill it, he tells what happens if you don’t.
Psalm 81: 11-14, “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel did not obey me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans. If only my people would listen to me and Israel would follow my ways, I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.”
When we expect nothing of our great big God, we settle for our own ways and our own plans. If we don’t open our lives to receive what God has for us, we miss it. Unclaimed blessings are left on the table. God wanted to bless you. He wanted to do such good things for you, but honey you stopped believing he would and you decided to do this on your own.
Lord, we come back to the table today. We return and we open everything to you. We expect what we open to you, you will fill. Father, our mouths are open to your offering. We want to be filled by you and your plans. We are prayerfully expectant.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Has God ever made a way for you before? Have you ever stood on the edge of impossible and seen it unfold?
Have you been touched by his mighty power in the past? Has his power brought about provision for you? Somehow you made it through.
Have you experienced divine appointments only he could have arranged? You were somehow in the right place at the right time for it to happen.
Have you ever felt the guidance of the Holy Spirit, giving you strength which was not your own? Empowered to somehow keep going when every ounce of you wanted to give up.
Yes?
He’s made a way for you before?
He’s empowered you before?
He’s guided you before?
He’s strengthened you before?
Won’t he do it again?
He is the way maker. He is the promise keeper. He is the light in the darkness.
And honey, this darkness is NOT TOO MUCH FOR HIM! He’s not backing down from this. He’s not overwhelmed or overpowered. No, he is OVER ALL and he is IN ALL. His promises still stand and right here in the middle of this, he is making a way.
I don’t just mean this in general. No, he is specifically making a way through your personal darkness. He is at work for YOU, individually, personally.
Remember, he’s done it before.
Never forget how he has saved you before.
Never forget how he has guided you in past storms.
Never forget how he has provided what was needed.
Never forget how he has strengthened you through it all.
Never forget what he has brought you through.
Now, won’t he do it again?
Isaiah 43 is a reminder and a promise from God.
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
Stop right there. Do you understand this is actually about you? God is so personal you can insert your name here. He is the one who created you Amy. He is the one who formed you Rebecca. This is for you Maria. Kelly, Courtney, Monica, Kathy, Jasmin, Kim … he is speaking to you. Insert your name. You are the one he created. He formed you. He made you by his own hands by his own divine design, and this is his personal message to you:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
God has called you by name and made you his own. You belong to him.
When something belongs to you, it becomes your responsibility.
If you have a car, it is your responsibility to take care of that car. Why? Because it belongs to you. It’s on you to lock the doors. It’s on you to fill it with gas. If it’s going to get washed, then you’ll be the one washing it. It is yours.
And God says, YOU ARE HIS. He takes full responsibility for you. Your days are under his care. He knows every detail of your life, he is fully aware of every hair on your head as well as every worry in your head.
He paid a high price for you, the price of his son. Hasn’t he proven his level of responsibility for you? Hasn’t he proven his care when he calls you his own, backed by his action? He has redeemed you fully.
God is your redeemer. Redeemer was the title given to a person who paid a debt for an unfortunate family member to get them out of slavery. Back then, if you had a debt you could not pay, you because a slave to pay that debt. However, if someone paid your debt for you, you were free. This person was your redeemer.
So when God says “I have redeemed you”, he is saying, “My girl, I’ve paid your debt. You’re no longer a slave to that. I’ve set you free to walk right out!”
And what does God say our response to this should be? DO NOT FEAR.
This is an act of trust. We are called to trust God because of what he has done and what he has promised to do. Because we are his.
Fear is strongest in the darkness. Isn’t it funny how everything gets scarier in the dark? Watch a scary movie in a fully lit theater and it’s nearly silly. Turn off the lights and suddenly it’s scary. The same noises that terrify you at night aren’t even given a second thought in the light of day.
If you are in darkness right now, in a time when you can’t see your way, remember this, Jesus is the light you’re searching for. He is the only one who can show you the way through this. He said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This is how we can walk through this without fear. We follow Jesus. He lights the way in this darkness.
Back to our scripture Isaiah 43, verse 2 says:
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
God never promised you wouldn’t have to pass through these waters. He never said the waters wouldn’t be too deep for you to walk through. He never said the seas would be calm. He never said there wouldn’t be rivers of circumstance that would threaten to overwhelm you. He never said you wouldn’t face the flames and feel the heat. He never said fire wouldn’t threaten all you have.
No, in fact he said WHEN. When it happens, you have a promise.
And my sister, you’re just in the middle of the “when”.
The deep waters are here, and he is with you.
The seas are not calm, in fact those waves ahead are huge and threatening, but Jesus is in your boat.
The river of circumstance feels overwhelming, but you will not be swept away in this. His hand is on you.
The fire is hot and the flames are real, but you are protected here.
You are surrounded by darkness, but Jesus is your light.
What’s truly interesting is this scripture was written hundreds of years after these events happened. Hundreds of years after God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross. Hundreds of years after the 3 young men who believed in God were thrown into the fiery furnace and saved from the flames.
It had already happened. Yet God is saying to the one who I formed, the one I created with my own hands, WHEN these things happen, I will be there. I will save you. Is this some strange time warp?
No, it’s actually quite simple, God is calling us to remember. Remember what he has done for others, he will do for you. Remember what he has done in the past, he will do it again.
If I parted an impossible sea for them, I will part an impossible sea for you. If I got them through the fire, I will get you through the fire. If I provided for you before, I will provide for you again. If I made a way back then, I will make a way here again.
Life is a perpetual roller coaster ride. Everything is okay, then it’s not. And then somehow with a little time we’re back in a place of being okay. This is life. Up, down, then back up again.
How can we learn to trust God in all of it? How can we remind ourselves he’s always made a way through it all and he’s not about to stop now?
We look back and we remember. We remember what he has done in the past and we count on him for our future.
Storms come. Storms go. God never leaves.
Fires rage. Fires cease. God is in it all.
He made a way before, he will make a way again.
He is true to his word. You have absolutely no reason to fear. God has already saved you from this. YOU ARE HIS.
Isiah 43 MSG:
But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
I want them back, every last one who bears my name,
every man, woman, and child
Whom I created for my glory,
yes, personally formed and made each one.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What happens after you screw up? I mean after you’ve made a horrible choice and made a real mess of things? What happens when everyone else finds out how you have failed?
The answer is, well that’s up to you. It can go one of three ways from here. You could:
A: Keep going down that path and turn bad into worse.
B: Hide in your shame and let this eat at you, convinced you are no longer worthy of goodness.
C: Confess it, get over it, and let God use it.
Isn’t the best choice obvious here? Of course it is! But how many of us are living in the wrong choices every single day? We’re stuck, we’re depressed, we’re embarrassed, we’re spiraling because we never gave it all to God. But guess what would happen if we did give it to God? He would do an absolutely miraculous work with this mess we’ve made!
The life story of David is Hollywood worthy. It’s a rags to riches kinda story. The smallest, youngest and least likely of all his brothers, the one dismissed from greatness, yet filled with courage. He’s the one who showed up on the battlefield and defeated the giant Goliath. He’s the one who was chosen to be the next King. And as King, with all his power and influence, he made a horrible mistake.
Do you remember what David did? In 2 Samuel 11, David stood on the roof of his palace and watched a beautiful woman bathing. He knew she was married but he wanted her. And because he was the King, he had the power to get whatever he wanted. He slept with this beautiful woman named Bathsheba, then when he found out she had become pregnant, he tried to cover up his mistake. When his coverup didn’t work, he intentionally had her husband sent to the front of the battle lines and killed.
This was wrong in every way. David had made a horrible choice, then chosen option A to keep going down that path and turn bad into worse. Now he was not only an adulterer, he was a murderer.
Next, he moved on to choice B. He hid in shame as his sin ate away at him. He became convinced his failure had dismissed him from all future goodness. But as much as that felt true, that wasn’t God’s plan.
As much as it feels like God has surely removed his blessings from your life and cancelled all good plans for you, my sister, that simply IS NOT the truth. It is the enemy’s plan to keep you hiding in your shame. That whole plan of guilt, self-lothing, and self-sabotage smells like hell to me, because that’s exactly where that plan came from! That’s hell’s plan for you, not heaven’s!
In the next chapter, 2 Samuel 12, David was hiding in his sin, unapologetic, unconfessed and unrepenting. Then God sent Nathan to David to confront him about his hidden sin. And as mad as it made David, he realized God had seen everything and God was NOT HAPPY about it.
I wasn’t raised in Church. I knew nothing of Jesus, but I remember one time my Dad said to me, “Sis, don’t be anywhere doing anything you wouldn’t want to be caught doing if Jesus came back.” It stuck with me. I was constantly fearful if I went to the wrong place and did the wrong thing, at that moment Jesus might decide that is the exact time of his divine return and catch me. I mean what unfortunate timing would that be? What horrible luck?
Let me tell you, it kept me out of a few bad places and bad decision. A few. Not all because at some point I decided I would take my chances on the timing of Jesus’ return. What no one told me was JESUS ALWAYS SEES ME. I can’t hide a single thing from him. Even the things I think are done in complete secret are blasted before the throne. Literally blasted. It’s all known!
And when David realizes God had seen everything he was trying to hide, he wrote Psalm 51. In my Bible, the heading of this chapter says specifically this is a psalm of David written when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba. This is David finally choosing option C, confess it, get over it, and let God use it.
Verse 2-4, “Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you – you alone- I have sinned and done this evil in your sight.”
David is literally miserable in his unconfessed sin. He can’t get away from it. He says, “my sin is always before me.” Now isn’t that the truth? What you did has been eating at you. You just can’t seem to shake what you did. So you carry it around in guilt and shame and the enemy of your soul is well pleased! But the God who created your soul, then sent his Son to save your soul, has a different plan. His plan is to completely wash away your guilt and cleanse you.
God not only forgives you, my sister, but he does something even more … he enables you to forgive yourself. This is what David is beginning to realize. God can take away that crippling guilt. He can make the story you tell yourself end. He can stop the replay in your mind of your failure.
Yes, God saw it. He saw it all. And yet, he still hasn’t turned away from you. Here he is, showing up today in such a personal way to say, “My girl, I want to use this for good now.”
God still used David. This wasn’t the end of David’s work. In fact, David used this relationship with beautiful Bathsheba to bring Solomon into the world. Solomon was a very wise man who later became King. And 13 generations later, through David and Bathsheba and their son Solomon, would come Jesus! God’s work was NOT done with David. It didn’t end when David screwed up. No, God still used him!
And God wants to use you! He wants to use your failure. He wants to use your weakness. Will you let God use this? If you’re looking for a journaling prompt today, that’s it: WILL I LET GOD USE THIS?
Some of the greatest marriage ministries I know were formed in the middle of marriages that were absolutely crushed by sin, then God put them back together again. Who better to show a husband and wife how to come back together after betrayal than a couple who has seen God’s redemptive work first hand?
Let me tell you, I can teach you a different perspective on your teenagers poor choices because I messed up on handling one of mine. I know what doesn’t work and I can give you a first hand account of how fixating on the little things will undermine the big things and blow up in your face. I can tell you of the importance of prayer because I screwed that up. But all of that doesn’t dismiss me, it makes me a real life example God can use.
I can tell you about starting a new business and falsely believing it will explode with success if you just invest more money in it. With a dozen maxed out credit cards and no way to pay the minimums on any of them, I met failure face to face. I can tell you everything I did wrong. I can tell you about the car we bought because we thought that’s the car you had to drive to look successful and attract the new clients. I can tell you about the facade we worked overtime to keep up while it all fell apart. And I can tell you how God let us faceplant in the most humiliating and divine way so that we would learn money would never make us happy and all the pretty things were just getting in the way.
God wants to use you! He wants to use where you messed up. He wants to use where you got it wrong. And he wants to use what he alone is making right now!
David says in verse 10 of this psalm, written after Nathan confronts him about his hidden sin, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
When God creates, it’s an absolute miracle. God can take nothing and create anything. It’s how he created the entire universe from nothingness. His creation is miraculous, and David knew that well. So when he is asking God to CREATE IN HIM a clean heart, he is asking for a miraculous work. And God did exactly that.
God can do that for you too. He can do a miraculous work right here in your mess. He can make something remarkably beautiful out of these ruins. God can use YOU!
My friend Catherine is quitting her full time job and diving head first into the calling God has on her life. The calling is to help people struggling with addiction. God is using Catherine in the most beautiful way. But understand, it comes from a one time colossal mess. It comes from a rock bottom in her own place of addiction where she had lost absolutely everything for the next drink that would numb the pain. God did a miraculous work in Catherine and in her family. Literally, only God could have done this, and now he’s using it!
Catherine is now choosing option C: She confessed it. She got over it. And now she’s just letting God use it. And ohhhhh, how God is using it!
Check out verse 10 in the MSG translation, “God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.”
A Genesis week. This is referring to the week where God created the Universe, day by day. Where his spirit hovered over the dark, empty nothingness and brought light. Where he separated the waters and brought dry land. Where he formed life and directed order.
THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO WITH THE CHAOS OF YOUR LIFE! He wants to take every single ounce of darkness and bring his light. He wants to take all of this mess and put it in order. He wants to take what is too far gone and absolutely without hope and breath life into it. He wants to create something brand new here.
Will you give him permission to come into your life, into your chaos, into your sin and shame, into your hurt and regret, and make a fresh start? Will you let him shape a Genesis week here?
God wants to do what only he can do for you, but you have to let him. Just let him. For real. Let him.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In relationships, it is said men most want to be respected. And women, well we are different. Women most want to be seen. And when we feel unseen, overlooked and dismissed, our value is under attack. It’s why women act out in the craziest ways simply trying to be seen. Somebody notice me. Somebody see me!
Girl, you are seen.
Right where you are, at this very moment, you are seen. You haven’t gone unnoticed. You haven’t been overlooked. You’re not dismissed. Your value is known by the one who is most important … the one who can change everything for you.
Today, I will share 3 stories from the Bible that prove God sees you. Right where you are, exactly as you are, God sees you.
First, the story of Hagar. Hagar is the servant of Sarah. Sarah was the old woman married to Abraham who could never have children. To fix the issue, Sarah came up with the bright idea for Hagar to have a baby for her with husband, Abraham.
Now I could have told you that wasn’t going to work out well. That’s some Maury Povich stuff in the book of Genesis! Just as we could have predicted, after Hagar, the servant girl, follows the plan and gets pregnant with Sarah’s husband, Sarah gets really jealous and starts treating Hagar terribly. Finally, pregnant Hagar runs away into the wilderness.
And it’s here in the wilderness God meets Hagar. Here where she felt so unseen, so overlooked, so dismissed, and so used, her loving God comes to her and says, “My girl, I’ve heard you and I see you.” The angel of the Lord told her to return to where she was running from and he would greatly multiply her offspring and they would be too many to count.
Genesis 16: 13, Hagar calls God El-Roi, meaning “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
I don’t know what wilderness you’re in right now, but God sees you. I don’t know what you’re running from, but God has met you here today to say, “stop running.” The Almighty Lord cares about you and he cares about what you are going through. And my friend, what you are going through right now has not cancelled God’s future plans for you.
Just as God’s future plans for Hagar to be blessed with more children, grand children, and great-grandchildren than she could count, still stood in her wilderness, God’s good future plans for you still stand in your wilderness. Yes, you’re going through it, but God’s already made a way through it.
Imagine seeing the God who sees you, as Hagar did. Imagine being able to stop running in the wilderness and return to the thing you’ve been running from with the confidence God sees you and his promises over your life will be fulfilled no matter what.
Well, if you’ve been asking if God sees you, isn’t this proof right now? You’re hearing this. This is your answer. Yes, my daughter, I see you. Yes, I’m with you. Yes, I’m making a way for you. Yes, my promises still stand over your life and not a single one will go unfulfilled. I see you … don’t you see me here?
The second story is one of my favorites. It’s what happens right before Peter walks on the water with Jesus. It’s the part where there’s a wild storm in the darkest part of the night. It’s the part that proves Jesus sees us always.
Mark 6: 45-48, “Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. HE SAW THEM straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea.”
It was in the middle of the night which mean it was dark, it was stormy which meant the seas were wild and loud, and the boat was in the middle of the sea which means there’s no possible way that little boat could have been in sight for Jesus who sat on the mountain praying. He couldn’t hear them crying out over the loud sea. It’s absolutely impossible. There were no flood lights, no spot lights, no lights of any sort that would help Jesus see them. Yet it says, “HE SAW THEM.”
Jesus saw them straining at the oars in the middle of their problem. And, my sister, Jesus see you straining in the middle of your problem. This world may be loud and crazy, but none of that keeps him from seeing YOU.
And when Jesus sees you struggling like you’re struggling right now, you can be absolutely guaranteed he will come to you! He will walk on top of your problems and get to you. He will stand upon the things that have been threatening you because he is more powerful than all of this. He’s here, honey! He is here.
And finally, a little story tucked away in the book of John we rarely notice. A story about a man no one else noticed, but Jesus noticed. His name was Nathanel. When Jesus encountered him, Jesus said in John 1: 47, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Verse 48, “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.
Nathanel became one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. His faith was built on knowing JESUS SAW HIM. He saw him before anyone ever spoke of him. He saw him in secret place where no one else saw him.
Under the fig tree, Jesus says he saw him. A fig tree offered great shade in this hot place. It was where people went to pray and study God’s word. It was their place of quiet devotion and secret prayer. The fig tree was a sacred place. And Jesus tells him, I saw you when no one else could see you. I see you in your sacred place seeking me.
God saw you this morning when you asked him for help. He saw you lastnight when you paused and whispered to him. He saw you when you searched your Bible for the answers you need. He saw you when no one else saw you. And he sees you right now. Right now as you listen, he sees you here.
God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Nathanel was seeking God and searching for the Messiah that had been promised … and there he found Jesus. Under the fig tree, in that sacred space where he went for no one else to see him, Jesus saw him.
Jesus sees you under your fig tree. In your secret sacred space where you look for him.
He sees you in the storm, rowing and getting no where.
He sees you running from all this hardship in your wilderness.
He is El-Roi, the God who sees you. My prayer over you today is that you would see him. See him right here with you. See evidence of his provision, his protection, and his promises which cover your life.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Why the rush? Why do we jump from one thing to the next without fully enjoying either? Who set this pace you’re living in, and is it working for you?
I admittedly sped through my 30’s. Looking back, it’s all a blur as I hurried my children, pushed my plans, and rushed through each task in some sort of race I could never win. How fast could we get ready, how fast could we get there, how fast could we get done, then how fast could it be over?
Answer … fast. It was over fast.
They grew up fast. Things changed fast. Their 18 summers at home went fast. My life is going fast.
And my guess is, so is yours. You’re getting older fast. Life is speeding by fast.
When I look at the life of Jesus, he never seemed to rush. He knew his time was short and he used each moment of each day for intentional impact. Connections are not made in a rush. He was here to connect and his pace reflected his intention.
Jesus, be my pace setter.
Have you ever asked Jesus to help you adjust your pace? Have you asked him to help you slow down and be in the moment, live it to the fullest, and see what he has for you here? Wouldn’t today be a beautiful day to do that?
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the guide for his sheep and we are to simply follow him. Follow his way, trust his path, and let him set the pace.
Psalm 23 says “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
A Japanese version of this scripture says “The Lord is my pace setter, I shall not rush.”
The shepherd guides his sheep not only to green pastures of provision, but he sets the pace to get there. He doesn’t rush his sheep exhausting them, and he doesn’t waste time on the journey denying them. His pace is with purpose, without rush.
I desperately need my Good Shepherd as my pace setter.
Jesus, show me how to walk through life. Show me how to slow down while moving forward with purpose. Show me how to not get caught in the rush, missing what you have for me here.
The shepherd knows where the provision of green fields are, and he knows the journey there. Isn’t it reassuring to trust he knows exactly where your provision is, and how to get there. He knows where your income is before you ever knew you would need a new job, and he will get you there right when you need it. You’re desperately looking for a house and Jesus says “girl, I’ve already got it lined up for you and we’re on our way there. Trust me.”
Receive that today. If you’re following Jesus, then you’re already on your way there!
There is no rush. Your fret and worry is not necessary here. Jesus is your guide, simply follow him at his pace.
He says in Matthew 11: 28-30 (The Message): “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out … 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… Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Jesus says to us today WATCH HOW I DO IT. No more living so rushed. No more living so burdened. Let us learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
What would an unforced rhythm of grace look like in your life? Practically the opposite of what you’ve got going on? That mad rush is exhausting, isn’t it? That robotic living of be here, do that, check the box, all while feeling like you’re constantly behind on boxes? Oh, to live in a rhythm that isn’t so hurried. A rhythm that is never falling behind. A rhythm that is perfectly in sync, following the beat, making the music we were created to make with our days. This is living in grace. This is following the shepherd. This is allowing him to be our pace setter.
There’s no denying Jesus was important. The most important man to ever walk this earth. He had the world’s most important work to do, and only 32 years of life to get it all done. And really, even less than that. His entire ministry on this earth was only 3 years. There were so many people to reach, so much work to be done, so many lives to impact, healings, speeches, miracles. Yet he wasn’t busy. He was never too busy to sit for dinner with others. He was never too busy to make a connection. He was never in a hurry rushing by and leaving others only wishing he would have noticed them. No, he was available. He was present. He was engaged.
In Luke 10: 38-42 we read about Jesus telling a busy woman to slow down. Oh Martha, Martha, Martha, why the rush, why the stress, why the worry?
Martha probably felt her rush made her important. I mean come on ya’ll, Jesus is at your house for dinner, wouldn’t you be rushing to make it all perfect. Yet her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet and let the day unfold without a rush. When Martha complains that Mary was not joining her in her mad rush to get things done, Jesus says “Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
There is something needed here today … what is it? There’s a temptation to rush through it. There’s a risk of missing the good part. Jesus, show us what is needed here today and help us not rush it. Help us choose the good part. Guide us pace setter.
The busier we are does not reflect our importance. It often reflects our imbalance. Our jacked up priorities. Oh, to be unavailable to friends and family … that’s not the example Jesus set. Oh to be unable to find the time to savor a sunset, or even know the sun has set at all. To whiz through our obligations without a mindful breath thinking this is the model of a successful life, but this isn’t the model Jesus gave us.
I used to wear “busy” as a badge of honor. I’m busy, therefore I’m important, I’m successful, I’m accomplished, I’m productive. I realize Jesus was all of this things far more than myself, and yet he was never “busy”. The truth is, when I’m too busy, I’ve failed. I’ve allowed unnecessary things to pile up on my plate. I’ve mistakingly believed I’m the only one who can do it. I’ve once again, gotten my priorities jacked up. Busy is not a badge of honor … busy is an imbalance that is crying out to be fixed in my life.
No more rushing. No more stressing. No more pushing and forcing, missing the unforced rhythms of grace.
Let’s finish reading the Japanese version of Psalm 23:
The Lord is my Pace-setter, I shall not rush,
He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind,
And His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day,
I will not fret for His presence is here.
His timelessness, His all importance will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity.
By anointing my mind with His oils of tranquility;
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours.
For I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever.
Today, may you walk in the pace of your Lord. May you watch the Shepherd closely and see he guides you perfectly in the unforced rhythm of grace. May you be available to savor all he has for you here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This week, I’m challenging the women I mentor to dream again. To put words to the dreams which flow from their heart and partner with God in the process of creating. Really, isn’t it amazing to think that God, the creator of the entire Universe, created us and put us in the middle of it all, then invited us to create with him. My sister, he has given YOU the power to create within your life. That’s why you have those dreams … do something with them.
I’ve told you about my dreams to have a BIG Life Resort here in the Florida Keys. And I’ve mentioned before my dreams of having a BIG Life Tiki Hut Coffee Shop where you can get a latte and a holy dunk in the turquoise waters. Oh how I would love to share a cup of coffee with you! But have I told you about the dream that really revs my engine? The one that is likely the simpliest and most doable on a 5 year plan is the one that really makes my heart beat fast. I dream of having a turquoise colored vintage VW bus as our mobile podcast studio. I want to travel across the country, setting up in parks and parking lots, gathering our listeners for live podcast broadcasts and local adventures. I want us to whip out lawn chairs under the canopy of my VW bus (I say “my” … I don’t have one, but I dream of one), where we open up our Bibles and we let God’s living word flow.
What are your dreams, my sister? What desires has God whispered into your heart? Don’t you know those are invitations to come create with the Creator? Yesterday, I read of dreams of creating a special RV park, dreams of building a farm for a free farmer’s market food pantry for the community, dreams of running, dreams of a building for foster children, dreams of freedom from addiction. Many had never spoken of these dreams before, now they’re brought to light! It’s absolutely beautiful and invigorating.
Today, as I continue my study in the book of Psalms, I stumble across a scripture which tells us what we should do when we desire life and want to enjoy good things. I believe that’s what our dreams are. We want to live more of this life God created us for. We want to create good things, do good things, and share good things. Fantastic … here’s what we do:
Psalms 34: 12-14, “Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Does this apply to you and I today? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!! For those of us who desire the life God is offering us and have dreams of good things, we know what we need to do here.
• Keep your tongue from evil
• Keep your lips from deceitful speech
• Turn away from evil and towards good
• Seek and pursue peace
Have you noticed how it’s harder than ever to keep your mouth from sinning? David said in Psalms 17:3, “I have determined that my mouth will not sin.” How are you doing with that mission? It’s hard, isn’t it? But what if our mouth is limiting us? What if it’s our mouth that cancels out the dreams God is willing to help us create?
Lord, show me where my mouth is sinning and help me regain control! My tongue has been evil. My lips have been deceitful. I have been actively participating in blocking my own potential for good things. I want to change that!
The process of change first begins with awareness. We become aware of what we’re saying (and don’t forget, typing, commenting, liking and sharing is the same as saying.). What is God making you aware of that is not honoring to him. If it is not honoring to him, then it is evil.
Did you know that’s what evil is? Evil is more than just a supernatural force of wickedness. When scripture refers to us doing evil, it means anything we do, say or think that goes against the goodness of God. God is good. All good things flow from him. If it is not good, it is not of God. If it is not of God, then it is evil.
If the words we speak are not from the goodness of God, then they are evil. If the thoughts we think are not from the goodness of God, then they are evil. If the things we do are not from the goodness of God, then they are evil. Anything void of God’s goodness is evil. And God’s word is telling us to TURN AWAY from EVIL and TURN TOWARDS GOOD.
That’s so very practical. Instead, what we often do, is we dive head first into the gossip. We jump right into the drama. We scroll through the comments of the controversial post just to read the word battle unfolding. And every time we do this, we are turn towards evil. This is void of God’s goodness.
And God says, “My girl, turn away from that and turn towards my goodness. I have so much more to give you, but you have to turn from this.”
Did you know this exact scripture from Psalms is quoted in the new testament? It shows up again in 1 Peter 3: 10-12. Let’s read it from the Passion Translation:
For scripture tells us, “Whoever wants to embrace true life and find beauty in each day must stop speaking evil hurtful words and never deceive in what they say. Always turn from what is wrong and cultivate what is good; eagerly pursue peace in every relationship, making it your prize. For the eyes of the Lord rest upon the Godly and his heart responds to their prayers.”
Is God convicting you now of anything you have been saying? Is there any wrong you need to turn from? Do it now. Confess that, don’t let it grow. You want true life, right? You want beauty in each and every day? Get rid of those hurtful words. Eliminate that tendency to be deceitful in what you say. Turn away from every little thing that is wrong and intentionally turn towards what is right.
Notice it says to “eagerly purse peace in every relationship.” What would it look like to not just desire peace, but actually pursue it, and pursue it eagerly? Have you asked God what you can do to bring peace to this relationship? In my experience, the way I bring peace is to do the opposite of what I feel like doing. What I feel like doing is screaming. What I feel like doing is throwing a grown woman hissy fit. I feel like showing my hurt in a way that will hurt them. How about you? I realize all the things I feel like doing are the opposite of eagerly pursuing peace. So what God is asking me to do is to lay my feelings aside, and turn toward his goodness. Otherwise, it is evil.
So, this is our focus today. We are girls who want good things. We are girls who have the dreams of God planted within us as seeds to nurture and grow that will one day reap a harvest. If we want those good things in our lives, there are simple things we must do today:
• Keep your tongue from evil
• Keep your lips from deceitful speech
• Turn away from evil and towards good
• Seek and pursue peace
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What you see today may feel overwhelming, but what is unseen is far greater. What you see are the problems circling in around you … what is unseen are the solutions circling in around your problems.
GOD IS BIGGER THAN THIS! Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” But how do you know God is for you? Oh honey, look no further than Jesus. If God sent his one and only son to die for you, don’t you think that confirms God is indeed FOR YOU?
There are some things against you right now, but God is FOR you. Find confidence in that. GOD IS FOR YOU. Does that mean he will make things easy for you? No … because easy isn’t good for you. Easy living creates lazy living. Lazy living does not honor God or live up to the potential he has put within you. So, no, he’s not going to make it all easy for you, but girl, he’s going to surround you and make a way for you through this!
Psalms 34:7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.”
Now, let’s look at other translations to get a broader view.
MSG: “God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.”
Voice: “The messenger of the Eternal God surrounds everyone who walks with Him and is always there to protect and rescue us.”
NLT: “For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”
Do you get the picture? God’s angels circle around us, protecting us, fighting for us, rescuing us. This is the absolute reality for those of us who fear the Lord.
I must admit, the concept of fearing God has always been a bit confusing for me. I find I trust God far more than I fear him. I no longer see God as the old white bearded man with angry eyebrows and big stick sitting on a throne. I see him as a loving, welcoming, merciful and faithful Father who will move Heaven and Earth personally for me. So, why would I fear him?
Fear of God means two totally different things, depending on your relationship with Jesus. Without Jesus, you fear the judgment of God and eternal separation from God. With Jesus, your fear of God is a holy reverence and awe. I’m not scared of God because he has promised to never leave me and never forsake me, but never let anything separate me from his love. I’m secure and confident in that, so I live in absolute awe of his creation, of his love and of his power, and this awe impacts the choices I make.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you have absolutely NOTHING to be afraid of in God. He is for you, not against you. He has sent his angels to encamp around you.
I read about a fellow believer’s vision of these angels, and it gave me those holy goose bumps. She saw angels encamped around her adult children’s homes. But they weren’t the sweet little cheriubs with wings and chunky cheeks. They were 20 to 30 foot tall warriors! When she questioned why they were circling their homes, she was told, “because your prayers ordered us there.”
My sister, your prayers call the angels. Not the chunky cute kind … the tall warrior kind. The ones who will fight for you. The ones who will hold back the enemy.
But you will likely never see them.
Your protection is real even if it is invisible. I love the story of Elisha’s servant who was overwhelmed by the enemy’s forces who had surrounded them overnight. The servant got up the next morning, seeing the army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. 2 Kings 6:15, he says, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
Verse 16, “Elisha said, ‘Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed for the Lord to open his eyes and let him see. Verse 17 says, “So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Notice Elisha didn’t pray for the circumstances to change. He didn’t even pray for the enemy to go away. He simply prayed that his servant would see the reality of the situation.
My sister, you aren’t seeing the reality of this situation. There’s so much more in the unseen. There’s more that God is doing and it’s so much bigger than just this. Father, increase our faith here!
Faith is not imagining unreal things. It’s not making up imaginary things to make us feel better in the moment. It’s not a false hope in fairytales. Faith is believing things that cannot be seen, but knowing they are real. Just because you can’t see it makes it no less real or present.
So what is the reality of this situation you’re in? The reality is, God’s angels are encamped around you!!!!! Encamped means they are stationed there. They’re staying. Around you is their assignment. Not cheeky cherubs playing harmonicas. Angels of fire who cannot be defeated!!!!!!
As God’s girls, the ones who live in holy reverence and awe of him, we have every reason to be confident no matter what we are going through. Why? Because even though we can’t see it, we know we are surrounded! God is surrounding what has surrounded you!
And remember, those angels take orders according to your powerful prayers. Where do you need to send an encampment of angels today?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today’s BIG Life Bible Study is “Guided By the Spirit” … literally.
Once again, while studying this morning, I felt prompted to keep this one unscripted and simply study this word with you.
Our scriptures for today are:
• Psalms 32: 8-9
• 2 Samuel 12
• Galatians 5:25
Do you EXPECT God’s guidance today?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I’m back from retreat, absolutely overflowing from all the beautiful women I shared the weekend with, and the stories they shared.
Join me for a special Monday morning Bible study together, inspired by those stories.
• Psalm 30: 11-12
• Nehemiah 8:10
• Philippians 1:6
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Friday unplugged bible study.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What do you do with the way you really feel? I’m talking about those true emotions … are they allowed at the throne of God?
One of the most valuable lessons I ever learned was what to do with my true feelings about life. Feelings handled inappropriately, or not handled at all and allowed to fester, can create distance and separation. The enemy of your soul would love nothing more than for what you are going through to create a distance between you and God. Satan would love the questions you have to grow into doubts. The hurt you have to grow into fear. But God has a different plan.
The lesson came in my moment of sheer desperation and frustration. I sat in the living room of our little house in the deserts of El Paso, TX, angry. Angry that things hadn’t worked out the way I thought they would. Angry that good plans had fallen apart. Angry that this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.
My husband and I had left our successful business in Dallas and moved to El Paso to help start a church. For the first time ever, I had prayed for a sign to know for sure we were supposed to go. My prayer was for a white feather. That white feather now sat framed in the new little house so far away from where we had found success. We had gone in faith where we felt called and absolutely nothing had worked since.
I believed that if you did something for God, you would be blessed. I believed if you were following God’s path, the path would be clear. I believed if you gave something up for God, he would replace it with something greater. And everything I believed had been met with struggle.
The church was a mess. Our finances were non-existent. The repo man was circling looking for an opportunity to pick up our car. We had rolled change to buy groceries that week. My son was in kindergarten and his new school required uniforms. I could only afford one uniform shirt, so I washed it every night. It was a white shirt. Do you know how hard it is to wash a little boy’s white shirt daily and keep it looking good? Nothing was going right.
How could God lead us to this horrible place to do nothing but fail? We really felt like we were following him. I really believed God gave me that sign as confirmation to go in faith. But faith and following had been repaid with failure and frustration.
But I couldn’t admit my frustration. I couldn’t speak the words of anger I felt within. I held it all inside. And there, it ate at me.
My husband says to me, sitting there on the couch, “Why don’t you just tell God you’re mad about this.”
No! I could never do that. Wouldn’t my anger mean I don’t trust him? Wouldn’t my questioning of his plan bring punishment? I can’t speak it!
Then my husband says, “Pamela, God already knows how you feel. Just tell him.”
So, in that moment, every emotion I had been faithful to manage and hold in, came erupting out. God, I cannot believe this is how you repay faith. I cannot believe this is somehow good. This is a mess. We gave up everything to follow you and absolutely nothing has worked. I’m sooooo mad at you God.
Then silence. To my surprise, I wasn’t struck by lightening.
And honestly, I felt better. I felt deep in my soul my Creator respond, “Good, now we can work through this together.”
And we did. Together, we worked through it and moved forward. I surrendered again and again and again. I brought my frustrations and disappointments and laid them on him. He picked them up and gave me the courage to keep going.
Ultimately, that new church failed. And it failed miserably. Everything we had moved to El Paso to do was ruined. But still, there was that white feather. The feather I had prayed for as a confirmation from God that we were to go. Why did God bring us there? Only to fail? Only to suffer?
Looking back, I can see how our time in the desert was ordained by God. It brought us to the Mexican orphanage where we met and adopted our daughters. It brought me to my mentor who taught me to study, to read, to seek, and to go for this dream God had placed within my heart. It brought me to creating this … BIG Life. But first, it brought me to my knees where I bared my true emotions and was met by a faithful God with a good plan.
Reading the book of Psalms is like a roller coaster ride of emotions. David is up, then he’s down. He’s desperate, then he’s delighted. He’s crying, then he’s singing. Seriously, look at these verses from the first few chapters in Psalms.
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice: in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly.”
“I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my bed and drench my couch every night. My eyes are swollen from grief.”
“The Lord has heard my plea for help; the Lord accepts my prayer.”
“Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble?”
“Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!”
It’s totally skitso. Up and down, back and forth. Lord, thank you for hearing me … Lord, why aren’t you listening? God, I trust you … God, my problems have overtaken me.
And God said, YES … THIS IS WHAT I WANT RECORDED IN MY HOLY WORD! This is what I want my girls to see. I want them to see how to cry out to me, be real with me, share their honest emotions with me, find comfort in me, be angry with me, and praise me. This is relationship!
Isn’t it amazing that the creator of the Universe wants a relationship with you? That honestly blows my mind every time I truly consider it. That God WANTS me to talk to him about my feelings, my frustrations, my fears, and my future. He also wants me to bring him my delight, my dreams, my plans, my passion, and my praise.
What have you been holding back from God? Honey, when you hold back, distance is created. The enemy swoops in and tries to fill that distance with doubt. LEAVE NO SPACE FOR HIM!!!!!!
James 4:8 says, “Draw close to God and he will draw close to you.” The way I like to see it is, when I take one step toward God, he takes a thousand steps toward me. This crowds the enemy and his lousy offer of doubt and fear right out!
In the book of Psalms in one small chapter that shows us how to go through hardship and draw close. How to feel real emotions and bring them to God productively. How to grow in relationship with the Almighty.
Watch the flow of this conversation David has with God.
Psalms 13:
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? (That’s true emotion. That’s raw feelings.). How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me – agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me?
Consider me and answer, Lord my God. (This is the request in true relationship.). Restore brightness to my eyes; otherwise, I will sleep in death. My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,” and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
(Now here it comes. This is the part for a statement of faith and praise). But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.”
- Bring your emotion.
- Bring your request.
- Bring your praise.
God not only CAN handle your true feelings and emotions, he WANTS to handle them. He will faithfully handle them. He will draw close to you.
I’ve learned not to let my emotions build up, holding them back from God until they erupt. Now I just bring them to him continually. I don’t hide anything … I mean really, I’ve never been good at hiding anything from God anyway. He sees it all and knows it all far better than I do.
Maybe today would be a great day to pray Psalms 13 for yourself. Begin with, How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will I be anxious and have this agony in my mind? Now insert your own emotions, your own fears, your own feelings here. Let him have it! Literally, let God have it!
Then, move on to verse 3. Consider me and answer, Lord my God. Ask him to show up and do something. Bring your specific requests.
Now, verse 5, we make our statement of faith and bring our praise. I have trusted in your faithful love, my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. Oh yes, I believe you will do it God! I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously. Praise him for his promises and how he will fulfill every one of them concerning you.
It’s been over 20 years since I sat on that couch and told God my true feelings for the first time. Since then, I’ve talked to him about some really hard things, some really confursing things, some really painful things, and some really bad things. He has been faithful to draw close to me every single time.
You can do the same. Bring your emotion, bring your request, then girl … bring your faith and your praise!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Could you be unintentionally wrong? Could you be unintentionally doing the wrong thing, walking the wrong path, thinking the wrong thoughts, saying the wrong things, getting things unintentionally wrong. You don’t mean to be wrong, but you are. You don’t even realize it.
We have unintentional sin in our lives. We’re not even aware of it, yet there is a need to bring it to God and seek forgiveness.
Psalm 19:12, “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” Now, let’s look at various translations. “Who perceives his unintentional sins?” “How can I know the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from my secret faults.”
We have made errors in judgment without knowing it. We have unintentionally been wrong all while thinking we are so right. Our faults are hidden, even from us, but God knows. And God wants to cleanse us of even the unseen so that it doesn’t grow in our lives.
David wrote this Psalm and he’s saying he knows he has ignored and disobeyed God even more than he’s aware of. Isn’t that us too? I know I’ve failed countless times, but I’m certain there are even more shortcomings I never took credit for. Things I’ve never brought to God. Things I haven’t asked for help with.
What are your secret faults, your unintentional sins? Things you have never repented from, things which were committed in your heart but never brought to action, things done in ignorance because you didn’t know any better, things done in private but if they were made public you would be ashamed. Do you have some of those? Really, do you? Upon examination, I found I do. I have plenty of secret faults and unintentional sins.
And here’s the things about being unintentionally wrong … it will lead you to a place you don’t want to be.
In our truck, my husband is the driver and I’m the navigator. He’s a great driver, I’m an admittedly horrible navigator. Recently we were traveling from Illinois to the Florida Keys, and I had booked an Airbnb for the night. I put the address of the property in my husband’s GPS, then he followed directions. As we came closer and closer to the destination it felt more and more wrong. Then the little lady on the phone said, “you have arrived at your destination.” It had dropped us off in the ghetto.
Then we discovered I had made a small error. I entered the correct house number and street name, however unintentionally choose the wrong city. We were MILES from where we were supposed to be, on the wrong highway in the wrong city. It wasn’t intentional, but it was a small error that led us to a place we didn’t want to be.
Let me tell you something, our small errors will unintentionally take us to the ghettos of life. WE DON’T WANT THAT!
Lord, what errors am I making? How have I gotten this wrong? What have I missed? What little thing is throwing me off course?
But of course, we all have sin that isn’t unintentional too. We have deliberate, chosen, premeditated, continued wrong doing in our lives.
Psalm 19:13, “Keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me.” Again, let’s look at other translations. “Keep me from stupid sins, thinking I can take over your work.” “Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.” “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.”
Y’all, I can be stupid and do stupid things. I know better, but I don’t do better. Can you admit to being the same?
We willfully and deliberately do things we know we shouldn’t do. It’s a condition of the human race, a condition Jesus came to save us from.
Again, the man who wrote this is David. David was a saint. The one referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.” And yet David knew major failure was possible for him. He knew that sin could creep into this life, grab ahold of him, and have dominion over him. None of us are immune from the stronghold of sin. None of us are exempt from the darkness of the enemy that creeps in, twists things and corrupts our minds, convincing us to do the wrong thing.
Remember, you have an enemy, and that enemy’s goal is to kill, steal and destroy. He’s looking for any crack in your life to introduce sin that will wreck your marriage, ruin your reputation, steal your hopes and dreams, kill your potential, and hurt others in the process. And once he gets in your life, he creates absolute chaos. Chaos you don’t know how to undue. Chaos that leaves you chained up in sin you can’t undo. This is the real threat, and I don’t care how good you are, it’s a threat to you.
I’ve seen good people fall hard. I’ve seen good intentions get twisted and warped into unimaginable harm. I’ve seen the enemy creep his way into God’s work and create absolute destruction. It could happen to you!
So, what are these presumptuous sins, sins that are willful, sins that are deliberate, sins that are absolute stupidity. Let me give you a list so you can identify them at work in your life.
When we really do know better.
When friends have warned us.
When God himself has warned us.
When we have warned others about the same thing, yet now we’re doing it.
Is there any of that in your life. Are you doing anything you know you shouldn’t do? Have you fallen into something you’ve been warned about, or you’ve even warned others about, but now you’re in it?
THESE THINGS WILL RULE YOU AND THEY WILL RUIN YOU. JESUS WANTS TO SAVE YOU FROM THAT. HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO LIVE IN BONDAGE TO THE THINGS THE ENEMY HAS TWISTED IN YOUR LIFE.
Look at this scripture, the sin the enemy tricks us with has a progression. It starts with simple errors. Errors in judgement. Errors in thought. Errors in direction. Those errors become secret faults and unintentional sins. We don’t mean to do wrong, but we are wrong without knowing it, so we go full speed ahead in the wrong way. And eventually those erroRs that become unintentional sins grow to presumptuous sins. We’re intentionally doing things we know we shouldn’t be doing and we’re hiding it, hoping to get away with it longer.
See how it works? See how the enemy weasels his way into the cracks and seeks to radically destroy every ounce of goodness in your life?
It starts with a temptation and that temptation becomes a chosen thought. And as you think about it, you start wishing for it. That wish becomes a planned action, then that planned action begins to seek an opportunity. Opportunity is found and the act is performed. As the act is performed, it becomes a repeated action. Those repeated actions become a habit. And guess what that habit becomes … it becomes your chain. YOUR PRISON. You are the slave.
All the while, the Holy Spirit within you is saying, “No, stop. This isn’t good for you. This isn’t right. This little wrong will lead to big wrongs and wreck everything. Don’t do this.”
Lord, help us to see our unintentional sins. Help us catch our errors in thought and errors in direction. Convict us of our secret faults. Strengthen and empower us to do better. Father, help us to slam the door on the enemy. He doesn’t get access to our lives or our families. Romans 6:14 tells us because of Jesus, sin will NOT have dominion over us. We seek your freedom. We seek holy conviction and change. We see the progression of sin and how it can so innocently begin and grow. Don’t let it grow here!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever noticed the Bible talks a lot about battle with your enemies? I used to skim over these preparations for battle verses because, let’s face it, ain’t none of us in that kind of battle today. I’m not facing an enemy with plans to overtake me. I’m not facing an attack from enemy forces. I’m not seeking to battle for land and conquer an army.
Or am I?
Are you?
What if every time your Bible talks about battling an enemy attack, you think about the things that try to hold you back. The things that serve as distractions from your purpose. The things that defeat you mentally and steal your confidence. The things you never feel good enough to overcome, so you’re perpetually stuck. This is your battle. And it’s real.
But God is offering you supernatural strength for this fight and victory for your battle. Yes, you can overcome this. Yes, you can break through. Yes, you can change. Yes, you can successfully do the things you’ve continually struggled to do in the past.
Today we will look at the writings of David in the book of Psalm for our battle prep. Girl, you are walking into a battle today … you are facing an enemy force that wants to hold you back … but you NEVER have to settle for defeat!
David writes in Psalm 18:29, “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.” You can hear his confidence and his energy, can’t you? But did you know he wrote this after 20 years of running and hiding from King Saul? He had been barely surviving, always surrounded by threats. Shouldn’t he be exhausted? Shouldn’t he be discouraged? Shouldn’t he be frustrated? Yet here he is talking about strength to crush an army. Courage to scale any wall that stands in his way.
Even after 20 years of struggle, David was not exhausted, he was empowered.
My friend, I don’t know how long you’ve been struggling with this same thing, starting strong and fizzling fast, getting your hopes up and being let down, trying to change and the change not lasting … but I know this much … you can trade that exhaustion for empowerment! God can give you the strength you need!
Right now, lay down that exhaustion and pick up empowerment. You’ve carried around that exhaustion for far too long. You’ve been confessing your exhaustion entirely too much. That’s enough. If you want empowerment, it’s here for you.
This same verse in the Passion Translation says this, “God, with you as my strength, I can advance through every stronghold that stands in front of me.” THERE IT IS, THAT’S WHAT YOU NEED! This is your prayer. This belongs on your mirror. This is your anthem, your battle cry, your affirmation.
God, with you as my strength, I CAN ADVANCE through every stronghold that stands in front of me.
What stronghold are you facing? There’s something that has a strong hold on you. It’s been holding you back. Holding you back from that next step. Holding you back from advancing. Holding you back in doubt and fear. Holding you back in a life that is far less than you were created for.
You’ve tried to break free and change before, but it’s hold on you was too strong. You went back. You fell in defeat. You felt overwhelmed. You grew discouraged. So, you quit. But that doesn’t have to be your story. No, not with the strength God is offering you. With his strength, you CAN ADVANCE here.
You can take the next step. You can make the next right choice. You can change. You can … will you?
God is here offering you the strength today, will you accept it? Will you use it? Will you advance with it?
Vs 35 TPT, “Your power within makes me strong.”
I know you feel overwhelmed by the daily battle required to win this war against the things that have taken a strong hold on you, but never forget you have the power of God within you. The same power that created the entire Universe lives within you. The same power that parted the sea, broke the chains, tore down the walls, sealed the mouths of the lions, gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, and raised the dead, is all inside of you.
Girl, you are strong.
Stronger than you ever imagined. Strong enough to advance through every strong hold in front of you.
When you read your Bible, replace the word “enemies” with this phrase: “The things that hold me back”. You have some of those enemies don’t you? You know you’re constantly being held back. You feel the struggle against your next step, your progress, and your change. This is your enemy … the things that hold you back.
Now, read Psalm 18:37-40, “I pursue the things that hold me back and overtake them; I do not turn back until they are wiped out. I crush them, and they cannot get up; they fall beneath my feet. You have clothed me with strength for battle, you subdue my adversaries beneath me. You have made the things that hold me back retreat before me, I annihilate those who hate me.”
It’s about darn time God’s girls realize THEY CAN ADVANCE. We don’t have to stay stuck here. We don’t have to settle for defeat in our health, in our finances, in our relationships, in our thoughts, in our emotions, in our dreams or our passions.
Stop settling for the struggle and pursue the problem and overtake it! What’s the problem here? Is it what you’re eating? Is it what you say you’ll do, but can’t seem to make yourself actually do? Is it what you’re drinking? Is it who you’re talking to? Is it your attitude, your mood, your bad habits, your laziness, your impulses, your thoughts? Don’t ignore it and don’t excuse it. PURSUE IT. Go after it. “I pursue the things that hold me back and overtake them; I do not turn back until they are wiped out. I crush them!”
God has given you strength for this battle. When you stand up to the things that have been holding you back, God makes those things retreat. He breaks strongholds.
You may have lacked the strength to make these changes in the past, or stick with these changes, but today God is clearly saying, “My girl, you can advance. My power is inside of you and I will make you strong. Go after the things that have held you back and defeat them. Annihilate them. Tear them down. No more excuses. No more settling. I have so much more for you.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Join Pamela for a Friday unscripted Bible Study time of Acts 3 & 4 and
find yourself in this story of healing!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever listened to someone share a story and you’ve thought to yourself, “Get to the point already.” They go on and on about random details that don’t seem to matter. If you’re telling me about how you met your husband 17 years ago, the specific time and song that was playing on the radio probably doesn’t matter. But some people really don’t know how to put a story in a nutshell. And you know it when they say, “to make a long story short.” Hey, listen to me, 97% of the time when someone says, “to make a long story short”, they don’t know how to keep it short and it’s already gone on too long. You’re going to get more information than you need and you’ll likely get a little lost along the way.
Now, when it comes to your Bible, long stories are kept short. One encounter with Jesus would be an entire best selling book, and instead we read about it in a single paragraph. Many details are left out for the sake of not losing our attention. How sweet of God to get to the point and keep it short.
However, when studying our Bible, it’s important to remember, there’s always more to the story than you read. You have to read between the lines and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the details and feelings that apply to you today. Don’t just speed read the story, slow down and imagine it fully. What you will find is a lesson that applies to you today.
Let’s practice together today. Take a few minutes and read Acts 3. In my Bible, this story is titled, “Healing of a Lame Man.”
Verses 1-10, “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at 3 in the afternoon. A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up and started to walk, and he enter the temple with them – walking, leaping, and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.”
Now, let’s dig deeper. Let’s read between the lines and find more in this story.
First, get the visual. This gate outside the temple is not just an ordinary gate. It is the Beautiful Gate, literally. It is 75 feet tall, made of solid bronze. It is the massive entrance to the temple where people would gather to pray. It was customary to give to those in need on the way to the temple, so the gate was the gathering place for anyone seeking spare change.
But don’t you know, God is interested in more than spare change, he is interested in soul change! He wants to create a change in you that cannot be denied, and he wants to use that change in you as a display of his undeniable power to everyone around you.
Now this man who was born unable to walk was over 40 years old. And we’re told that he was carried there each day to beg from those entering the temple. This is the same temple Jesus himself had gone to just weeks earlier. Jesus had likely walked through this exact gate. And if this man was carried there every day, odds are Jesus had passed right by him.
Matthew 21:14, “The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.” So, why hadn’t Jesus healed this man when he was there?
I want you to imagine for a moment being this man, laying by the temple every single day, begging for a little change, and one day Jesus shows up and heals people just like you, BUT NOT YOU. Imagine seeing others get their miracle, but not you. Why are you left still begging and waiting? Why couldn’t Jesus change your situation when he so clearly changed others?
And maybe that’s exactly how you feel right now. Other people have gotten what you’re still begging for, so why were you overlooked? If God has the power to do it for everyone and you’ve seen him do it for someone else, why won’t he do it for you? You’ve heard those love stories of the girl finally finding the man who could love her so perfectly … but why not you? You’ve heard about people with your exact same illness being miraculously healed, but why not you? You’ve heard about God showing up and providing in the wildest ways, but why hasn’t he shown up for you?
Could Jesus have passed by this man before? Could he have chosen not to heal him? Could this man have been left out when others were healed? Absolutely. But why?
Everything God does and doesn’t do is for the perfect timing for the greatest glory. There’s always a much bigger story unfolding. We only see the current page in our present chapter, but God knows the whole story and he’s not rushing to get to the end. God is not willing to waste a single opportunity or miss one detail.
Jesus always knew about this lame man laying at the gate called Beautiful. Remember, Jesus is God in the flesh. They are one. God created this man. God knew every detail about him. He wasn’t overlooked. He wasn’t forgotten. He was left still waiting and begging in the weeks after Jesus had come to the temple and healed others, and he was waiting for a greater purpose. It was for the greater glory of God that Jesus would heal this man from Heaven through Peter and John. We need to see that Jesus doesn’t have to personally be seen for his power to be at work. He heals from Heaven, and he does it through us!
So, yes, Jesus likely had walked by this man at the gate before. And no, Jesus didn’t heal him when he was there, he left him waiting. Waiting but not without purpose.
My sister, you are still waiting because there’s a greater purpose? There’s a bigger story. Let’s read between the lines.
When Jesus came to the temple, they saw his miracles, but they did not come to believe in him. Scripture says they were indignant, meaning they were annoyed, irritated and angry. But now when Peter and John come to the temple a few weeks after Jesus, they heal this one man and something huge happens. Acts 4:4, “Many who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000!”
Could this man have been left waiting for healing because God had bigger plans to use his later healing for the saving of thousands of lives? YES!!!! And could you be left still waiting, not because God has overlooked you, but because God has bigger plans for things you can’t even imagine? YES!!!! My sister, your story is part of a bigger story. Have faith in God’s perfect timing to show up for you, then use you for his glory.
Now, let’s dig even deeper. Remember, you’re getting a very long story made very short, but the Holy Spirit wants to show you more.
This man was begging for money to just get through the day, and there’s no fault in that. There were no government programs to assist him. They had no special jobs for those who couldn’t walk. The only thing he could do was beg. But God can do more than make our current condition more bearable, he can radically change it! This man would have settled for a little change that day to buy his next meal, but what God had in mind was a big change so he could earn his next meal.
We would all be so quick to settle for a little change to make our current conditions more bearable. But God wants to change something within you and empower you to live like you’ve never lived before. Are you up for that change? Are you up for never sitting where you’ve been stuck before? Are you up for being strengthened to show up different? Are you really ready to be rid of all your excuses? Not everyone is ready for that, so really consider what you would do if your excuses were stripped from you and you have absolutely no viable reason why you can’t show up in life. If you’re ready for that, God’s got something for you!
One more aspect of this story I feel the Holy Spirit is prompting us to see is the details of the healing. It’s so interesting that the word translated “feet” only occurs in this scripture. It is never used anywhere else. It was a word used to differentiate between parts of the human heel. The phrase “ankle-bones” is a medical term also found no where else. The phrase “leaping up” describes the coming suddenly into socket of something that was out of place. This is literally a medical description of what happened for this man. The power of God put what was out of place into place.
What’s out of place in your life? Do you need God to suddenly put it into place? GOD CAN DO THAT!!!!!! He can take what has always been out of place in your life and put it right where it needs to be so that you can do what you’ve never been able to do before.
And maybe he’s never put it into place before, but it’s not because he can’t. He knows exactly what needs to happen, and he knows precisely the right time for it to happen. Trust him. Call out to him. Tell him you’re ready, and always remember, there’s more to the story. More to YOUR story and God is working in every page of every chapter.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Be still, my friend, God has a dream he wants to whisper into your soul. Pause and listen, the Father is inviting you into a future filled with purpose. A destiny designed in the heavenlies.
God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.”
You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? Maybe you’ve even got your hopes up before thinking things are finally changing for you, then you’re let down again and disappointed in failing plans. But I assure you, my sister, God’s plans for you have not failed. His plans to prosper you still stand. He is offering you hope for your future here today. Be still and receive it.
15 years ago today, my husband and I were on our very first vacation without our young children. 15 years ago, we sat on a remote beach in Belize, and we each read a book. I was reading The Shack. He was reading The Alchemist. There, in the quiet and undisturbed sunshine, God began to whisper to my soul. Yes, 15 years ago today, he told be about YOU. I had dreams and visions of creating something that would bring God’s girls back to him in fun and unique ways.
I remember thinking, “how in the world am I going to tell my husband I need to quit my job and step into this?” Little did I know, as we sat there on the beach that day, God was whispering into my husband’s soul as well. Whispering dreams of a hope and future beyond anything we could ever create on our own.
That night, we walked under a full moon along the shore to dinner. He said to me, “Babe, I need to tell you what God told me today.” I interrupted him, “No, I need to tell you what God told me today, first.” We fought to be the first to say it, and we both erupted into our own version of, “God has plans for us, and it’s BIG!”
Literally, it was BIG Life. We sat together and dreamed of hosting weekend adventures for people that would change their lives. We dreamed of creating a safe space for others to dream again, then be empowered with faith and courage to take their next steps. We dreamed of sharing with YOU, meeting YOU, working with YOU.
We went home after that vacation, picked up our kids, and got to work. Work I was happy to do. Work that kept us up late at night and had us waking up early each morning. Work that was added on top of jobs we already had. Work that brought in absolutely no money, and required investments we couldn’t find easily.
A few years into the journey, I became very discouraged. I thought when God whispered these plans to you, then the future would come quickly. I thought when God’s plans are to prosper you, things would be easy. I thought when God gives you hope, you would never feel hopeless.
I. Was. Wrong.
We were broke. We were discouraged. We were exhausted. And quite honestly, I felt disappointed in God’s plans.
Maybe that’s where you are today. You thought God whispered a dream into your soul. You thought you had a glimpse of God’s good plans for your life. But this isn’t the way you imagined it working out. You don’t feel the way you thought you would feel. Things don’t look the way you thought they would look. So, what are you going to do about it?
5 years into our pursuit of this dream that God gave me that included YOU, I heard a song called “Geronimo”. I memorized it and I sang it, “Can you feel it? Now it’s coming back we can steal it – if we bridge this gap. I can see you – through the curtains of the waterfall. So say Geronimo! Say Geronimo!” Like curtains of a waterfall, I dared to look through the setbacks and disappointments of a dream that was taking far longer than I imagined, and I could see it … I could see who God created me to be. I could see the future he had for me. I could see this connection with you. And I wanted it! I wanted you.
Then, I heard an interview with the band who sings this song “Geronimo”. I will NEVER forget their words. They were all of a sudden very popular with their hit song that was featured on the Super Bowl that year, living the dream. When asked how it happened, they said, “We are an overnight success, 8 years in the making.”
We just see the overnight success, but we have no idea how long that night was.
When God whispered those dreams into my husband and I, I foolishly assumed the journey would be fast and it would be easy. I envisioned overnight success. But 15 years later, I can tell you, it’s a really long night.
Are you willing to stick with it in your long night? Are you willing to believe God still has a plan, even when it’s taking way too long? Are you willing to cling to the hope God has promised you, even when it’s hard to hope?
Here I sit today, 15 years after the dream was whispered, a whole lot older than I thought I would be when I would finally get to talk to you. The journey to you has been so much harder than I imagined, and I’ve given up in discouragement far more than I want to admit, but here we are … And what I need to tell you is YOU ARE GOD’S GIRL. HE HAS GOOD PLANS FOR YOU. THOSE PLANS ARE TO PROSPER YOU, NOT TO HARM YOU. THOSE PLANS ARE TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE. Now jump in and say GERONIMO! Go for it. You’ll wake up one day, living in those dreams and to others it will look like an overnight success, but you’ll know that was one really long night.
Does an overnight success require 8 years? No. Most will actually tell you 10 years. I’ll tell you it will take you coming to the absolute end of yourself. I’ll tell you it will take everything you have, then more than that. I’ll tell you it will bring you to your knees, and on your knees you will find the only firm foundation to build on.
Hearing that interview on TV sharing the reality of the years required for what appears to be overnight success, became my beacon in the night. This wasn’t taking so long because I wasn’t good enough … this wasn’t so dang hard because I wasn’t the right person … this is what the journey looks like.
Did you know God whispered this promise in Jeremiah 29:11 to his people while they were exile? While they were suffering? While they felt God was surely against them. Some translations use the word “thoughts” instead of “plans”, so it reads like this, “For I know the thoughts I think towards you.” God’s people didn’t know or remember God’s thoughts towards them, so he’s reminding them. He’s reminding them He doesn’t just think about them, but his thoughts come towards them.
My sister, God doesn’t just think about you, but his thoughts come right at you! His good plans are chasing after you, running before you, then making the way.
Have you forgotten that? Have you dismissed yourself thinking God has good plans for others, but not for you? Have you fallen into discouragement because the night has been so long? Have you forgotten how to dream with God? Or have you gotten busy and left God out of this?
Well, God told me 15 years ago today that I would be talking to you, so I’m going to make sure and say exactly what he has asked me to say. The journey to you has been too darn long for me to miss this opportunity.
Girl, God loves you. He thinks about you all the time. His eye has never left you. His plans for you are good, even though the journey there can be hard. This journey is hard, but it’s good for you. It’s growing you into who you will need to be when you get to where God is taking you. Don’t give up on the dreams God has already given you. Be still, and listen for God’s continued whispers guiding you to his good plans for you. They are for you, not against you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Enjoy this Friday unscripted Bible study together from Joshua 1. Jesus
has commanded us to tell fear NO!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Last week there was a very special and unique man who perfectly fulfilled his life’s purpose, and received his reward of heavenly paradise with his Jesus. Today, I want to tell you about this man and the final lesson he has to teach us.
His name was Brian. And although Brian was 44 years old, he was forever a 2 year old mentally. A very rare condition from birth gifted Brian with the awe and wonder of a perpetual toddler, which kept his world perfectly simple.
My grandson is 2. Every day with him is exciting because every flower is to be smelled, every bug examined, every puddle jumped in, and every waking moment to be lived. I often say I just want to pause time and keep him little forever. Brian’s family had little Brian for 44 years. Time seemingly paused and he was kept there his entire life. His greatest joys were Coca-Cola, icecream, car rides, and people.
You know, there was a time in your life when you found absolute undeniable joy in an icecream cone. There was a time when getting to ride in the car was exciting and thrilling. Now we complain when we HAVE to travel anywhere. All those colorful cars zooming by are now just dreaded traffic. And all those people who were once so fun to wave at are now people in our way as we try to rush on by.
Last week, Brian’s family was all gathered around his bed as his heart slowly gave out. He had fallen into a deep sleep that day and everyone knew the end of his earthly journey was near. The doctor and the pastor had come and everyone prayed together. His pulse was faint, almost non-existent. Then, with no one in the room left but family, there was nothing left but a little time to pass. So, they sat together and they waited.
What do we do when we wait? I mean really, what is it we do when we have time to pass and nothing to do? We get on our phones. We all do. Especially in a time like this when you’re hurting, you look for a little escape from reality, so you scroll. No judgment, I would do it too.
So, Brian’s family is gathered around, each with their phone in their hand, and suddenly he wakes up. He wakes up and says, “Goodbye, goodbye, done.” Remember he’s essentially the most precious 2 year old inside of a 44 year old body. These are the words of an innocent toddler who knows it’s time to go, and he’s ready.
He looked at his family, and he slowly reaches out and grabs their phones, putting each phone under his arm. Then he lets out the biggest, most precious belly laugh. With his heart slowly fading and his breathing so shallow, he uses the last of his energy to take their phones and laugh.
Then, he looked right past all of them, beyond the walls of the room where he lay, and his eyes were fixated on something unseen. His face was calm and his smile nothing but peace. And these were the final lessons of a special life lived in perpetual awe and wonder, as a little boy sitting at the feet of Jesus.
I’ve been thinking about this for the past week. I felt prompted to share it with you. I knew I needed to. But then, something happened yesterday that made it so clear I can’t wait another day. It’s time for this message now.
A friend shared the online obituary for a woman who also completed her earthly journey last week. A woman named Valerie who was only 39 years old, with a loving husband and 3 children still at home. She had written her own obituary in her final days. A message she wanted everyone to hear. A perspective gained while trying to savor her treasured final lap. Valerie’s obituary said, “Put your phone down, pause your work, and give your people a hug. Tell them how proud you are of them. Love all over them and invest in quality time with them. Go out regularly, see and experience things and sites with them. They need you.”
Okay, Valerie, we hear you.
No where in your Bible does it say “put your phone away”, but here we have 2 people who have given us their final messages this past week, and both are telling us that life is not found on our phones.
I really got to thinking about the lessons our Bible holds and what Jesus would say to us today as we go through our lives so distracted. We don’t have to look far, because Jesus actually did talk to a woman about being distracted. Now, let’s apply this to our lives today.
Luke 10, Jesus has gone to Martha’s house for a visit. Martha had a sister named Mary and Mary just sat with Jesus listening to him talk, leaving Martha to do all the work. Verse 40-42, “Martha was DISTRACTED by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.’ The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What has distracted you from really living in the moment where you are and who you’re with? Isn’t that usually your phone? Honestly, is your phone causing you to miss out on real life moments as they’re happening? I can just imagine sweet Brian and his deep belly laugh as he takes our phones today and tucks them under his arm. I can hear Valerie as she says, “put your phone down, pause your work.”
We are worried and upset by so many things, and we are missing the right choice that’s directly in front of us. The right choice here is to be here. Fully here. Live ALIVE. Present. Engaged. You will never get this back.
The Bible talks a lot about the love, obsession, and distraction of money. Imagine if the word “money” in your Bible is replaced with the word “phone”. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from the love of your phone. Be satisfied with what you have/where you are.” Yes, Lord, speak to me!!!!
Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both God and your phone.”
Imagine if the word “rich” in your bible were replaced with the word “popular”, because isn’t that the new currency? Fame, influence, likes, shares and comments? Here’s how 1 Timothy 6:9 would warn us, “But those who want to be popular fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.” Verse 10, “For the love of our phone is the root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered way from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
We are literally piercing ourselves with so much grief as we wander off in our distractions. Watch your cravings, they will indicate the things that threaten to harm you.
Don’t you crave your phone? Don’t you find it almost irresistible to pick up. Irresistible to not check. As Jesus would say, “Martha, Martha, you’re missing the point of life here.”
I wonder what we would see if we looked up more today? In Brian’s final moments after taking everyone’s cell phones and tucking them under his arm, he looked up and fixated his eyes on the unseen. The veil between heaven and earth had grown very thin. He could see what we can’t see. He could see what has been there all along. Was he looking at Jesus? Was he fixated on the light that led to an eternal paradise with his Savior? Was he seeing the angels dance to welcome him in? Yes, I believe he was. What else could bring that kind of peace when you’re dying? Who else could bring that kind of joy when you’re hurting?
Look up, my friend. All around you is real life happening, and what’s happening is a limited time offer that will soon expire. What’s happening is the miraculous offer of God for your lifetime. Your phone has been distracting you. Hear the message loud and clear. Put it down. Tuck it away. Fight the temptation of distraction. Decide you love the life God has given you more than the entertainment your phone offers.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Who is speaking into your life? Who is on your team? Who have you allowed into your inner circle? Who gets a seat at your table to discuss the dreams and desires God has placed in your heart?
My sister, who you have at your table matters. Who you allow to speak into your life with their opinions and perspectives are affecting your future. Have you asked God if they’re the right people? Have you considered if these people are guided by the Holy Spirit? Are they strong and courageous with complete confidence in God’s promises and power, or are they pessimistic and fearful, pointing out the negatives?
You know the saying “devil’s advocate”. Whew, that gets all under my skin. When I’m sitting around a table or on a conference call, brainstorming ideas and solutions, and someone speaks up and says, “okay, I’m going to be the devil’s advocate here,” I want to kick them out. The devil doesn’t get an advocate at my table! The devil doesn’t get a voice to point out his lousy, negative perspective and poke holes in a plan of action.
Why would we ever volunteer as the devil’s advocate? Why would we listen to the devil’s advocate? Why would we be okay with their input? NO!!!!!
Where’s God’s advocate? Where’s the person who will speak God’s promises? Who’s the one who will point out God’s power over the situation? Give that person a seat at the table. Hand them the microphone. Let that person speak. Listen to them!
Moses had an absolutely life altering meeting with the wrong people at the table. Too many people were advocating for the devil’s plan, so fear spread. Fear causes us to dismiss ourselves from the promises of God and settle for a little life when his plan was always a BIG life.
Moses was God’s chosen leader for his people, the Israelites. Moses had led them out of captivity in Egypt. They had seen the miraculous hand of God at work around them, guiding them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. God faithfully showed them precisely where to go. He parted the Red Sea for their escape, literally making the water stand on it’s end, creating a dry path on the sea bed for all 2 million of them to cross and not a single one was lost or harmed. That’s miraculous. All this time, God was leading them to the land he had for them, the land he had promised them in Exodus 3:8 when he said, “I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey – the territory of the Canaanites …”
Okay, so that’s clear. God said it, now go. But, here’s what happened along the way …
Numbers 13: 1-16, “The Lord spoke to Moses: Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I am giving to the Israelites. Send one man who is a leader among them from each of their ancestral tribes. Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran at the Lord’s command. All the men were leaders in Israel. These were their names:
Sahmmua, Shaphat, Caleb, Igal, Joshua, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi and Geuel.”
So, 12 were chosen. This was important because what these 12 men returned to say would impact their lives forever. If they advocated for the devil, fear would spread. If they remembered God’s promises, courage would spread. Now notice exactly what God says in this command. He says “Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I AM GIVING TO THE ISRAELITES.” God had already declared he was giving this land to them. That wasn’t the question. It was as good as theirs.
Now verses 17-20, “When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, ‘Go up this way to the Negev, then go into the hill country. See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications? Is the land fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous. Bring back some fruit from the land.”
So, the scouts go out and spy on the land and they return with their report. Now here’s the problem, the majority of them came back as the devil’s advocates. They were negative, pessimistic and fearful. Some would say honest … yes, but that honesty completely dismissed the guarantee God had already given them.
Verse 31-33, “The men responded, ‘We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are!’ So they gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted. ‘The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.'”
So, guess what happens? Fear spread like wildfire. Now, there are 2 million people crying, angry, frustrated and fearful. They are now stuck in a desert with nowhere to go.
But 2 of the 12 scouts spoke up and said in verses 7-9, “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them.” These two were Caleb and Joshua.
Instead of being the devil’s advocate, they were the God’s advocate! They spoke of God’s promises and power. They spoke with faith and confidence.
Guess how the crowd responded … they wanted to stone them. So ultimately, here’s what happens. Fear won, the devil’s advocates were loudest, and God’s promises were forfeited. Because they didn’t obey God and faithfully step into what he had promised them, God withdrew his offer and declared none of them would live in the land he had promised them, and only the two who believed would receive it.
Only God’s advocates would get the promise. Only Caleb and Joshua. And 40 years later, that’s precisely what happened.
What went wrong here? That’s been my question as I study this. How can I get the Calebs and Joshuas around my table and be led by faith filled reports instead of fear and worry? How can I ensure I’m not settling for anything less than God has promised?
Here’s what God showed me … GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE and ASK BETTER QUESTIONS.
What if this all started because Moses asked the wrong people the wrong questions. Where’s the interview process for these selected scouts. Hey you, do you believe God is bigger than our problems? Do you believe God will make a way for us? Do you believe God has already given us victory and the land of Canaan? You do, okay, you’re my scouts. You’re the ones I want to send.
Second, look at the questions Moses asks. Moses asked the scouts to go see if the people were strong and many. Then the scouts come back with the truth … yes, there are many of them and yes they are huge and stronger than us.
Wrong questions get the wrong answers.
What does it matter if the odds are against you if God is for you? What does it matter if the competition is better when God has already declared you the champion? They asked the wrong questions, so the wrong answers were spread and promises were forfeited.
My sister, it doesn’t matter how hard this is going to be for you, you’re going to make it! It doesn’t matter how long it will take, you will get there in God’s divine timing. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, only what God says.
Get yourself in the presence of faith filled, Spirit led people and remind one another of the power of God you each carry within you! We spend entirely too much time telling God how big our mountain is. No, girl, tell that mountain how big your God is! Are the people at your table focused on the mountain in the way, or focused on the God who can move it?
When you ask the right questions in alignment with God’s promises, you get the right answers. Instead of fear, you find courage. Instead of all the reasons you can’t, you find the reason you can. The only reason you need is because God said!
Give the Calebs and Joshuas in your life the microphone. The ones who are confident in God’s promises and certain of his power … they’re the ones who get to speak. Everyone else needs to sit down and hush.
Have you been showing up as the devil’s advocate, pointing out flaws and problems? Is that you? STOP THAT. The devil doesn’t need an advocate. He is loud enough with his lousy insight, he doesn’t need someone speaking up for him.
Have you been allowing a few devil’s advocates a space in your circle and a seat at your table? God is showing you now how that can infect everyone with fear and negativity. Shut that down. Draw some lines. You can’t afford to allow the devil to have a say in the dreams and desires God has given you. A defeated mindset infects others with assumed defeat.
We are not defeated. We are not helpless, hopeless or stuck. We are God’s chosen girls with a future filled with hope. God has planted dreams and desires within our hearts as seeds of purpose. Let them grow. Let God prune and perfect them. Don’t dismiss it just because it will be hard. Don’t settle into choosing only what will be easy … if you do, you will forfeit the fullness of life Jesus came to give you here on Earth.
Find your Calebs and Joshuas and dream together! Be someone else’s Caleb or Joshua and speak into their dreams. Remind them of God’s truths. Remind them of God’s power. Don’t let them settle in fear and give up in worry.
Don’t be afraid. The Lord is with us! That’s how you advocate for God instead of the devil.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Whatever you’re facing today, God is still in complete control. Whatever your need may be today, God is aware of your need, and the moment you seek him, his power is set into motion to meet your need.
Our God is not limited to meet needs in ordinary ways, practical ways, or expected ways. Although often times his power meets us in disguise, so we are unaware of how miraculous it truly is. We experience split second perfect timing that was orchestrated in heaven just for us, but it seems ordinary so we don’t recognize it as miraculous. We walk into divinely opened doors which only God could open for us, but because it was open when we got there and required no extra effort on our part, we failed to notice God did that.
But all around you, God has been working. Every day of your life, God’s power has been on miraculous display in everything that seems ordinary. You likely never even notice … until God shows up and does something extraordinary.
Oh, I just love that word. Extraordinary. The combination of 2 words, extra and ordinary, making it the opposite of ordinary. Ordinary means normal and usual, but when given a little extra, it becomes totally not normal and completely unusual … it is extraordinary.
God is our extra. He can take our ordinary lives that seem unimpressive and normal, and he can make them radically extraordinary. You bring your ordinary, and he brings his extra. Let that be your prayer today. God, take my ordinary and make it extraordinary. I need the extra only you can offer!
One of Jesus’ extraordinary miracles on earth is recorded by Matthew in a single verse. None of the other gospels mention the miracle, so it seems to be less impressive than his other miracles. But I believe this miracle is precisely what you and I need today. We need to see Jesus’ extra meeting the ordinary.
Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the son of God. He has placed his faith in Jesus, committed his life to him. Then Peter is approached by tax collectors asking about Jesus’ payment of taxes. Funny, even Jesus was pestered by tax collectors. And this is what Jesus tells Peter to do in Matthew 17: 27, “Go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to them for me and you.”
This is what you call extraordinary. Jesus could have avoided paying the taxes. Afterall, this was the temple tax, money collected to build the temple. Jesus was greater than the temple. He could have flexed just a bit, shown who he really was and proven he was exempt from this tax. But, he didn’t. Jesus is humble, there’s no need to flex.
So, money was needed to pay the tax. A half-shekel, which was about 2 days wages. Jesus could have manifested the money in the pocket of his robe, and given it in an ordinary way. But Jesus decided to be extra. So extra, that he put a full shekel coin in the mouth of a fish for Peter to catch.
Y’all that is really extra, and I absolutely love it! This miracle hidden in a single verse in our bible shows us so much about our Jesus!
First, that he would invite Peter to be part of the miracle. He uses precisely what Peter is good at … fishing. Jesus simply tells Peter to go fishing, do what he’s always done, and the money will be provided.
Peter didn’t have to go out and do anything crazy. He just had to go fishing. Peter was a fisherman. He had fished nearly every day of his life. He knew how to tie a hook on. He knew how to cast that hook out. And he knew how to bring that fish in. And Jesus told him to do what was so ordinary for him, but this time it would be EXTRA. It would be extra-ordinary … extraordinary!
When Jesus invites you into a partnership with him, what is it you imagine you will need to do? Do you imagine you will need to do something big? Something really special? Something flashy? Something everyone will see? Honey, what if it will be as simple as doing what you’ve always done, but this time you just do it with Jesus working in and through you?
Peter fishing wasn’t anything big and special. If anyone would have seen Peter fishing that day, they would have thought absolutely nothing of it. But, Peter was fishing in partnership with Jesus and the catch would be radically different.
What if Jesus is inviting you into this miraculous partnership with him, but it’s not nearly as flashy as you imagined. It’s really quite ordinary. It’s what you’ve already been doing. It’s what you’ve been doing every day. It’s what you already know how to do. Would you do it? Really, would you show up and do what you’ve always done, but this time do it with Jesus?
Now, think about the power of God that is displayed in this single verse tucked away in a miracle no one else talked about.
Of all the fish in the sea, Jesus knew precisely which fish had a coin in it’s mouth. He also know exactly where that fish would need to be in order to bite Peter’s hook. God orchestrated all of that!
And what … you think God doesn’t care about the little details of your life? He cares where your hook lands. He directs which fish bites your hook. He orchestrates it all in such ordinary ways you may have missed it before. You miss it until he adds a little extra to it.
Do you need God to add a little extra today so you know it’s really him? Do you need to see his fingerprints so you know he’s really working in the details of your life? Girl, ask him! Ask him for a glimpse of his extraordinary power today.
I bet he’s done it for you before. I bet you’ve been in the right place at the right time. I bet you were enabled to speak words you didn’t know you had. I bet you had supernatural strength just when it was needed. I bet you’ve reached into your pocket and found forgotten money.
How absolutely extraordinary!!!! It’s already happening for you!!!!!
I wonder what else God will do for you and through you if you will keep showing up, doing the ordinary things you do, but do it as a committed partnership with him? What will he divinely align for your catch? What will he miraculously provide when you try again?
God knows what you need before you even need it. And he’s already put it in the mouth of a fish swimming right toward you … but putting the hook in the water is up to you. Girl, put your hook in the water!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This special unscripted Bible study asks what’s the point of praying if God already knows everything and he already has a plan? Really, God doesn’t need us, so why even pray?
You can watch the behind the scenes recording of today’s episode here: https://www.facebook.com/1249986681/videos/3692772380935986/
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God is asking you to do something. He is pointing you in the direction of your purpose and nudging you to take the next step. But you’ve been questioning how. You don’t see how you will do what he has asked you to do. You don’t think you could ever be good enough to do it. You’re not equipped. You’re not anything special. So, you’ve dismissed yourself from the calling of God on your life.
Why? Because you don’t see it. You don’t see what God sees.
But I heard something this morning on the Elevation Church podcast, and I’ve been asked to tell you about it so you’re sure to hear:
IF YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT, YOU WILL HAVE GOD’S SUPPORT FOR IT.
Honey, if you’re supposed to work there, God will open the door for you to walk right in. If you’re supposed to move there, God will make the way there. If it’s supposed to be you, then you will be supernaturally filled with God’s power to do what he’s asked you to do.
You don’t have to have this all figured out. You don’t have to even understand the plan. You just have to be willing to believe if you’re supposed to do it, you will have God’s support for it. God’s support will put you in the right place at the right time. God’s support will fill you with the courage to do what you’ve never done before. God’s support will make a way where there has been no way, and he will guide your feet to walk in that way.
Whew, doesn’t that just take the stress off? This isn’t about you … this is about what God will do through you if you will follow his lead.
Okay, picture this … you’ve one of Jesus’ closest friends. You’ve given up your job and your home, you’ve left everything and everyone you’ve ever known, to go with Jesus on his mission. You thought you would be doing this with Jesus for the rest of your life. But just 3 years into you and your tribe of 12 doing all these miraculous things, Jesus gets killed. Your leader is crucified. And even though it’s easy for us to rush to the rest of the story, Jesus’ friends didn’t know the rest of the story as they were sitting in it. They never saw this hardship coming. They never, in a million years, thought Jesus could be killed. Now what were they going to do? They had given up everything to go with him.
They are afraid. Afraid they too would be killed. Afraid everything they had believed in and worked for was ruined. They were confused. Then, Jesus shows up in the room where they are hiding. Now remember, Jesus has died. They saw him hanging on the cross. They knew his body was put in the tomb. They also knew the doors to the room where they were hiding were locked. And boom, here’s Jesus, standing right there among them.
And this is what Jesus says to them, Mark 16: 15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Then Jesus is taken into heaven.
Jesus tells them to go. But HOW? Jesus, how are we supposed to go into all the world and preach to everyone? We don’t have an airplane. The internet sucks here. We are poor fishermen, how are we supposed to go do all of this? We have no education. We have no resources. We have no connections. Jesus, I heard what you said, but tell me how!
Remember, IF YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT, YOU WILL HAVE GOD’S SUPPORT FOR IT.
For 10 days they waited. For 10 days they must have wondered how Jesus expected them to tell everyone about God. For 10 days they must have felt so unequipped and unqualified for the calling. But on the 10th day, they were all together for the day of Pentecost. This was the day all of Israel gathered in Jerusalem to offer to God their first harvest of wheat for the season. There were people from Judea, people from Asia, people from Egypt and Rome, people from every nation all gathered to make their offering. Also there were Jesus’ 11 friends, his disciples.
Suddenly God’s power came and rested on each of them and Acts 2: 4 says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.” These men spoke Aramaic, but now filled with the Holy Spirit, they were speaking every language of the entire crowd. All of these people from every nation, all with their own languages, miraculously heard the magnificent acts of God being declared in their language.
This is how God would use these 11 common friends of Jesus to fulfill his purposes. This is how they would go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation as Jesus had told them. God would do it through them in ways they could have never imagined. He would speak through them. His power would flow from them. He would give them the words which they couldn’t even possibly know. Literally a different language – hundreds of languages, spoken perfectly through common men who were unsure how God could use them.
Now, back to you. If you’re supposed to do it, you will have God’s support for it. If you’re called to it, you will be equipped for it. That you can be absolutely sure of!
How exactly? Well I don’t know. When exactly? Well I don’t know that either.
But here’s what I do know … you will have to show up unsure, uncertain, feeling totally unequipped, and be available for God’s Spirit to equip you.
The disciples spent 10 days wondering how they were ever going to do what Jesus had asked them to do. It seemed an impossible task for them to tell the world about the good news of Jesus. And in that 10 days, they must have been drawing maps and making plans. They must have been overwhelmed with such a huge task and unanswered questions.
Just like you … you’re in your 10 day waiting period that may have stretched out to cover a few years. You’re waiting and wondering. Questioning. Planning and preparing, but all of it seems inadequate. But my sister, the answers you’re seeking can’t be found in your elaborate 10 year plans. These answers are only found in the power of the Holy Spirit.
God will equip you! He will enable you to do what you’ve never done before. He will bring everything together just as it needs to be, and you just need to show up and be available for it.
What the Bible doesn’t tell us is the conversation Jesus’ friends must have had AFTER Pentecost. Imagine their after work dinner that night. Matthew says, “Dude, I was speaking to an Egyptian in his language, saying things I don’t even know how to say.” Then John says, “Dude, me too! Did you hear me talking in Latin?” And of course, here comes my favorite, wild and impulsive Peter and he says, “Guys, I don’t even know what language I was speaking, but that was awesome!!!”
Then there’s a pause and they all realize … ohhhhh, so THIS is how we’re going to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” God has given us the power to do it and it’s already started. Now, lets keep going!
My sister, if you’re supposed to do it, you will have God’s support. God’s support is more than you could ever ask, think or imagine! It will be MORE than enough! If he’s called you, he will equip you. Dare to show up in faith and be available for the power of his Spirit working in you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God has been pestering me about a topic I don’t really want to talk about. But y’all he just won’t leave me alone about it, so today we’re not talking about birds. Yesterday we talked about birds because I was dodging the push to dive into this … sin.
Sin – it’s all the things God tells us not to do, but sometimes we sneak and do it anyway. And when we feel like we can get away with it, we will do it some more. Why would the creator of the Universe, the one who sees everything and knows everything, tell his creation there are some things we can’t do? Really, why does God say, “No, you can’t do that.”
I remember when my kids were little and I would tell them they couldn’t do something, they would immediately respond with the whinest possible, “but whyyyyyyyy?” And honestly, sometimes I said no because I was being lazy. No, we can’t go to the park and play because I’m lazy. But I couldn’t tell my own kids their request for fun was denied because I was simply lazy, so I made up some other excuse. Sometimes I said no because we didn’t have time or we didn’t have money. Sometimes I said no out of pure habit. There was no good reason for my answer of no, it was just my denial default.
Now, I get a do-over opportunity with my grandbabies. My Grandma name is Franny, because my 2 year old grandson can’t say Granny. And let me tell you, Franny says yes as much as possible. Next weekend I’m flying to Virginia to bring him home with me for 10 days. When he asks, if at all possible, the answer shall be YES. I want to spend every minute with him. I want to do all the fun things with him. I want to fill his days with awe and wonder here on the island. There will be none of this saying no because I’m being lazy, or saying no because it’s my default to just deny. Nope, this is my do-over and the answer is YES.
God doesn’t require a do-over with us. He has always been a YES for us. He has never denied us a single time because he was being lazy. He has never said no to us because he lacked time, money or resources. He’s never said no because he just couldn’t pull it off. He’s never said no out of habit. Do you know what God’s habit is? Do you know what his default really is? YES.
Really, is that the way you see God? He’s standing by with a ready YES. He wants to say yes to you. Unfortuatley most of us view God as a “No Man”. He denies. He withholds. He vetos. He limits. But we have the wrong picture.
2 Corinthians 1: 19-20 says, “In Jesus it is always YES. For every one of God’s promises is YES in him.”
Our God is a YES God. Yes, he can do it. Yes, he’s in it with you. Yes, he will make a way. Yes, he wants even more for you!
So, when God says no, we can completely trust him. We never have to question God’s no. There’s one reason God says no. So, just in case you’ve been whining with your, “but God, whyyyyyyyyy”, here’s your answer … Why did I say no? Because it’s not my best for you.
That’s why that door didn’t open. That’s why the plans didn’t work. That’s why it fell apart. That’s why the answer was no. It wasn’t God’s best for you, and God’s not settling.
You may be quick to settle for less, for now, for temporary … but God is overflowing with abundance and an eternal focus. If it’s not his best for you, then the answer will be no. Can you trust that?
1 John 1: 5, “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.” God doesn’t have a dark side. He’s not out to get you. He’s not out to punish you or limit you. If he has said no, if he’s closed the door, if he’s made it off limits, it comes from the light of his love. His love that says, this will hurt you my girl, I don’t want it for you.
Do you understand that’s what sin is? Sin is the thing that will hurt us, so God has set limits to keep us away from harm. The enemy tries to make sin look all enticing and exciting, but the truth is, it’s everything that will hurt us and keep us from God’s very best for us.
Dang it, why do we fall for sin? Why do we push so hard for doing the things God has set limits on? Why do we insist on going further and further, even when we know better?
Well, that’s what sin does. It takes us further away from God. It creates a distance between us and God’s best for us.
1 John 1:6, “If we say we have fellowship with him and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” Now, here’s where this verse has been twisted. Some of us have been told our sin will keep us from being forgiven by God. That’s not true. Jesus came to cover our sins and make us righteous. His sacrifice has put us in right standings with God and secured our salvation. Because of Jesus, sin no longer blocks salvation. Here’s what sin does … it blocks our fellowship.
We cannot have fellowship with God while we’re walking in darkness. The original Greek word for fellowship was koinonia, which means partnership. God has invited us into a partnership with him, but we forfeit it if we’re walking in darkness. What qualifies as walking in darkness? It is a pattern of living in sin. A chosen lifestyle to do the things God has instructed us not to do.
That’s what a lifestyle of doing what we want to do ultimately does … it blocks our partnership with God.
You have been offered a partnership with the most powerful force in the world. With the one who has everything and holds everything. The one who can make absolutely anything happen. The one who knows everything. That’s who you are offered a partnership with … but when you choose to walk in the darkness of doing what God has told you not to do, you forfeit that partnership.
Does that sin dam me to Hell? No. But dang, it sure limits the goodness in my life here.
God has said no because it’s not his best for you. That’s the only reason he has said no. Can’t you trust that?
Honey, if you have to hide it from someone, that’s a strong indication it’s not right.
I googled the most popular sins for Christians today, because what I really wanted to do was to speak the thing you’ve been battling so clearly that you couldn’t deny it. But what God showed me was I don’t have to do that, the Holy Spirit will convict you right now. Right now, you’ll know what darkness you’ve been walking in. Please hear the heart of God right now without the layering on of shame and guilt as he says, “My girl, no. That’s just not my best for you.”
There’s a list of the 7 deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride.
A few of those sure hit me. How about you?
Sin hurts us. It separates us. It blocks the most powerful partnership we could ever have in our lives. No, it doesn’t cancel our salvation. But it sure cancels some of God’s sweetest blessings right here.
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This means admitting where you have been wrong will bring you back into partnership with God. It’s really that simple.
The Passion Translation says it like this, “If we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time.”
What would happen if instead of hiding this again, you just freely admitted to God that you know it’s not right. God, I’ve been doing things I know you don’t want me to do. I’ve been thinking thoughts that aren’t right. I’ve been hiding things. I’ve been showing up as someone you didn’t create me to be. I’ve been wrong. I know better, but I haven’t been doing better.
What would happen if you just spoke those words to him?
Two things: He would forgive you and he would give you the wisdom and strength to change it.
Then what happens? You’re welcomed back into a partnership that can change everything for you!
God says no because it’s not his best for you. Stop fighting his best, and trust his no.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I’ve been watching a dove meticulously build its nest for several days in the palm tree by my back deck. Did you know that dove mate for life? Did you know the male searches for the nesting site, but the female has the final say on location?
And what I’ve been watching is an orchestrated partnership in building. The male gathers twigs and branches and brings them to the female. He lands on the females back, while passing her the building supplies, then she weaves it all together to build a perfect nest, awaiting her precious eggs.
Y’all, it’s the first signs of getting old. I’m now watching birds.
But the winds here on the island have been extreme, and I found their perfectly constructed nest laying on the hard ground.
Everything they had worked for was gone. The babies would be coming soon and they had no nest for them. Imagine the panic. Poor mama must have been stressed the heck out. Poor daddy must have been desperate to fix this mess.
Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you even feel that way right now. You worked so hard, you were so close, then it was gone. You’re left wondering what you’re going to do and how this will ever be okay again. But honey, look at your track record. You have a 100% survival rate so far. You’ve made it through every single thing that has ever happened to you. And whether you acknowledge him or not, that was God getting you through. That was God’s provision. That was God’s blessing. That was God’s divine work in your life.
Let God’s proven provision bring you peace today. He has proven his faithfulness to you. He will care for you through this too.
After finding the fallen nest, I saw a bird flying through the air with a long twig. There he was, gathering materials again. And there she was, rebuilding her nest. They was working quickly to prepare for the eggs she was about to lay. What they needed was provided.
That day, I saw God’s hand at work, caring for these bird. Providing what was needed, even when things had gone wrong. Why aren’t we able to see this better in our daily lives? Why do we assume the burden and stress when God so clearly demonstrates not only his ability, but his desire to care for us?
Jesus says in Matthew 6:26-27 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
The birds trust what they need will be there when they need it, even when disaster hits. We can too, and even more so.
Jesus says you are valuable. He says you are priceless. He says your heavenly father will make a way for you. And your worrying will not help anything.
Watch the birds once those eggs hatch and there are hungry little mouths to feed. The mama and daddy dove take turns feeding their babies. She flies out of the nest searching for what is needed for that day. Food is needed to take back to her babies. If he sits in their nest and worries about how hard it will be to find food, are the babies fed? If she chirps away and sings a sad song to the babies about the stress of flying out once again to feed them, does she help anything? If they worry too much about leaving the babies and circle the nest like a helicopter parents, they can’t bring back dinner.
So, she trusts. Every day she trusts. She leaves the nest with confidence knowing the babies are hungry and she will come back with food for them. Daily trust for their daily provision.
And Jesus says, look how Papa takes care of that bird. Just look how he has exactly what she needs as she goes out to find it. Look how she trusts and he provides. And won’t he do even more for you? Won’t Papa take care of you?
Oh my sister, why are you singing that sad song? Why were you worrying yesterday? Why sit and dwell on what is lost when God has given you the opportunity to do something today?
This morning, the doves were singing in the palm tree. Their joy is evident. They are happy to be alive. They were cared for yesterday, and they are preparing to go out and find what God has provided for them and their family again today.
Can’t we wake up like that too? Can’t our joy be evident?
Why do we dread the day? Why do we worry about things we cannot control? Can’t we trust the ONE who is in control?
In this same chapter of the Bible, Jesus teaches us how to pray.
Jesus says, “This is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, (means to recognize God as holy and sacred, powerful and personal)
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
There it is. Give us this day our daily bread. Provide for today, God, we trust you.
You have always made a way for us. You have always carried us through. You have been faithful and I have no reason to believe you would ever stop now. Just as the bird leaves her nest in faith that she will find the food needed for the day, so will I. I will get up and do what I need to do. I will do all I can do. And I will do it singing a joyful song, KNOWING you care for me.
What is it you need today? God knew you would need it before you did. And get this, God cares about your need. He cares so much about your specific and individual need today, that he aligned for your provision ahead of time. It’s already there for you, my sister.
If you need to rebuild your nest today after disaster hit, there’s a supply waiting for you.
If you need to feed a few extra mouths today, there will be enough for you.
The energy you need will be provided. The time you need is available.
What is needed for today is here today … Just today.
The bird has what we refer to as a bird brain. We consider them generally stupid, incapable of knowing better. But that bird brain is a gift from their creator … it knows one thing … it knows to go out and get what is provided for today, and sing about it along the way.
Here we are with our human advanced brains that focus on all the wrong things and worry ourselves into a frenzy. And as we worry about tomorrow, next week, next month and 10 years from now, we miss what Jesus has told us to do. Jesus told us to ask God for what is needed today, and look at the birds to see how God always provides perfectly.
My advanced human brain tells me there are so many things that could go wrong and I won’t know what to do then. My worries overwhelm me with worst case scenarios that haven’t even happened yet. My thoughts of all the things I can’t control then rob me of what I can control.
It’s literally like letting Satan in my nest. Letting him come in and steal from what I have. Letting him disturb my peace. Letting him distract me from what I can control. What I can control are my thoughts in this moment and my actions. I can’t fix the worries of tomorrow, but I can do something about the needs of today.
It starts by kicking Satan out of my nest. You don’t get to sit here and stir up trouble. You don’t get to take up space where God has provided. You don’t get to steal my energy and my joy.
Here’s what I figured out … that dove doesn’t have next week’s dinner. That dove has 2 things: Trust the food for today is out there, and the push to go out and find it.
God, give me strength today. Guide me today. I receive and I will be faithful. The enemy will not get in my head and talk me out of doing what I can do. He will not overwhelm me with concern of how I can maintain progress in the days yet to come.
Satan, there’s no room for you here. You’re out of this nest.
My God provides for me today.
Jesus tells me in Matthew 6: 34, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
God gets my attention today. Not worry. Not the lies of the enemy. Not overwhelm. I will focus on what God is doing. I won’t worry about energy to do it again tomorrow or the next day. I will use what he has given me today and do the best I can with it. And whatever comes tomorrow, God’s got it covered when it comes.
No sitting in the nest today singing sad songs and worrying. God has provided today, sing your song of joy, be happy to be alive, and go out and get what he has for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes it feels like everything in life is against us, but that’s only because we can’t see the power of everything that is FOR us. Sometimes it feels like there’s no possible way this is all going to work out, but that’s only because we can’t see all that is working in the unseen. Sometimes it feels like we’ve lost the very thing that makes life worth living, but that’s only because we haven’t even begun to experience the fullness of life God has planned for us. There’s so much more than you can see.
You simply can’t see all the power that is working for you. You simply can’t see all that is working in the unseen. You simply cannot see, or even begin to imagine, the unspeakable beauty in an eternal paradise beyond this life.
But what if you could see? What if you could see there’s so much more than what your limited vision has ever been able to see before? What if you caught a glimpse of the power of God at work right here and now for you? What if you gained a heavenly perspective on your earthly time? What if you saw the battle you’re in as a victory already secured by heaven’s armies?
What if God opened your eyes to let you see there is so much more to this. More to this life. More to this battle. More to this … whatever your “this” is today. There’s more.
There’s a story in our Bible of a man who was overwhelmed by the problems that surrounded him, and God did something miraculous that turned his overwhelm into a calm confidence and powerful peace. The story is found in 2 Kings 6.
Elisha is a prophet of God. Through faith in the power of God, he spoke of things no one else knew and performed miraculous acts. Elisha had the ability to know what an enemy King was doing before he did it. He would warn the King of Israel so the Israelites could always be one step ahead of their enemy. When the enemy King was told of this prophet Elisha who was ruining his battle plan, he sent a massive army at night to surround the city where Elisha was.
Early the next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and went outside and he saw the enemy’s massive army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. He comes back inside and he says, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
They were surrounded. Imagine the panic. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it too much … maybe it’s precisely how you feel right now. You’re surrounded. You’re overwhelmed. There’s nothing but battles and hardships all around you. You’re drowning in grief. You’re overcome by worry. The fear, the hurt, the regret, it’s all more than you can bare. What in the world are you going to do? How are you going to get through this? How is this ever going to be okay again?
As his servant is in a state of panic over the enemy he saw, Elisha knew there was more. More in the unseen than in the seen. More that was FOR them than against them. This was God’s great gift to Elisha. He had an inside connection to see what others could not see. To know what others could not know.
Elisha says to his servant in 2 Kings 6: 16, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”
This massive enemy army was there for THEM. They were surrounding the entire city, there to capture Elisha. Far outnumber, way overpowered, completely surrounded. This was their reality. But it was only the reality of what was seen. There was a reality of the unseen too.
Verse 17, Then Elisha prayed “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
What in the world was he seeing here? He was seeing the power of God. This was God surrounding the enemy who surrounded them. How do I know it was God? This is how God is described in Psalm 104: 1-4, “Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and splendor. He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy, laying the beams of his palace on the waters above, making the clouds his chariot. walking on the wings of the wind, and making the winds his messenger, flames of fire his servants.”
Do you understand the vastness that is our God? Do you understand the power he holds? He wears the light of the world like a robe. The clouds are his chariot. The fire is his servant. He is bigger than anything you could ever face and greater than anything that could ever be against you!
The problem is, you don’t see him. You go through your entire life never realizing WHO he really is: He is YOUR God, personally invested in you with his eye never leaving you. You go through your entire life never realizing WHERE he really is: He is all around you. Surrounding you. Circling you. Overpowering every single thing that is against you.
If only we could see.
Notice Elisha didn’t pray for the situation to change. He could have prayed that the enemy’s army disappear. He could have prayed a wind come and carry them away. But, he didn’t. He didn’t pray for the situation to change, he prayed his servant could see the reality of the situation.
What is the reality of the situation you’re in? Is God working in this? Is God in control? Is God aligning details you cannot yet see, for better plans you cannot yet understand? Is God surrounding that which surrounds you? YES, my sister, yes he is.
That’s the reality of this situation. I know it may not feel like it right now, but the reality is the clouds are God’s chariots and the fire is his servant. He is bigger than everything you’re facing, and a thousand steps ahead of the enemy who has tried to attack you.
Whether you see the spiritual reality of your current situation or not, it’s still there. Even when Elisha’s servant couldn’t see God’s army circling their enemies, God’s army was still circling their enemies. Even when he couldn’t imagine how they were ever going to get out of this, the way out was there. Even when he felt completely overwhelmed, hopeless and defeated, the victory was already guaranteed. He just couldn’t see it.
Lord, please open our eyes. Open our eyes to the spiritual reality that reaches far beyond our current circumstances. Give us eternal perspective as we walk our earthly journey. Help us to see there’s so much more, and you are so much more.
Father, for the one who is overwhelmed, for the one who is discouraged, for the one who is full of fear, and for the one who is hurting, would you open their eyes today? Would you help them to see there’s so much more than what their limited vision has ever been able to see before? Would you give them a glimpse of your power at work right here and now for them? Would you give them a heavenly perspective on their earthly time? Would you help them to see the battle they’re in as a victory already secured by heaven’s armies?
Yes, the enemy has come in for attack. Threats have surrounded you. However, the things of God are circling around the things that are against you, and the things of God will not be defeated! Romans 8:31, “If God is for you, who can be against you?”
The spiritual reality of this situation is GOD IS FOR YOU and GOD WILL WIN!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How do you hear from God? How do you receive the divine guidance you are seeking?
READ HIS WORD!
Asking God to speak to you and not reading the bible is like saying you’re hungry and refusing to feed yourself.
But here’s the problem – what you’re reading reading doesn’t make sense or doesn’t seem to apply, so you’re frustrated because you feel like you still don’t have answers to your questions.
But understand, God’s word is ALIVE! Hebrews 4: 12, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double edged sword.”
God meets us in his word and the Holy Spirit works through his word. Opening your Bible is literally you taking a step towards God. And here’s the great thing about God, James 4:8 , “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This means if you take just one step toward God, he will take a thousand steps toward you. If you need God to be with you in this, take your step toward him, open your Bible. Just read his word. This will draw God in to you. You will receive his guidance. He will show you the way.
I think of reading by Bible kind of like sit ups. I know there’s one way to getting abs … sit ups. But I can lay down on the floor right now and do 100 situps and not look one bit better. You could open up your bible today and read 5 chapters, and not feel any better. You could read and read and find absolutely no answers or clear direction. BUT IT STARTED SOMETHING YOU CANNOT SEE.
Doing situps starts building muscles you can’t see, but you have to keep building. Reading your Bible starts a divine flow of wisdom and guidance you can’t see, but you have to keep reading.
For more of this unscripted Bible Study together, watch the live broadcast on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/1249986681/videos/7568941406517453/
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if you’re doing something wrong and you don’t even realize it? What if the next steps you’ve been taking have been foolishly on the wrong path taking you in the wrong direction, but you’re just doing all you know to do? What if you’ve been making the wrong decisions, attaching to the wrong people, thinking the wrong thoughts, and you can’t see all the wrong things this is creating in your life?
That’s the problem. We don’t know. We can’t see. Everything we do could be wrong, even when our intentions are so right.
There’s a prayer for that. Seriously, there’s a prayer for the girl who has been potentially going the wrong way, but wants to get it right now. There’s a prayer for the girl who doesn’t want to screw up again. There’s a prayer for the girl who genuinely wants to please God and walk in his will.
Isn’t that you? Aren’t you ready to walk God’s way? Aren’t you ready to trade your will for his will? Aren’t you ready to release everything you’ve been holding back so you can receive the fullness of what he holds for you?
This prayer is tucked away in your bible, and it’s just been waiting for you to be really ready to pray it.
Psalm 139: 23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.”
This is a powerful prayer that should not be taken lightly. If you ask God to search you, you better be ready to respond to what he shows you. Because here’s the thing, what if you’ve been asking for all the right things, but you’ve been asking for the wrong reasons, and that’s the sole reason why your prayers seem to be going unanswered. Did you know that’s possible? James 4:3, “You ask and don’t receive because you ask with the wrong motives.”
When you ask the Lord to search you and he reveals to you that your motives are wrong, what are you going to do with that?
If you don’t plan to go to work on the things he shows you, don’t even ask. But if you’re serious, if you’re willing to work on WHY that prayer isn’t being answered, or WHY this has really gone wrong, then ask God to search you.
Here’s what God has shown me: The motive behind my seeking of God is often off. I’m trying to persuade my seemingly reluctant God to do what I want him to do. I’m trying to flip through my Bible for God to co-sign what I want. I’m trying to earn enough good favor with God to qualify for more. \
OUCH. That’s the truth of what God shows me when I ask him to search me.
What does he show you? What are the motives behind your prayers? What are the motives behind your service? Why are you even listening today? Are you checking boxes to be that good Jesus girl? Are you trying to earn the gold star? I mean if you’re going to ask God to search you, be ready for what he shows you.
The purpose of prayer isn’t to persuade a reluctant God to do what we want. Oh, what a misuse of the power he has given us. The purpose of prayer is to align our will with His. It’s to open our eyes to what God sees so we partner with him in accomplishing what he is doing. It’s to allow his power to flow through us for his purposes, not our own. We’ve once again totally made this all about us, haven’t we?
What God continually shows me is, “Pamela, this isn’t about you.” Oh how he loving takes my face into his hands and turns my head in the right direction. The direction of what his greater purposes are. The direction of what HE is doing, what HE wills; the bigger, eternal picture that I often overlook.
What if you’re doing the right thing, but you’re doing it for the wrong reasons? What if that’s why your journey has continually been 1 step forward and 2 steps back? Are you willing to humbly lay that before the Lord and ask him to search you? There may be an unhealed hurt within you creating wrong motives and until you allow God to reveal that unhealed hurt and go to work on it, you will continue to fight a very unnecessary uphill battle.
Have you ever heard of “revenge body”? A woman was hurt by a man, so she’s going to get him back by becoming super hot. I think there was even a reality show about that. Taking care of your body and being healthy is a good thing … but honey, if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons, you’re going to create a real mess. You’ll be wearing stuff you shouldn’t be wearing, attracting all the wrong men, lining up temptations you may not be strong enough to resist … then you wonder why you can’t just be happy. Sweetheart, your motive was off.
Wrong motives make massive messes. God sees your motives, that’s why he can’t co-sign on the things that will hurt you. You want wild success, but God knows what wild success would do to you, so he graciously shuts that crap down. You want to win the lottery, but God knows lottery often leads to lazy, lonely, lies and lousy living. So nope, you don’t have the winning numbers. Out of God’s pure goodness and grace, you don’t win.
Notice this prayer says, “See if there is any offensive way in me.” This is 2 fold.
- Lord, is there any path of pain I’m walking on? Are my choices leading me somewhere you would never want me to end up? Is this one seemingly little bad habit growing into something that will wreck my life? Am I creating future pain with today’s choices? Show me Lord. Stop me from taking that next step.
- Lord, is there something I’m doing that is causing you grief? Am I unknowingly hurting you? Show me how I am offensive. Show me what I need to change. Ephesians 4:30, “Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.” Am I hurting the Holy Spirit that lives within me in any way? If you ask him, he will surely prompt you with a holy conviction of what needs to change.
This prayer ends with, “Lead me in the everlasting way.” Lord, bring me back to the path to you. Jesus came to give you life and life to the full, how are you living little instead of full, big, everlasting, eternal way? Where are you focused on temporary instead of eternal things?
Do you humbly recognize where you could be wrong? Do you genuinely want to get it right for God? He will graciously and gently reveal the way to you, and there may be some changes he asks you to make on the journey, but I know this much, he will also give you the strength to make every one of those changes. He will offer the healing for every broken place within you that has blurred your motives and confused your heart.
This is how you make right what you didn’t even realize was wrong. This is how you take the next steps on the right path. This is how you make the right decisions, with the right people, and step into the good plans God has for your future.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
See if there is any offensive way in me;
Lead me in the everlasting way.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You’re waiting on something, and it feels like it’s taking entirely too long to happen. You’re stuck in limbo wondering when. And as we wonder when we often begin to ask why. Why is this taking so long? Why do I have to wait? Why me?
Time is a funny thing. We can wait for several years for something, but then as soon as we have it, our whole world shifts around now having it. And now that we have it, it’s easy to take it for granted. It’s easy to overlook the fact that this morning we woke up with so many things we were once waiting for.
Seriously, remember when you were counting down the days to your wedding, or prewashing all those new baby clothes with such anticipation of the day you would bring that baby home, or dreaming of moving into the new house, or interviewing for the job and praying they would choose you. Eventually the day came, and the day went, and what you had looked so forward to became reality, then reality lost its luster. How many days have gone by since you were genuinely excited about what you already have? Probably a lot.
We only seem to get excited about what we don’t have yet. What we do have is already old news. So now we just wait. Wait for the next new thing. Wait for the weekend. Wait for vacation. Wait for the next holiday. Wait for something to change. All while days are going by that we will never get back.
What are you waiting on? Can you be happy while you wait? Can you find joy in the in between? Can you count your blessings while one blessing is missing?
This is one of the greatest lessons God has been graciously teaching me over the past 5 years. He’s teaching me to trust him with the timing and choose to be happy while I wait. If I can’t be happy while I wait for this problem to be fixed, then I may be unknowingly sacrificing year after year of my life. And really, what glory does that give God if I sit here miserable in the wait? What kind of faith is it that requires all my blessings to be present before I count them?
Paul taught us about choosing happiness in the middle of a mess while waiting for it to get better. He called it contentment. Contentment is a quiet state of happiness and satisfaction. Contentment isn’t loud, it’s a calm feeling within, regardless of the storm outside. He said in Philippians 4: 11, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” Notice the word LEARNED.
Learned implies it wasn’t natural to be content in his circumstances. It wasn’t automatic and without effort. Paul had to choose his mindset over and over again until he had LEARNED contentment.
What is natural for human beings when we don’t get what we want when we want it is to throw a fit. Seriously, look at a baby. If a baby doesn’t get fed within 3 seconds of feeling hungry, there’s a complete meltdown. That’s what is natural to us. We have to learn how to still be happy when we don’t get what we want when we want it.
How loud are your complaints when you are waiting? How ugly is your face when things aren’t the way you want them to be? Let’s check real life situations here …
You’re at a restaurant and you’ve ordered chicken fajitas, no rice with double beans and guacamole on the side. The waitress brings steaming hot steak fajitas with rice and the guacamole is old. Check your face? How do you react? What do you say? Are you going to throw your grown woman hissy fit?
You’re waiting in a crowded parking lot for a spot. There’s a car leaving, so you turn on your blinker and wait. Just then a truck whips right in front of you and takes the spot you’re clearly waiting on. Check your hands. What are your hands doing right now? Are you giving hand signals, speaking in sign language. Over what … a parking space?
Paul is in PRISON when he is writing about learned contentment. He’s sitting in a prison cell in a quiet state of happiness and satisfaction. He doesn’t know when he will get out. He doesn’t even know if he will survive. He is in literal need and want, waiting, suffering, yet he was content where he was.
How can we do this? How can we wait without a meltdown? How can we get the opposite of what we want, yet not become the opposite of who God has called us to be? Well, the good news is, Paul shares his secret with us.
Verse 12 & 13, “In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content. (Now, here comes the secret.). I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”
We often take that scripture completely out of context, when in reality, Paul was writing from prison saying, hey guys, the only way I can be happy in here and find satisfaction is through the strength of Jesus. Without Jesus this is impossible. Without his strength, I am miserable. But he helps me count my blessings even while some of my blessings are missing. He helps me see the good even when there’s so much bad. He helps me make the most of each moment, even when I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be stuck here. My contentment comes through Jesus.
Now, take that lesson and apply it to your current situation. I’ll apply it to mine as well.
Here’s what I see … there sure are a lot of things to be anxious about, but Christ gives me the strength to trust. There are a lot of things to be hurt about, but Christ shows me how to forgive. There are a lot of things to worry over, but Christ reminds me to “Give all your worries and cares to God, because he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7) So, I give them to God and my burden is lifted.
Now, here I am with circumstances that still haven’t changed, but my burdens are lifted, I’m walking towards forgiveness and in turn I’m being forgiven, and I’m receiving supernatural strength as I trust the wait. This is LEARNED CONTENTMENT. I’m learning as I’m waiting.
You’re learning as you’re waiting. You’re learning the storm in your circumstances doesn’t require a storm within. Jesus calms the wind and waves inside you. He brings peace even while the storm continues. And here you are, now learning to be like Jesus, learning to find contentment through it all. Remember where Jesus was when the storm hit the boat he was on? Check this story out:
Matthew 8: 23-26, “As Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves – but Jesus kept sleeping. So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”
The boat was literally being swamped by waves and Jesus just kept sleeping. Jesus wasn’t disturbed by the storm. He was completely content through it all. He had a quiet happiness and satisfaction within.
Lord, teach us to be calm in the storm. Give us the faith that says, “whatever the wind and the waves do, I have complete confidence because Jesus is in my boat.”
Is Jesus in your boat? Seriously, have you asked him to be in this with you? He will be right there with you and never forsake you. He will give you the strength to be content right through this. Jesus is not flipping out here. He’s not stressed. With absolute power, he knows how this storm ends. He knows when this storm ends. And he knows hes getting you through it.
My storm continues. Year 5. But Jesus is teaching me how to have a quiet happiness and satisfaction every single day through this storm. And on some days, my happiness gets loud. My joy is on full display, even while some things are still a mess. My satisfaction overflows to ridiculous fun and sheer gratitude, even in the wait. How? Because Jesus is teaching me LEARNED contentment. It’s not natural. It’s learned. It’s chosen. It’s intentional.
And it’s yours if you want it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How much time do you spend taking care of your body? Y’all, shaving these legs is a time suck. This hair has to be washed every other day. Eyelashes don’t just glue themselves on. It’s all an investment of time. Time to exercise. Time to cook healthy meals. Time to rest. If you don’t take the time required for care, your body will suffer. You can’t just skip washing your hair for a week. You will unintentionally grow dreads, and not the cute kind with colors and knick knacks. You don’t want to be the girl with furry armpits just because you couldn’t make time to shave while you were in the shower.
How much time do you spend taking care of your house? On my to-do list is a perpetual daily chore: Clean. It’s amazing how it’s just my husband and I in our little beach house, yet the dishes pile up so quickly. Every day there is cleaning to do, and if I skip a day it gets real messy real quick. I figured out a trigger to me becoming grouchy is a messy house. It’s physically impossible for me to be giddy if my house looks like a ghetto inside. Some of y’all are wondering why you wake up grouchy … maybe it’s because your house be looking ghetto. Clean your space and you might just find a better attitude. Cleaning requires time. They have yet to successfully build that self-cleaning house, or even family that clean up after them selves. Until then, time is required of you.
With all these time sucks of taking care of your body, taking care of your house, taking care of your work, taking care of your kids, taking care of your dog, there’s just not much time left. And there’s one unseen thing that often goes without the investment of our time. One thing that suffers greatly because it’s out of sight and out of mind, and not given the time it needs.
Your soul.
It’s easy to treat ourselves as if we are a body with a little bitty bonus of a soul. We take care of our body first and our soul last. We’ll drink shakes, take pills, and buy all sorts of contraptions to make our bodies look and feel better. We’ll join the gym, create a workout routine, hire a trainer, go to a doctor, and download 7 apps on our phone all for our body. But what does our soul get?
You are not a body with a soul. You are a soul first and foremost, and your soul gets the bonus of a body to carry you through this portion of your life.
Read the book of Psalms and you’ll get a better understanding of the value of your soul. David writes more about his soul than his body. He talks to his soul. He encourages his soul. He writes of his soul being thirsty, his soul being hungry, his soul needing rest, his soul being worried, afraid, overwhelmed, grieving, even suffering. Have you ever described a deep ache within you as your heart hurting? Yeah, that is your soul grieving. Have you ever felt a void within, like a itch you don’t know how to scratch with an unfulfilled longing inside? Yeah, that is your hungry soul. You’ve sang about those hungry eyes, but girl, what about your hungry soul?
Your soul needs time just like your body and your house require time. But it’s so easy to ignore the needs of your soul and turn to tik tok for the next magic diet or exercise or cleaning hack. Girl, what about your soul care?
Peter puts it into perspective when he refers to his body as a tent. 2 Peter 1: 14, “I know that I will soon lay aside my tent.”
His body was not his end all be all. This earthly time walking around in this bodily tent is just a small portion of his lifetime. It’s all temporary. Temporary things cannot become our primary focus. Temporary things cannot get priority over eternal things.
What is eternal about you is your soul. You will never not exist. Since God created you, creation will never again be without you. You – the real you – your soul. Your body, well that tent you will soon lay aside after it has served its purpose. But your soul continues. The question is, how will you care for the part of you that matters most?
I made a list of 6 ideas for Soul Care. I’m sure you can guess several of them.
- Scripture.
- Prayer.
- Worship.
See, you knew those, didn’t you? But how about 3 more ways to take care of your soul.
- Fellowship.
That’s an old word my grandma used for church potlucks. It’s not appealing to me. Sounds kind of boring. But let me put it in a way you can get excited about. This is spending time with people who love Jesus like you do, and having fun together. I figured out that’s what makes our BIG Life Retreats so special. We’re all just girls who love Jesus, and we come together for fun adventures, and it feeds our soul! Our soul literally needs this time together. I crave it … and you do too. - Service.
Helping someone else is the fastest way to exit your own pity party. God designed us with a special release of dopamine within our brains each time we serve someone. Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that makes us feel good. It gives us what is known as the “helper’s high”. Your soul literally feels good when you serve. My friend, that is soul care! Do something for someone who can do absolutely nothing in return for you. - Silence.
This is one is personal kryptonite. You know how Superman was crazy strong with all his flying and car throwing abilities, but there was one thing that would bring out his weakness, kryptonite. My krptonite is silence and I spend my days avoiding it. As a professional speaker, it’s the one thing you don’t do. You don’t stall out with nothing to say. When the speaker stops speaking, that’s awkward, so I make my life very busy and loud. However, in a busy and loud, rushed life, our soul is suffering. My soul needs silence. Your soul needs silence.
I learned a practice several years ago from my friend Theresa that is so simple and so powerful. You take two chairs and sit them together. You leave one empty for Jesus, and you sit in the other one. Then, you just sit there. Spend time with Jesus in your two chairs. Now notice I said I “learned this practice”, not that I often practice this practice. Quite honestly, I would rather go run a few miles than just sit in silence. I would rather deep clean my entire house than sit in silence. I would rather drive all the way to Miami in insane traffic and go grocery shopping than sit in silence.
You know what happens to me in silence? I have an almost irresistible urge to pick up my phone. Does that happen to you too? And if I don’t distract myself with my phone, here’s what happens when I sit in silence … I conk the heck out. I’ll just fall asleep, so it all seems kind of pointless. All while my soul is suffering. My soul is hungry. My soul is thirsty. My soul needs quiet time with Jesus.
So, if you struggle with silence like I do, here’s a very practical solution that we can each do. First, leave your phone behind. Then, grab 2 chairs. Invite Jesus to sit in one and you sit in the other one. Then pray this prayer, “Jesus, you can see the deepest parts of my being. What does my soul need?” Then just sit there. You don’t have to think. You don’t have to talk. Just be silent. If you doze off and take a little nap, then maybe that’s what your soul needed. If your mind wanders to the things that worry you, maybe that’s what your soul needed. Maybe you needed to bring those worries to Jesus’ chair.
Jesus fills any space he’s invited into. He will fill that empty chair and he will fill your soul.
Declare yourself a SOUL CARE TIME in your schedule. Just as you would declare time to take care of your body, or time to take care of your house, or time to care for your dog, your soul deserves intentional time. Everything else is temporary. This bodily tent you walk around in will be laid aside. This house you live in will one day crumble. Your job won’t matter, they will replace you as soon as you’re gone. But this soul of yours … it is eternal. It is forever. It is of true value.
Girl, take care of your soul. It needs something today. Jesus, what does my soul need?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever thought about what Heaven will really be like? I have a friend who was in a coma, and when she woke up, she shared her glimpses into heaven. She specifically remembers colors like her eyes had never seen before. Flowers and butterflies that were so beautiful they were indescribable. In my Daddy’s final day of life, the veil between Heaven and Earth had grown very thin, and he told me what he saw. He would burst out in a deep belly laugh and say, “Jesus is so funny.” Then Daddy said, “Everyone is so happy here.” One of the final things he said was, “Run to the light.”
I want to see those colors, don’t you? I want to be one of those happy people in the presence of Jesus. I want to run to the light of Jesus!
I grew up afraid of Hell. I knew absolutely nothing of Jesus, but I knew there was this fiery place of misery somewhere down below where sin was punished. And every time I did something bad, I was afraid of that punishment. My very first introduction to the thought of what Heaven would be like was through the song “I Can Only Imagine” in the early 2000’s. Did anyone else belt out these words in their car?
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
My friends, what will Heaven be like? Well, I can only imagine! But here’s what I know for sure … I WANT TO GO THERE! And I really want to go there with YOU! Let’s experience this together!
I have a strong case of FOMO. You know, the Fear of Missing Out. It eats me up thinking I might miss something great. I will sacrifice sleep. I will save up my money. I will go to crazy lengths to ensure I don’t miss out on good things. And my God is not only the giver of all good and perfect things (James 1:17), but he takes all the other things and he works them together to make them good (Romans 8:28). So, whatever God is offering and whatever God is doing is good, and I’ve decided I don’t want to miss it! I want to be in alignment with what God is doing and I want to be available for what he is offering.
Now, here’s the thing, I can’t see what God is doing and I have no way of knowing the fullness of what God is offering, I can only imagine it. But, it’s even more than I can imagine. More than I can dream of. More than I’ve ever dared to think. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
Yes, I can only imagine, but it’s immeasurably MORE than what I imagine! And how does God do more? It’s right here in this scripture. It’s through his power that is at work within us! How crazy awesome of God to decide to do his work THROUGH US. How incredible that he has invited us to be part of his work and carry his power. That just blows my mind.
So, my sister, you and I have a job here. As the girls who carry this power to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine, we’re here to share hope with others. Hope of the future mind blowing beauty and goodness that awaits those who have accepted Jesus. We’re supposed to help them imagine how good Heaven will be so they too decide they just can’t afford to miss it!
1 Peter 1: 3-4 MSG, “Because of Jesus we’ve been given a brand new life and have everything to live for including a future in heaven – and that future starts NOW.”
Jesus gives us a brand new life and this new life he’s offering is something worth living for! You and I have something to live for! We are not hopeless, helpless, or stuck. Jesus has made a way for us! He has sealed our destiny. Honey, our future is beautiful!!!! But, God in all of his mercy and grace said, “I’ll even let you get started on eternity now.” He has made life here worth living for too. He’s given us a purpose, and knowing that you’re walking in your purpose feels so good! That’s his gift to us! We get to be part of his will unfolding here on Earth as it is in Heaven, and he unleashes his power within us. That’s worth living for!
The enemy tries to make our lives feel like they’re not worth living. He tries to burden and overwhelm us. He tries to turn our attention to all that is wrong and getting worse. But God says to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient (2 Corinthians 10:5). He says to think about the things that are right, lovely, excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Is that what you’ve been thinking about? Or has the enemy crept in and tricked you into thinking the thoughts he hides in?
Our thoughts either make life miserable, or make life worth living. God wants to give you thoughts that make life worth living! Thoughts that open your eyes to his power and make you say, “I can’t miss out on this!” Thoughts that have you imagining all God is working on for you and for your future. What is he working on? Well, I can only imagine!
Go ahead and imagine it! Imagine how God is working all the things in your life together for something good. Imagine how God is using you and your story to help others come to know of his love and mercy. Imagine how God is preparing Heaven for you!
This weekend I was studying the books of 1 & 2 Peter. While I was studying, I received a text from Sarah, an amazing woman I mentor. Sarah randomly shared with me a Bible study tool she was using called Enduring Word. It’s actually just a website (enduringword.com), but this website has over 11,000 pages of verse by verse commentary of the entire bible. Commentary that actually makes sense. Commentary that explains scripture and applies it to life.
One bit of commentary I read has me absolutely spinning! 2 Peter 1:4, “He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.” Now, dig deeper! God has promised us to share in the divine nature that escapes the corruption of this world. What is that? THAT IS HEAVEN! This goodness I can only imagine!
Here’s what the commentary said: How generous of God. He could have just rescued us from hell and not invited us to share in the divine nature.
I never thought about that. God didn’t have to offer Heaven to us. He could have just forgiven us and kept us out of Hell. He could have just cancelled our punishment, but not given us a reward. He could have made us do this life over and over again until we got it right. He could have offered us our lifetime, and let that be it. Done. Over. No more. But he didn’t. God went so far as to rescue us from Hell and invite us into Heaven!
What?!!!!!!! Why would God do that? Why would he go so far? Why would do all of this for me? For you? Because that’s God – he does more than we could ever ask or imagine!
And in God’s nature of doing even MORE, he not only has Heaven waiting for us, but he invites us to be part of his divine work here on Earth. Our future with God starts NOW! It is here! This is worth living for!
How is God working in what you’ve gone through to use it for good? I can only imagine.
What good plans does God have for your future? I can only imagine.
What will you do the moment you see Jesus face to face? Will you dance – will you stand in awe? I can only imagine.
What amazing adventures will you and I have together in Heaven on day 1 of eternity? I can only imagine!
I know this much … it’s worth living for!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Power of Prayer
This Friday unscripted Bible study and devotional digs deeper on the follow scriptures:
James 5: 13-20
1 Kings 17 & 18
Matthew 6:6
This episode also includes the 4 Sentence Prayer that helped bring me back to God.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Don’t wait for others to celebrate your life when it’s over, celebrate what God has done in your life TODAY!
This special unscripted episode was hosted live on Facebook (watch here: https://www.facebook.com/1249986681/videos/987406949413043/) as I share my testimony and celebrate all God has done.
Jeremiah 17:14, “O LORD, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!”
I have been truly healed. I have been truly saved. Now God gets all the praise! HE DID THIS!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
It’s exhausting trying to keep up the facade of how we want our lives to appear to others. We only choose the filtered photos where we look good. We only present our best days and our best moments. For some reason, we want to look better than everyone else, but why is that, and what is this doing to us?
James 3: 14-16, “But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.”
Oh, well, doesn’t that just make sense. We’re so filled with our selfish ambitions and trying to make someone, anyone, envy this presented version of a life we’re living, and it’s caused complete disorder!
The MSG translation says it like this, “It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Wherever you’re trying to look better than others, things fall apart.” The way you talk, the way you post, the filtered and fixed up version … is this you trying to look better than someone else? Welp, that’s where things are going to fall apart!
And haven’t we? Haven’t we all been falling apart? We’re not together, we are divided. We are apart. We are in discord and chaos as things continue to fall apart.
So, what should we do? CHECK OURSELVES! Where am I trying to look better than others? Where am I trying to look like my life is better than someone else’s? Like what I’m doing is better?
And where are you doing this?
There’s nothing wrong with dressing up and looking nice, but when it’s to turn all the heads, that’s a problem. There’s nothing wrong with going somewhere beautiful and wanting to share it with others, but when it’s to make others think that where you are is better than where they are, that’s a problem. God is asking WHAT IS THE MOTIVE BEHIND WHAT YOU ARE DOING? The wrong motive will only have things falling apart in your life.
We have become a showy, competitive, obsessed with perfection, selfish people and we are completely falling apart. God’s word says this is earthly, unspiritual and demonic. Well yuck, no wonder we’re having problems, y’all!
But keep reading because we have the solution. James 3: 17-18, “God’s wisdom is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not two faced. You can develop a healthy and robust community that lives right with God and enjoy the results ONLY IF you do the hard work of getting along and treating each other with dignity and honor.”
God knew us getting along with everyone would be hard work, and he asks us to do it any way. Yes, do the hard work of getting along!
How hard are you trying to get along with the people at your work? Really, are you trying? God expects you to try … then try harder. That seems unfair, why should it be up to you to try harder? Well, you are the one hearing this right now, so that means God has chosen YOU to go first! Go out of your way to get along with the one who is so darn hard to get along with. Yes, for real, do it.
You always wonder when God is going to show up and speak directly to you about what he wants you to do. Well there it is! Do the hard work of getting along.
This scripture tells us how. Be gentle and reasonable today. Overflow with mercy and blessings. Don’t be two faced.
Oh, that’s our problem. We are nice to their face, then we turn around and talk about them. You’re being convicted right now to stop that. Two faced is not a representation of God’s desire for you. God is showing you better so you can do better.
Are you a good representative of God’s mercy and blessings when you’re driving? When you’re waiting in a long line?
How about when you’re at home? Yes, with your own family in your house, are you gentle and reasonable? The truth is, sometimes, Mama, you are completely unreasonable! You are re-dic-you-lussss. There’s not an ounce of gentleness in your outburst. If you could step back and hear yourself, you sound absolutely insane sometimes. Ughhhh, would you want to live with you? Would you want to be married to you?
God wants to ask you right now, are you TRYING to get along with the people in your home? Did you wake up today determined to do it right today, or determined to be right today?
Oh honey, DO IT RIGHT TODAY.
Yes, getting along can be hard work, but God expects his girls to do the work.
This isn’t about you. When you make everything about you, you lose the whole point of this thing. You are here to represent God’s love to this world. But when the enemy successfully trips you up in thinking you have to look better than everyone else, or be right about everything, then you lose the love you’re here to show.
Lord, convict us of our wrong motives. Turn our hearts away from the facade and the show, and let us overflow with your love and mercy. Humble us and help us show up better today.
We’re here today to do it right. To work hard at getting along. And that starts in our own home, that follows us to work, into our neighborhood, into the grocery store, and into the connections we have online. WE WILL WORK HARD AT GETTING ALONG. We won’t be two faced. We won’t be ridiculous and unreasonable. We will be the people we would WANT to live with, we would want to be married to, we would want to work with. We don’t need to be better or look better than anyone. We need to love better.
Repeat after me: I will be a freaking delight today!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
A woman who reads his word, then applies it to her life. When you read “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” (James 1: 19&20), a response is expected from you. That’s about YOU. It’s about how you have only been listening to speak. It’s about how you have been speaking before you process that thought. Girl, you can’t just say whatever is on your mind, because some of those thoughts need to be filtered out before they flow out. It’s about how you’ve been leading from frustration instead of love. It applies to you and action is required. God wants you to be a woman of action.
A woman who receives a prompting from his Holy Spirit, and does something about it. You know that little voice inside of you that says, “hey, you should reach out to that person”, or “this isn’t right in your life, it’s time to change it.” That’s God’s Spirit guiding your next steps. Now lift up your foot and step. Stop trying to make sense of it and trust God really does speak to you. He speaks to you because he wants you to be a woman of action.
Will you be the one God knows will go when he says go? Will you be the one who will be available when he prompts? Will you be the one who will respond in faith with actions over words? Or will you be the one who just sits there and talks about it? Will you be the one who complains about how things are today, but doesn’t do a darn thing to make it better in your own house? Will you be the one who is always too busy, always too unsure, and never quite good enough for the job? Hey, that is NOT what God sees in you!
God doesn’t see you as a girl who is stuck without a clear way of overcoming this. He sees you as a girl with the mighty power of his Spirit within her, and if you will start responding to his word in your Bible and his word in your spirit, you won’t spend another day stuck.
I know it sucks starting over. But if you hate starting over so much, how about this time you decide you’re simply not going to stop. This time you keep showing up in the strength God gives you and you push through. This time could be the last time you have to start again. A woman of action will embrace the suck, stop complaining about it, and just do it.
And again, GOD WANTS YOU TO BE A WOMAN OF ACTION.
James 1: 22, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” I’ve heard a good sermon, I’ve listened to a powerful podcast, I’ve read an amazing book, and then I’ve done absolutely NOTHING with those words. Those words inspired me, stirred me, gave me great ideas – but without action, they were wasted. Inspiration is like gas, it will pass. You are bloated with inspiration because you keep buying more books, listening to all the podcasts, researching all the ideas, but you’re never doing a darn thing with all that. You’re just bloated. You need to get up and walk that out!!!! Honey, what good is the batter you keep stirring but never put in the oven? Bake this sucker and let’s take a bite!
As this scripture says, you have been deceived. You’ve been deceived into thinking if you just get more inspired you’ll do something about this mess. No you won’t. You know when you’ll do something about this mess? When you actually DO something about this mess.
You’ve been deceived into thinking there’s a perfect diet, and when you find that diet all your problems will go away. You’ve been deceived into thinking there’s a perfect man out there, and he’s not the one you married. So, when you get rid of this one and find the next one, you’ll be happy. You’ve been deceived into thinking it’s a new job you need, or a new house, or new boobs. You’ve been deceived. Maybe what you really need to do is treat your current job with gratitude instead of complaining about it. Maybe you need to clean the house you’ve got instead of thinking a new house would somehow magically make you more organized. Hey, maybe you just need to put on a bra today.
(Okay, please don’t send me hate mail – I know we’re back to the days of this whole ‘free the boobies’ thing, but I’m going to be a good girlfriend and just tell you, some of y’all need to put your bra back on. I say that with all the love in my heart, don’t hate me. It makes me really uncomfortable.)
Be DOERS of what God tells you, not just hearers. Don’t be deceived into thinking inspiration and new ideas and a label maker is all you need. No, you need to DO something with what God is telling you.
The next verses in this scripture have honestly always confused me. I felt as if perhaps it was some outdated reference that just wouldn’t make sense today. But I was wrong. I dug deeper. Verse 23-24, “Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.”
Hmmmm … that didn’t make sense to me. I look in the mirror, then walk away and forget the kind of person I was?
When I don’t understand a scripture, I start researching different translations. Here’s what I found today. CHECK THIS OUT! This scripture in The Passion Translation says, “You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your divine origin.”
Woahhhhhhhhh. God’s written word and the words he speaks through his Holy Spirit show me who I am. But if I don’t DO something with what he has shown me, I quickly forget who he says I am.
When God’s word tells you that you are strong and courageous, but you don’t believe it and act on it, you quickly forget that’s who you are in Christ Jesus.
When God’s word tells you that you are forgiven and redeemed, but you don’t talk to yourself in that way, then you quickly forget that’s who you are.
When God’s spirit prompts you and tells you you’re the one he has chosen for this job, but you dismiss yourself and talk yourself out of going, you quickly forget you were chosen.
You have forgotten your divine origin because you didn’t take action on how God sees you. When you KNOW you are his chosen, prized and beloved girl, you are moved to action in your life! You make changes that align with his will. You show up to places your prompted to go. You push through the struggle because you know your destiny has always been to be more than a conqueror.
Now verse 25, “But those who set their gaze deeply are fascinated and respond to the truth and are strengthen by it. They experience God’s blessings in all they do.”
What are we gazing at? We’re gazing at who God says we are. We’re focusing on the truth!
Y’all, I am fascinated by who God says I am. I am fascinated that I carry the power of God within me. How crazy cool is that?!!! I am fascinated that I bear the fingerprints of the master and he has called me his masterpiece. I’m fascinated by the supernatural strength I have access to. And this MUST LEAD TO ACTION.
I have to do something with this. I have to do something with all I’ve been entrusted with.
YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS!
Look in the mirror of God’s Word and perceive how he sees you. See you for who God says you are. Don’t forget that. Never forget your divine origin. You have good plans written for your life by the creator of the Universe. He’s good at fulfilling his plans! But here’s the thing, he won’t do it without you. He wants you to be a woman of action.
Do something about what he is showing you. Do something about the promptings of his Spirit you’ve been feeling. Do something with the words he has been giving you.
Inspiration and good ideas are great, but they fall short if all you do it collect them. While you’ve been listening today, God prompted you with something specific. What was it? Take action on that today. Don’t just be a hearer, be a doer!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Are you facing a situation right now where you don’t know what to do next? That next step is uncertain because you don’t know where this is leading. You can’t see beyond today … and you’re not supposed to. But if you can’t see tomorrow, how do you know the right next step into that which you cannot see?
There are two kinds of people. The kind of people who take wild leaps just to see what happens when they do … and the kind of people who gather all the details before budging. The kind of people who click and buy because they liked it … and the kind of people who put it in their online cart for days while they research it. I don’t know which one you are, but I sure know which one I tend to be.
Are you the kind of person who just does something, anything, when you aren’t sure what to do? Or are you the kind of person who does nothing at all when you’re unsure? God wants us to be neither of these.
Here’s what God wants us to do … He wants us TO ASK HIM FIRST AND BELIEVE HE WILL GUIDE US.
James 1: 5, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God – who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly – and it will be given to him.” Lacking wisdom is a really nice way of putting it. The Message translation of that same verse says it like it really is: “If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.”
Is that you? You don’t know what the heck you’re doing. You don’t know how to raise these kids. You don’t know how to fix this marriage. You don’t know how to crawl out of this hole. You don’t know how to make this right. You don’t know what to do next. You don’t know how to get from where you are to where you want to be. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
Sometimes I feel like a total imposter. On most days I really don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how I’m ever going to be good enough to pull off the things I’m attempting to do. I don’t know how I can finish what I’ve started. But, through all of this, I’ve figured out the most important thing … I don’t have to know, I just have to pray!
I’m not posing, I’m praying. I’m not pretending, I’m praying. I’m not an imposter, I’m a pray-er.
I don’t know what I’m doing, so I pray to the Father. I ask him about the next step. I ask him who I need to be. I ask him to show me the way. I ask him to give me the words. Then, all I need to do is BELIEVE he is guiding me. I’ve learned just because I don’t know what I’m doing while I’m showing up to do it doesn’t mean I’m an imposter, it means I’m a vessel!
My sister, you are a vessel when you’re emptied of self and available to be filled! You’re a vessel when you show up with a determination to go wherever you’re prompted to go, and do whatever you’re prompted to do, even when it doesn’t make sense and even when you don’t feel like it. You’re a vessel!
Do you know how many mornings I know precisely what I’m going to share when I sit down to start writing? Practically none. I don’t know. I’m counting on God to guide me.
Do you know how many morning I feel like writing when I start the very first sentence? None. Absolutely none. The first sentence is always almost impossible. It’s like the first step on a journey when I don’t know where I’m going, nor do I know if I have what it will takes to go there, or if I will even like it. That’s a hard first step, but every day I have to take it.
But if I take it under my own power, I will struggle unnecessarily. IF I ASK GOD FOR HELP FIRST, the steps that follow will be completely different. I still won’t feel like it, I still won’t see where it’s leading, but I will be supernaturally guided by the power of God’s spirit that responds when I ask for help!
Asking God for help results in his supernatural power to guide you in what to do next.
Did you know God will ALWAYS answer your prayers for wisdom? Always. Remember, sometimes God’s way isn’t your way, so it doesn’t mean you will always like it or that it will always make sense, but he will always respond to your request for wisdom with his guidance.
Verse 5 of James 1 goes on to say, “He loves to help. You’ll get his help and you won’t be condescended when you ask.” God won’t look down on you for asking here. He won’t be frustrated that you haven’t figured this out on your own yet. He won’t be bothered by your request for help again. GOD LOVES TO HELP YOU.
We each have our own talents and passions. When someone asks for help with the things we’re really good at, we naturally get excited because we know this is our area of specialty. When someone asks me how they can make an ordinary day fun, I get giddy with excitement. I will give them a list of 100 things they could do today, right where they are, to create fun. On a budget? No problem, I know how to turn the simplest of things into an adventure. Have errands to run? Girl, no problem, the grocery store is your amusement park! I LOVE to help you create fun. It’s my thing. Everything can be a game. Everything can be an exciting challenge. Everything can be a memorable adventure. I love to be asked for help with fun.
You have your thing too. And when someone asks you, you just love to share with them. Maybe you’re a book girl, and when someone asks for a book on a specific topic, you know exactly the book they need. Maybe you’re a health expert and when someone asks about overcoming an issue they’re having in their body, you’re so excited to tell them a simple and natural remedy for their problem. Maybe you’re a foodie and when someone asks where they should eat, you have a list of restaurants and precisely what they should order. You love to help with the things you know.
Well, God knows the future. For real. The future is God’s thing. He knows the plans he has for you. He knows they are good plans. He knows the way there. And when you ask him how to get there and what to do with this current situation along the way, God gets excited. This is his thing! He loves to help you know what to do!
If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help you! He’s excited to share what he knows with you. What does he know? He knows your future and he knows the way there!
Verse 6-8, “And when you ask, ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything form the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.”
Isn’t that us? We ask God to show us the way, we come to an open door, then we stand in that open door second guessing our next step. We talk ourselves out of stepping into the very thing God has led us to. We doubt so hard that we create anxiety within our minds, questioning if God really opened that door. If you’re going to doubt, why even ask in the first place? Doubting steals the guidance the Holy Spirit offers.
If you ask me for ways to make a roadtrip with your 6 year old fun, I’m going to give you a list of car games you can play and creative ways to pass the time. But, if you respond to every idea with an excuse, eventually I’m going to stop sharing my tips for fun. The same is true with God’s offer of wisdom. If you respond to every prompting of the Holy Spirit on what to do next with a doubting excuse, eventually, he will stop prompting.
Are you serious about God helping you here? Great … then stop excusing his promptings!
The Message translation of verses 6-8 say this, “Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry” their prayers are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.”
Is that you? Have you been “worrying” your prayers? You pray, but then you worry you didn’t pray right. You worry God doesn’t like you. You worry you missed God’s answer. You worry you won’t like God’s answer. You worry about your worry. Yeah, God says don’t do that. I can’t work in your constant worry. I work in your faith. I respond to your request for wisdom that BELIEVES I will guide you. I show up where you genuinely seek me and believe you will find me.
Are you asking God for wisdom, but just keeping all your options open? Yeah, God says don’t do that either. If God said no to something, then stop knocking on that door. Girl, lock that door and throw away the key. End the conversation. Delete the number. Remember, if God’s not in it, YOU DON’T WANT IT ANYWAY!
You don’t need options when you are being guided by God. All these options has you sea sick adrift at sea. You’re going back and forth, juggling all the things, wondering why you’re absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed. Really, that’s a symptom of trying to maintain control instead of a complete surrender to God. My sister, sometimes you’ve got to let go of something to follow where God is leading you.
Follow in faith.
Here’s what I know, the step taken in faith, even when it was the wrong step, WILL BE HONORED!
God wants you to trust him. He wants you to ask him for help and believe with your whole heart that he will guide you. And sometimes you may not do this thing perfect, but if you do it in faith, God can work with that.
I used to be so afraid of making a mistake that I wouldn’t take the next step. Then God called me out onto the waters with him and I figured out these scary steps are actually thrilling. I’m totally addicted to walking on the water with him! Sometimes I sink a bit, but he always comes to my rescue. You know why? He’s just glad I got out of the boat!
That’s where he wants you. He wants you out of that boat. He wants you out here on the water with him, totally dependent on him for every step. He LOVES to help you in knowing the right thing to do, but he will only show you AS YOU GO! If you’re not willing to go, he may stop showing you.
One more time, here’s our scripture: If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. Stop worrying your prayers and keeping your options open. You’ll get his help when you ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. And that’s precisely what we will do today!
You’re not a posing, you’re praying. You’re not pretending, you’re praying. You’re not an imposter, you’re a pray-er!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Join us in this special Friday unplugged Bible study and devotional on
bringing a little Jesus to others. Psalm 23: 4
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Throughout the day you are breathing, and you likely never notice your breath. Breathing doesn’t require intentional effort, your body does the work without your consciousness even catching on. Until you can’t breathe … then you know. Your awareness is hyper focused on breathing when it is threatened.
I went over 40 years of my life, breathing without the awareness of the source of my breath. I simply never thought about it. Where does the air you breathe come from? It was a song I sang one Sunday morning in Church several years ago that changed my breathing. This part of the song slayed me and changed me: It’s your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, pour out our praise. It’s your breath in our lungs so we pour out our praise to you only.
Genesis 2:7 says “Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”
You and I are living at this very moment because of the breath of God. It is his breath that fills our lungs. It is his breath that gives us life. You have the breath of the Almighty within you, filling you, reviving you, bringing you life. And all you have to do is receive it.
Once I became aware of the source of my breath, I realized my habit of shallow breathing. By habit I take in just enough to do the job. Long term shallow breathing affects your health. Your body functions in a state of continual stress, lowering your immunity and lowers your energy.
But even worse, shallow breathing creates shallow living.
Are we just skimming the surface of all that’s truly available to us? Are we never going deeper into the life God is offering us only taking in enough to just get through? Yes, I think so.
When I look at the beauty of creation, I can’t imagine God created all of this for us to just get by. That isn’t his heart. His creation reveals his abundance and fullness and as his most prized and precious creation, he offers this abundance and fullness to us.
Newborn babies breathe deep. Their bellies expand and their chest rises and falls as they take in all life has to offer. We did the same when breath was new. Then we became used to it. We just expect God’s breath to be available and we allow it no special regard.
Each morning before this devotional, I lead the women I mentor in a deep breathing exercise. It’s become part of our morning routine together. It used to be the part of the morning I dreaded, now it’s the part of the morning where I relax my shoulders, turn off everything else, and just allow God to fill me.
Practicing deep breathing creates a whole truckload of benefits:
Natural painkiller.
Improves blood flow.
Increases energy level.
Improves posture.
Reduces inflammation.
Detoxifies the body.
Improves digestion.
Relaxes your mind and body.
Now think about that … all of these positive results by doing one thing … breathing deeper. And what are we doing when we breathe deeper? We are intentionally receiving MORE of God. It is his breath that fills your lungs so naturally by breathing deeper, you are receiving more of him. And more of him heals us.
As I’ve been practicing deep breathing, I’ve learned a few things.
First, I have a limited capacity. Try taking the biggest, deepest breath you’ve taken all day. Your lungs quickly filled and you don’t notice a tremendous benefit, right? I don’t necessarily feel more energized, relaxed or improved in any way.
It’s like trying to add God into an already packed daily routine. There’s just not a lot of room in your life, right?
So what’s missing here?
The release.
In order to take a bigger, deeper breath, I must first let go of all the air I currently have. Shallow breathing continually holds a little air back. To receive more, you must be fully emptied first.
Let’s practice. Start by emptying your lungs of all the breath you currently have in a series of only exhales. When you think all the air is out of your lungs, exhale again, there’s more. Release. Release. Release. Now inhale filling your belly expand as it receives more and more and more.
Now you’re breathing deeper and you immediately notice the benefits. Feel the difference? This is MORE God filling you. The calming of your nerves, the relieving of your stress, and the surge of energy you now feel is simply a result of receiving MORE of what God is offering you, his breath.
And what did you have to first do to receive more? Let go of what you already had.
I’ve found God has been leading me on a journey of letting go of what I already had so I can receive more of his offering now. Could that be what your journey has been about to? A lesson in trusting him enough to be fully emptied.
Exhale. Let it go. Have faith God will fill you with what is needed next. And when he fills you after your complete exhale, you will be filled like never before.
I believe sometimes God allows our lives to be touched by disaster because it wakes us up and forces us out of shallow living. When all that was familiar is suddenly threatened, we are left breathing deeper, and when we breath deeper, we are receiving MORE God. How? It is HIS BREATH that fills our lungs. The complete exhale of what we had now opens the capacity for what God is offering.
Anything God has removed from your life has now created space for what he is offering. Exhale. Release. So you can receive more than you’ve ever had before.
With practice, this can be your new way of living. A continual release and emptying with faith to receive an abundant filling.
I want to be filled with an abundance of God. I must first release everything else. Exhale.
I want an abundance of God in my daily life. I must create space for him. Exhale.
I want an abundance of God in my future. I must willingly let go of how I thought it should look. Exhale.
First the release, the exhale, more, more, more. Hold nothing back so you can fully receive.
Now be filled with all God is offering. Inhale. This is an abundant filling.
This is deeper living with a dependence on God. If I let go of all this air, then God I’m depending on your breath to fill my lungs back up. If I let go of all my plans, then God I’m depending on you to show me the way. If I let go of everything I thought I was, then God I’m fully reliant on you to show me who I am.
May you be aware of the offering of God.
May you have the faith to fully release all you’ve been holding back.
May you receive an abundant filling today.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You have been chosen, but being chosen doesn’t quite feel like you imagined it would. You thought being God’s chosen girl would mean all open doors and overflowing abundance, but that’s not your current reality. When it doesn’t happen for us the way we thought it would, we begin to question if we are really chosen. Are we really the right one for the job? Are we really good enough? Are we really destined for more?
This picture we have in our head of how we think it’s supposed to be has stolen more potential than the attacks of our enemy ever has. You don’t just wake up one day and it’s all easier. You don’t just magically step into your purpose and then it all makes sense. It’s not just one thing that changes everything then you never struggle again.
I always assumed the introduction of David in scripture was the day he walked onto the battlegrounds where the giant Goliath was taunting the Israelites. I’ve read the story and thought David showed up that day as a nobody and overnight he became a somebody. So, I’ve always imagined that same story for myself. I’ll go from a nobody to a somebody, and it will all happen in that one key moment when I show up with courage and do something great. But, I’m wrong. That’s not how it happened for David, that’s not how it will happen for me, and my sister, that’s not how it will happen for you. David became a great King, but it didn’t begin with the slaying of the giant and it didn’t end there either.
If we actually back up one chapter and a few years, we find the introduction of David. He was believed to be somewhere between 8 and 13 years old when the Lord sends Samuel to a man named Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons as the next King of Israel. Jesse presented 7 of his sons to Samuel for selection. One by one, the tallest, the strongest, the oldest, the seemingly best would go before Samuel, and each one, the Lord would say, “not this one.”
1 Samuel 16: 10-11, “After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, ‘The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.’ Samuel asked him, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ ‘There is still the youngest,’ he answered, ‘but right now he’s tending the sheep.’ Samuel told Jesse, ‘Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.’
David wasn’t even invited into the room. He wasn’t chosen to be at the table. His father considered him the least of all his sons, the one unworthy of an invitation. The one who was left out to work in the fields.
(Okay, I have to say it – does this remind anyone else of the story of Cinderella? She wasn’t even invited to try on the glass slipper to see if it fit. She was left out. Forgotten. Considered unimportant. But it was her! She was to be the princess!)
Honey, when God chooses you, no one else has to see what God sees. You don’t have to receive an invitation to the room or be given a seat at the table, or be asked to try on the glass slipper … God will hand deliver you where he wants you to be. You won’t be left out.
Listen to me right now … YOU ARE NOT LEFT OUT. God sees you. He knows you. The one thing he cares about is your heart. If your heart is devoted to him, there’s not another circumstance or detail that matters. He will get you where he wants you to be, solely because of your heart. If your heart is devoted to him, YOU ARE WHO HE WANTS.
Is that you? Is that your heart? Are you devoted to God? Do you want what he wants? Have you decided to go where he says?
Jesse, call for your youngest son out with the sheep. The one you didn’t invite to the room. The one you left out. Get him in here. So, in walks young David out of the field, smelling like sheep and Verse 12-13, “Then the Lord said, ‘Anoint him, for HE IS THE ONE.’ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward.”
WOW – HOW COOL IS THAT?
We all want to be chosen. We all want to be special. But do we want to be forgotten?
Did you know feeling forgotten, feeling dismissed, and feeling like your big moment meant absolutely nothing is part of God’s calling on your life? No one prepared you for that feeling, now did they?
But follow the story because after David’s big moment of being chosen and anointed as the next King, he went right back to herding sheep. His circumstances didn’t change. His situation didn’t change. No one treated him differently. He didn’t even go shopping for a crown or a robe. He was still the little brother that everyone dismissed, still the one living with the sheep.
What happens next can be easily overlooked, but it’s important. The reigning King, Saul, was tormented by an evil spirit. He would find comfort if someone could play him music to ease his torture. So King Saul tells his servants to find him someone who could play music. One of his servants says, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play music.” So, Saul sends messengers to Jesse and says, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
Yes, David, the one already anointed by God to be the next King and take Saul’s place, was still in the field with sheep. He was still in his daily grind wearing his same shepherd boy clothes.
Here I was thinking being anointed by God would make me important and change my wardrobe. Here I was thinking the anointing of God would change my circumstances and move me out of my current conditions. Wrong.
God’s anointing sits on you while you still show up in your daily grind.
While you still work for that paycheck.
While you still wear the same clothes.
You may not look anointed, but that’s just because of the picture you have in your head of what it’s supposed to look like. Here’s the real picture … David is hand selected by God to be the next King, he is anointed and filled with the power of his Spirit, then he goes back to the field with the sheep to work. And while he’s in that field doing what he’s always done, he’s called out for something completely unrelated. David, you can play music? Okay, you are needed.
So, David is taken to the palace to play music for King Saul and verse 21 says, “When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer.”
This is all before the giant Goliath. In fact, it’s likely about 2 years before the day we all know about. When that day finally comes, do you know where David was? He was still herding sheep! He was going back and forth from playing music for Saul so he could sleep, to taking care of his father’s sheep at home.
Then you know the next part of the story … the part where little David hears the threats of this beastly man and all the Israelites are terrified. And David, already filled with the power of the God’s Spirit, says, “Hey, I’ll fight this giant and I will take him down!” And that’s precisely what he does.
He doesn’t use the weapons of war, because David wasn’t a warrior. He uses the tools of shepherding, because David was a shepherd boy. He puts 5 smooth stones in his shepherd pouch, and takes his shepherd sling shot in his hand. He nails the giant right in the forehead with a rock, and that giant falls!
This is what we know about David. But that’s not where David’s story began. He had already been chosen. Already been anointed. He just didn’t look like it.
Now, here’s the most confusing part of this whole story. After the battle between David and Goliath, King Saul says in 1 Samuel 17, verse 55, “Whose son is this youth? Find out!” David is brought before Saul, carrying Goliath’s head in his hand, and Saul says, “Whose son are you, young man?” “The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David answered.
Wait what … David had been playing music for Saul so he could sleep. He had been serving him in his palace. Yet the Saul had never taken notice of who David really was. And it would be 15 more years until David actually becomes King. More waiting. More serving. More battling.
Let me tell you something, people are going to take you for granted. You’re going to work your butt off, and no one will notice. You’re going to show up faithfully and it will feel like it’s all for nothing because you will still be a nobody. But girl, you keep showing up! You keep taking care of those sheep. You keep playing that music. You keep stepping up with courage. Don’t let what a single person says about you hold you back.
Why? Because you’ve been chosen by God for a purpose. You’ve been anointed to do something with your life. And remember, it’s all because God sees your HEART. When your heart is devoted to him, you are qualified. When you are qualified, then God himself equips you. He equips you with the unmatched power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why you’ll be able to slay giants. That’s why you will fight and win. That’s why you will rise up victorious.
So, you feel overlooked. You feel unappreciated. You feel forgotten. You feel less than. You feel left out. NONE OF THAT CHANGES GOD’S ANOINTING AND APPOINTING!
Go ahead and go back to your field and keep working because while you do, God will put you in the right place at the right time for greater things. But if you don’t show up for the lesser things, you will miss your opportunity at greater things.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
For the past week I’ve been studying the book of Jeremiah. If you’re ever looking for some inspirational, soul lifting, positive word from the Lord, don’t go to Jeremiah. This is 52 chapters of God’s people sinning, God’s warnings, his people ignoring, then God destroying. Over and over again, God fills Jeremiah with his divine words to give to the people to redirect and save them, but they continue living in all the wrong ways, doing what God has told them not to do, going where God has told them not to go. So there is panic followed by pits and punishment. Destruction and desperation. Judgment and condemnation. God is angry and his anger is not withheld.
I’m a light hearted kinda gal, this kind of stuff just hurts my heart. I’ve literally struggled studying this, trying to understand why. Why all this loss? Why all this wrath? I mean let’s be real, at one point these people were literally burning their children as burnt offerings to one of their new gods, Baal. So God sends his prophet Jeremiah to tell them to stop, but they won’t stop. So God brings absolute annihilation to their people. That makes sense. Still, I struggle understanding it all.
There were innocent people caught in the annihilation. Good people fell to this destruction. Honestly, you and I could have just as easily been born then instead of now, to these people who were doing horrible things. It wasn’t our good choices that plopped us into safer times and better conditions. We didn’t choose when and where to be born. So what about the unfortunate souls born then and there?
I’m trying to understand this.
God’s covenant was broken. A covenant is like a contract. It was an agreement between God and his people. If they kept his laws, he kept them. If they obeyed him fully, he blessed them. The problem came when his people failed to keep the laws. They went left when the were told to go right. They lost their way. They were tricked by false prophets teaching false gods. Following those false gods led them away from the covenant of the one true God, and that’s why there are 52 chapters of God’s warnings and wrath.
We struggle with always getting this thing right. It’s a human condition. We don’t always listen, we don’t always understand, and we don’t always uphold our end of this deal. And sometimes we willingly dive head first into what we know we shouldn’t do. So, does that mean God is angry at us? Does that mean he is sitting on his big white throne with angry eyebrows and a big stick ready to strike us? Does that mean he is conspiring 37 different ways to punish us?
If you only skim through the chapters of Jeremiah, that’s exactly how it will leave you feeling. But, tucked between the prophesies of destruction and God’s judgment of his people, is a paragraph titled “The New Covenant”.
Jeremiah 31: 31-34: “Look, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt – my covenant that they broke even though I am their master. Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days. I will put my teaching with them and write it on their hearts. (Y’all, that’s the gift of the Holy Spirit within us.) I will be their God, and they will be my people. They will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them. For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.”
You do know this scripture is talking about you, right? You may not be from where these people were from, but scripture makes it clear, THIS IS US. Galatians 3: 28-29, “You are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.”
So, in the middle of God’s people following false gods and doing unimaginably bad things that God punished with destruction, was the promise of the new covenant to come. A new contract between God and his people. The old contract had been broken by their sin. But God didn’t walk away. He fixed this mess! And here’s how …
Jesus said to his friends at the table during his last meal before the cross, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22: 20).
Jesus is the new covenant.
It’s what he did, not what we do. It’s his sacrifice, not our sinless living. God did it all for us because we could never keep our end of the deal. And all we have to do is accept Jesus.
A cup represents God punishment. And Jesus says, this CUP is the new covenant in my blood. Remember how immediately after this final meal with his friends, Jesus goes out into the garden to pray and he falls facedown and says, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) It was the cup of God’s punishment for you. For your sins. For your failures. For your shortcomings. And God willed for his one and only son to take that cup of punishment for YOU so you wouldn’t be destroyed in wrath.
I have a friend who’s current reality is a hardship beyond any hardship I’ve ever endured. She has experienced tremendous loss and the days, weeks, months ahead will be hard. So hard. Naturally, she began questioning if something she did created this. Is she being punished? Is God’s wrath being poured out on her? Is her family suffering because of something she did or didn’t do?
Maybe you’ve questioned the same thing. You’ve feared that you brought God’s wrath onto you or your family and your circumstances are his punishment.
Well I’m going to be bold and call that exactly what it is. That’s a lie from the pits of hell, sent to make you hide in darkness and overwhelm you with guilt and shame.
Yes, your Bible has many examples of God’s wrath because of people’s sin, but Jesus bore all the wrath so you wouldn’t have to. God promised with the new covenant of Jesus, he forgives your sin and never remembers it again. If he never remembers it again, my sister, he can’t be dragging up your past and forcing you to wallow in it now.
This is what the enemy does. He tempts us to sin. Oh how he dangles temptation right in front of us and makes it easy to mess up. Satan makes sin look so appealing, so easy, so irresistible. He tells us no one will know and it will be worth it. He seduces us into doing what we know we shouldn’t do. Then, when we have sinned, he tries to rub our nose in it with guilt and shame. Yes, that’s what he does. He talks you into doing it, then rubs your nose in it after you do.
But this is what God does. God always gives you a way out of the temptation. He fills you with the strength of the Holy Spirit to turn away, then he opens another door for your exit. But for the times you were tricked by the enemy into sin, God offers grace instead of condemnation. He offers holy conviction that directs you to do better next time. But he doesn’t rub your nose in it and dish out punishments of wrath.
We live in a fallen world. Things are not perfect here. People mess up and create messes. We live in the middle of those messes. And we certainly create our own as well. But the blood of Jesus is the new covenant, and it has been poured out for you, my sister. Your sins have not only been forgiven, they have been forgotten.
Jeremiah 31: 37 “This is what the Lord says: ONLY IF the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below explored, will I reject all of Israel’s descendants because of all they have done – this is the Lord’s declaration.”
Honey, those heavens will never ever be measured. It won’t happen. The foundations of the earth can never be explored. It’s untouchable. And God says only if those things were to ever happen, would he reject you because of what you have done. And well, that’s not happening!
God is not rejecting you because of what you’ve done.
Will there be consequences to your actions? Absolutely. We don’t just get to do whatever we want to do and not clean up the messes. But there will be no condemnation from God. His grace has fully covered you, everything you’ve ever done, and anything you will ever do in the future, and you’ve been forgiven, redeemed, and sealed with the blood of Jesus under the new covenant that marks you APPROVED!
That’s God’s grace … and you’re completely covered in it. That grace not only forgives you, but it stirs a desire within you to do better now. So, do better now, my sister. Walk boldly in this new covenant and all that Jesus has offered you! Jesus came to give you LIFE and live in abundance. (John 10:10)
I finished reading the book of Jeremiah and literally said out loud, “Whew, it’s done. I don’t ever want to go through this again.” Then it hit me … that’s what God said too after all that chaos. All that sin. All that wrath. All that destruction. “Whew, it’s done. I don’t ever want to go through this again.” That’s why he sent Jesus. To finish this.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This special unscripted episode is a study on thinking right so we talk
right. Join us as we dig deeper into Proverbs 4: 24, James 3: 2-6 and 2
Corinthians 10: 5.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God desires for everything you do to first be presented to him. Before you make your plans, before you decide what to do, before you commit, talk to God about it.
It’s easy to assume God doesn’t care about the details of your coming and going, but my sister, if God cares about the birds you hear chirping outside your window, I assure you, God cares about the decisions you are making. If he’s concerned about dressing the lilies of the field with splendor, he’s concerned about everything concerning you. And, not only does God care, but God KNOWS. He knows what is next. He knows what is best. He knows where this leads. And he knows how this ends. So really, if God knows everything, and he cares about everything, why aren’t you talking to him about everything?
Oh, I know … because it doesn’t seem that important. It almost seems silly to consult God on everything. We tell ourselves God doesn’t have time to be bothered with our little problems and every day decisions … but we’re wrong.
James 4: 13-17: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ Bat as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.”
Harsh? No, straight forward.
Stop making plans without God. You do not know the future, God does. You do not fully know where this path leads, God does. You do not know the perfect timing, God does. God wants you in the middle of his perfect plans instead of your own impulsive ideas.
For many years now, I’ve prayed a prayer that has likely saved me from the mess of my impulsive ideas and touchy feely heart. The prayer is simple: God, if you’re in it, I want it … If you’re not, I don’t.
This is a surrender of what we think we want for what God, in all of his wisdom, wants. It’s an intentional turn toward a divinely better plan, even when we don’t see it. This is what allows God’s greatest work in our ordinary, every day lives. We are then aligned to be where we are supposed to be for divine encounters and perfect timing.
You know what else this does … this teaches us to not be pitiful and pissy when things don’t work out the way we wanted. If I turned it over to God, I can’t be vengeful when he vetoes it. I can’t be resentful when he redirects it.
Closed doors are just as much a blessing as open doors when God is the one directing the doors. Invite him into your hallway to direct the doors. ALL THE DOORS.
How do you know if God closes a door? Well, there are the obvious ways. No is pretty clear. Too late is also clear. Sold out. Not available. Not possible. Cancelled. Delayed. Lost in route. But also recognize what this final little verse in today’s scripture is really saying. “It is sin to know the good and yet not do it.”
What does that mean? This means, for girls who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, guiding and prompting us continually. That Spirit confirms and denies things within us. When it is confirmed within by a holy prompting, and we don’t do it, it is sin. It is wrong for us to ignore God’s promptings.
But understand, God’s promptings not only direct us to go, those holy promptings also direct us to NOT go. If we, under our own will, ignore the guide of the Holy Spirit and do what we want to do, that is sin for us.
God is simply asking us to bring everything to him first. Ask. Then listen. Stay close. Be in tune with his Spirit. Trust his plan and his timing.
Sometimes God says no to things that seem really good to us and it doesn’t make sense. It happens to me all the time. I find myself trying to present the plan to God to convince him of my version of the future I like best. I try to write the story for him and help direct him a bit. Gosh, he’s patient with me! Occasionally he allows my push to open doors he closed, just so I learn the lesson. If I said I don’t want it if God’s not in it, yet I push my way in, God’s gracious enough to let me see exactly why I shouldn’t have wanted it so bad.
And sometimes God says directs the next steps into something I would have never chosen on my own. This week while roadtripping, my husband and I looked back on all the decisions and circumstances over 30 years of marriage that have brought us to this place in our lives. It’s bizarre to see how many decisions we made thinking it was leading one place, but took us somewhere totally different. In fact, to a place we would have never chosen on our own. A place harder than we imagined we were strong enough for. A place so uncomfortable it would have terrified us. A place that looked nothing like the life we had planned. But looking back, we are so glad God did what he did, taught us all the lessons, allowed us to grow, and pushed us out of comfort into the great BIG life he created us for.
In our look back, we recalled the time we left the business we had worked so hard to build in Dallas, and we moved to the deserts of El Paso to help build a church. That church ended up being a flop. Our business struggled to relocate. It was a massive flop in so many ways. We would have NEVER gone if we would have known the hardships that were ahead. But my husband said he went because every time he opened up his Bible, it said, “In the desert. Go to the desert.” If you’ve ever been to El Paso, Texas, you know it’s on the border of Juarez, Mexico and it is DESERT! I’m talking cactus, tumble weeds and sand storms. Have I mentioned we’re more like exotic island kind of people?
My husband agreed to go because it was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. There wasn’t an ounce of him that wanted to go to the desert, so that prompting had to be God’s Spirit within.
And it was. We went where we didn’t want to go, to do what ultimately would fail, because God wanted to do something greater in us.
I have to wonder, what is God’s spirit prompting you to do. Will you go when he says go. Will you stay when he says stay. Will you be uncomfortable when he says comfort is not in your future.
Let’s just practice today. Practice right here in your ordinary Thursday. You don’t have to wait until you move. You don’t have to wait until you’re forced either. Practice seeking God’s will in everything you do today.
God, what is best for me? What aligns with your plans? Is this your timing? Direct my steps because now I know, you really do care about every single one of my steps.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes I get in my head, worried about all I will need for the future, and totally miss the fact that I have what I need for today. Sometimes, here in my head, I will talk myself out of doing what I could and should do today, because I’m worried about how I will keep doing it in all the days to come.
Do you do that too? Do you get all in your head about what will be needed later and miss what you have right now?
Steven Furtick says in his book, Do the New You, “Go into the day from a place of abundance, not lack.” Do you wake up saying you didn’t get enough sleep? Do you face the day thinking you don’t have enough energy? Do you count the demands and declare you don’t have enough money, enough help, enough time? This is a lack mindset.
God lacks nothing. He’s never running on short supply. Ever. And if God is the Lord of your life, as Psalm 23:1 says, you will lack nothing. Everything you need will be provided. Every single thing you need for today is here for you through the grace of God at work in your life. It’s miraculously here for you today. Do you see it?
This is going into the day from abundance. I have everything I need for TODAY. I have enough NOW.
What this does not mean is absolute certainty about tomorrow. This does not mean 100% security in what may come next. This is not an independence. Your creator designed you for dependence. He crafted you to need him DAILY. Your stress often comes from your fight for independence and attempt to control what was never yours to control.
You needed God to provide for you today, and here you are waking up to those provisions. You have the time you need. You have the help you need. You have the energy you need. You have the food you need. THAT IS GOD!
I know you may have worked hard to earn that money, but never forget who enabled you to work. Who blessed you with those abilities? Who opened those doors for you?
I know you may have gone to the grocery store and bought that food your own self, but how did you get there? Did you walk there? Oh, who gave you those legs that can walk? God did that! Did you drive there? Who provided for you to get that car? God did that!
Without God, you have none of this. With God, you have everything you need for today.
Jesus teaches us to pray to God in a very humble, simple and relational way. Matthew 6:11, he says to pray like this, “Give us today our daily bread.” Notice this does not say our monthly bread. It’s not about our 1 year plan for bread. It’s not about the future 10 years worth of bread. It’s our DAILY BREAD.
Bread represents our needs, everything we need. And Jesus says talk to God daily about everything you need.
Why is that? If God already knows our needs and promises to supply for our needs, why should we pray about the things he’s already going to do every day anyway?
I wonder, did you pray about your food for today? Really, did you ask God for food to feed your family for breakfast this morning? Most of us, void of crisis, did not. Yet, there was food today, wasn’t there? That was God being faithful, even when we weren’t. Now, don’t fail to thank him!
Jesus teaches us to pray daily over the things God is so faithful with because it increases our awareness of God’s provisions in our lives. It makes us humbly grateful. When you asked for something, then you receive that something, you know whoever you asked came through for you. This is how we recognize GOD DID THAT FOR US!
My sister, God cares about your needs. Talk to him about each of them. As you do, you will notice all the little things you once dismissed as ordinary or odd, and you will find God. Honey, that’s not odd, that’s God! That’s God helping you find that $20 bill in the pocket of your jacket! We’ve all found that lost or forgotten money before. Remember, that’s an all-knowing and all-powerful God saying to his girl, “You are not lost and you have not been forgotten. My eye has always been on you and I promise to provide for you.”
When my son was little, we went through a season of extreme financial hardship. You know times are tough when spaghetti never has meat in the sauce. There were a few meatless nights at our table, but there was always food. One day, a cow stood on the street corner and handed me a coupon through my car window. The coupon was for a free Chic-fil-A sandwich, no other purchase required. My little boy and I whipped straight into the Chic-fil-A, and redeemed our coupon. We sat down, the two of us, with our 1 sandwich and our cup of water, and we each took turns taking a bite. We ate and we ate and we ate, until we were both full and there was still more chicken sandwich left!
That day, our daily bread came with the most delicious fried chicken and a slice of pickle, and it never ran out. We had enough. We weren’t living in lack, we were living in abundance because of a good, good Father who meets our daily needs.
And sometimes, God doesn’t show up and give us something more, he just makes what we already have last. There’s the sweetest scripture tucked away in Deuteronomy 29:5. The Lord says, “I led you 40 years in the wilderness; your clothes and the sandals on your feet did not wear out.”
Woah. God didn’t miraculously grow new clothes on trees for his people, but he made the clothes they had last. He didn’t mail a box of new sandals to them, but he made the sandals they had to not wear out. Don’t miss that is a miracle!
Some of you have a car that really shouldn’t still be running, but it started today! That’s miraculous daily bread! Some of you have a job that should have ended last year, but the doors are still open today. That’s miraculous daily bread! Some of you had an encounter with something that should have taken you out, but you survived another day. That’s miraculous daily bread!
God did that. You may have failed to ask him for it before, yet he showed up in faithfulness and did it for you anyway. Now, don’t fail to thank him for it.
The enemy wants to diminish that miracle by making you trade your praise of God over today for the worry over tomorrow. You have it today, but are you worried about keeping it tomorrow? That’s the trap! That’s the lack. If God is your shepherd, your guide, your provider, then you will not lack. So my sister, stop allowing lack in your head!
Living with awareness and gratitude helps us start each day from a place of abundance instead of lack. And when you’re living in abundance, you stop talking yourself out of doing what you could do today. You do have time to do what needs to be done today, so you do it. You do have energy to show up with your best today, so you show up.
Repeat after me: I have enough for now.
Okay, now use it!
I spent years talking myself out of stepping into some of my greatest blessings. You know why? Because I was convinced I would never have enough to keep going. And if I couldn’t be guaranteed to have enough for the future, I wouldn’t do it today. Now, where’s the faith in that?
God wants his girls to develop our faith and increase our trust in him. And he does this through our DAILY dependence on him.
Daily bread. It’s here. It was him. Be grateful. Use it. Trust him for the rest!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Who could you become? What could you do? You’ve been given this one life to figure that out and give it all you’ve got.
Honey, if cauliflower can become pizza and chickpeas can become pasta, you my friend, can do anything! Nothing in your past can hold you back from your future. You have been set free to move forward. Today is a step in your journey towards the life of your future, make sure you’re stepping in the right direction.
Where you are today is a result of steps you took in the past. Maybe you walked out of something behind you, or maybe you walked into something right now. Recognize, it was your choice one step at a time. Understand God never expected you to wander blindly through this life. He has promised to be your guide. He has promised to direct your steps. He is always available to show you the best way.
Will you simply seek him here? Will you surrender your way to seek his way?
In the New Living Translation of the Bible, Isaiah 30: 18-21 is titled “Blessings For the Lord’s People”. With a title like that, understand this is for you. Don’t excuse yourself from this blessing. YOU are God’s girl. You are his prized creation. You are here seeking him and he is responding to you personally. Verse 18 says:
So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
Woah … God has been waiting for YOU. Waiting for you to come to him so he can show you love and compassion. That’s what has always been waiting for you. As you ran. As you tried everything on your own. As you failed. As you made a mess. God has been waiting. Not waiting with punishment. Not waiting with judging eyes and condemnation. No, waiting with love and compassion specifically for you. All this time he has wanted to bless you, but you have to come to him.
I have this image of God leaning over his mighty throne in heaven, looking down on us with his loving eye, hopeful that today will be the day we let his love catch us. Hoping today will be the day he gets to show us his goodness.
Won’t you let him catch you today? Won’t you come to him and receive that love and compassion? Won’t you let his blessings pour over you now? Won’t you let him help you? He can and he will if you will come to him.
For the past 5 years I’ve been in a personal season of understanding God’s waiting on a deeper level. We’ve been waiting on one of our own who has left our family, believed the lies of the enemy and stepped into his plan of danger and destruction. She imagines I wait with judgment, but truthfully I wait with a hope she will return to the goodness that was always here for her. The goodness of a family who found her, fought for her, adopted her, and called her their own. A goodness she can’t dismiss. A goodness that will still be waiting 30 years from now if that’s how long it takes.
And even more so, God waits for each of us to come to him to receive the goodness he has always had for us. He waits and he hopes today will be that day. Why wouldn’t today be that day? Why not take that step today? It’s not condemnation that awaits us, it’s redemption. It’s a life far better than we have ever dared to dream of.
If you can imagine me awaiting the return of my daughter, imagine your heavenly father awaiting the return of his girl. Yeah, it’s like that! Condemnation doesn’t await you upon return, love, forgiveness, healing and restoration await you! But honey, you have to accept it and turn to it.
Verse 19 & 20 say:
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
God knows his children and he knows we learn best in hardship. We grow when we are stretched. We are strengthened when we are stressed. He will teach you through all of this. He will use everything that has ever happened to you, along with all that never happened for you, to guide you to that better life.
Our God is gracious to always respond to our requests. When we call, he answers. When we ask, he moves. But when we don’t ask, he waits. He waits for us to come to him. He waits for us to surrender to him. He waits with all his power to move on our behalf and make a way where there has been no way. But understand, he’s waiting on YOU.
As a mother, there’s nothing more I can do, so I wait. But God, there’s nothing he can’t do, but he won’t force it on you. So he waits on you to turn to him for his unlimited power in your life.
This thing that burdens you … this thing that worries you … this uncertain situation … this painful truth, have you truly asked God for help with it? Have you laid this at his feet? Have you asked God to change it?
That’s the easy part. The harder part is have you asked God to change YOU?
I now understand God isn’t interested in changing my circumstances nearly as much as he is interested in changing me. My life changes when I do. So God starts with me. He lets my circumstances fall to crap so I come to the realization change is necessary within me. God, teach me to be better. Teach me to become more. Teach me to be who you created me to be. I know my current circumstances are the environment you’ve chosen for molding me. I know this is where you’re working on me. I’m ready now.
In the past 5 years of waiting in a situation I would have never chosen, God has changed me. Have you noticed that’s what he’s done for you too? You might not have created this mess, but God has graciously chosen to work on you in it!
In verse 21, we’re given a promise of guidance. Receive this today.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
Here you are at this crossroads. Do you believe God will guide you in the best direction? Do you believe he has gone before you and made a way? It’s easy to believe God speaks to other people but dismiss his voice in your own life.
God does speak to you. He guides you with his Spirit. He shows you things and works in the details. All your life he has been guiding you, so it’s easy to dismiss it as normal. It’s easy to override his guidance with your feelings.
Begin listening again. This is the way you should go.
Begin seeking again. Look, there is a path before you.
And this path is not a straight stretch of paved highway with clearly marked exits for easy travel. Easy travel through life creates self-sufficient human beings without the need for a gracious God. God isn’t interested in your easy travel, he’s interested in you becoming all he created you to be.
So the path is windy to keep you focused on him instead of the 10 steps ahead. The path is hard to keep you coming to him for your daily supply of strength and courage. The path is always available to you, no matter how far you may have wandered and how long you’ve been away.
Just come back today. Back to the God who has been waiting on you. Waiting on you with love and compassion. Goodness awaits you.
There’s no shame in the return. It’s what you were created for. A continual return to the path. A continual return to who you were created to be. A continual return to your creator for his blessing and guidance.
This one life you have been given is a journey of figuring out who you are and all you can do. Take the limits off. Your God is limitless. There’s nothing he can’t do here and nothing he wouldn’t do for you, his precious girl. But, he waits for you to come to him. He waits for you to seek his guidance. He waits for you to ask for his help.
Your first step is that humble step right towards God. God, I need you. I surrender my way to seek your way. Change me.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This past week, I’ve prayed the same prayer daily. “God, show me the limitations I’ve settled for so I can overcome them. Reveal to me my potential so I can grow into it.” The past 2 nights in a row, I’ve woke up praying this prayer in my sleep.
Just how bad do you want to overcome the limitations you’ve settled for? Just how bad do you want to live up to the potential God has put within you? When you want it bad enough, it’s there for you, but action will be required.
We all have tremendous potential within us, and we all have something threatening to cripple that potential. I wonder what your potential is. Your unique design is for the purpose of being absolutely phenomenal in some way. The thing is, you may not have even discovered it yet, but the potential is still inside of you. Your creator is using every detail of your life to release that potential.
Lord, reveal the potential you put within us so we can grow into it! I’m no longer satisfied with settling for anything less.
Is that where you are? You’re tired of settling for less? You’re no longer satisfied with just getting by? THAT’S FANTASTIC! WHAT A WONDERFUL PLACE OF AWAKENING YOU FIND YOURSELF IN!
All this time, you’ve had a world of potential within you, but it has been crippled. It’s been held back and unable to perform it’s full intended function. What has crippled your potential?
I know about being crippled. Today, our travels have brought us back to the specific place where I literally COULDN’T get out of bed. My legs no longer worked. I couldn’t feed myself. My arms no longer worked. I couldn’t speak. My mouth drooped and words could not be found. My brain had suffered injury in a stroke and I was crippled. All that I had once done with ease was gone in an instant.
And I’m back here in Savannah, Georgia. This is where that hospital bed was that held me. It held me crippled, but I was still FULL OF POTENTIAL. I can’t help being here in this city without remembering that hospital bed. I can’t be here without remembering how crippled I was laying there.
But I’m not laying there any more!
You want to know why I’m jarringly excited about a new day of life every darn day, THIS IS WHY! (Several years ago, someone left a review of this podcast on iTunes saying they couldn’t handle my morning pep and referred to me as jarring. I still love that review! I appreciate her honesty and it still makes me giggle. I am jarring, but dang I can’t be boring after what I experienced!)
Want to know why I have crazy energy the moment my feet hit the floor every morning, THIS IS WHY! By God’s grace and divine touch, I’ve overcome the thing that threatened to cripple me and I’m getting to experience my potential.
I get to see these once crippled legs can run marathons. I get to see this body that once couldn’t get out of bed can now climb mountains. These eyes that once went blind and couldn’t focus get to see the beauty of the horizon as I jump out of an airplane at 14,000 feet. These hands that couldn’t hold a spoon to feed myself can hold a paddle while whitewater rafting. And this mouth that couldn’t form words can now speak to thousands to help them wake up. Literally … wake up!
Yes, wake up. We’ve been sleeping while our potential lies within in wait. Wake up, my sister.
This was always my potential, but you couldn’t see it when I was crippled. I couldn’t even imagine it at the time, but it was there.
Now, let’s talk about your potential. Oh girl, there is a world of potential inside of you. How do I know? Because I know your creator. As a follower of Christ, I know the spirit who now lives within you. There’s no question of the potential in you. No stronghold could hold you back. No chain can bind you. No darkness can put out your light … unless you let it!
Remember the story of the crippled man laying at the pool of Bethesda? He had been crippled for 38 years. He was laying by this pool of water because every day when the pool was stirred, it was believed the first person to get in the water would be healed. Day after day he lay there, hoping for a healing. Hoping to overcome that which had crippled him. But he couldn’t pull himself into the water before the others, so years passed as nothing changed.
That is, until Jesus showed up.
Nothing has been changing for you, my sister … but Jesus is about to show up where you have been stuck!
John 5: 6-9 “When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking.
This man always had the potential inside of him. For 38 years he lay there crippled, yet the potential to walk again remained. One thing unleashed his potential once again … an encounter with Jesus.
My sister, that’s all you need. An encounter with Jesus.
That’s the undeniable power that met me in that hospital bed here in Savannah, Georgia and unleashed my potential again … It was Jesus!
There will always be a threat to your potential. A crippling of all you were created to do. Yes, sometimes in comes in the form of a health issue, but more commonly it is a fear of failure that holds you back.
I’m going to be honest with you, my own fears and thoughts have held me back far more than my health issues ever did. Jesus has had to show up and heal me more than once!
It’s a fear of judgment that keeps you cornered. An overwhelming concern of what others may think or may say. A past regret, guilt or shame. An unhealed hurt. Or maybe if you’re being honest it’s a laziness deep inside of you that cripples you most. An unwillingness to stick with things long enough to actually work. A wishy washy commitment that always leaves you going backward instead of forward. A bad habit you keep picking back up.
So I ask again, what is crippling your potential? What has you stuck where you are living a life less than you were created for?
Jesus is asking you the same question as the crippled man at the pool of water, “WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET WELL?”
Think about that. Of course your knee jerk reaction is “yes”. But what would getting well cost you?
It would strip you of any pity you’ve received in the past. Let’s face it, pity is a powerful drug. Playing pitiful gets us what we want immediately and gives us the ultimate excuse from pushing any harder.
Are you willing to give up playing the pity card? I mean really, you’re not the only one who has gotten sick, or gone through divorce, or had a wayward child, experienced loss, or going through a ridiculously hard time. I don’t intend to sound harsh, but me offering you pity does nothing more than cripple you more.
Would you like to get well? I promise you the potential within you is far greater than any pity you could settle for.
There’s no doubt Jesus healed my body. There’s no medical explanation for the things my body can do after the stroke I had. But I want to tell you about my young, newlywed husband. At the time I was 19 and he was 21. We were all alone, over a thousand miles from any family. And he offered me POWER over PITY.
Not one time did he feel sorry for me. Not once did he come in and save me from doing the simple things that were now so difficult for me. Not once did he let me lay in bed and wallow in what had happened to me. He helped me see I could be powerful, or I could be pitiful, but I couldn’t be both.
I chose POWER, and it’s made a world of difference.
When we choose pity in our pitiful situation, we are essentially telling Jesus, “nahhhh, I’ll just stay here.” Would you like to get well? “Not today, you see being pitiful allows me to sit here and put forth no effort of my own.”
How about that encounter with Jesus to unleash your potential? How about overcoming the thing that has threatened to cripple you? Are you ready? I mean really ready? Because just as the man at the pool had to stand up and give up his position of pity for 38 years, you’re going to have to give up a few things too.
Honey, of course you can’t be healthy drinking your Diet Dr Pepper and eating your ice cream. Honey, of course you can’t live in financial freedom with all 20 of your monthly subscriptions to absolute nonsense. Honey, of course you can’t be happily married as you dabble in flirty conversations and dream of greener grass.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET WELL?
There’s something you need to do here. There’s a threat to your God given potential. Identify it and don’t settle for being crippled here! Partner with Jesus and follow him as you rise up and step into the potential for your great big beautiful life.
God, show me the limitations I’ve settled for so I can overcome them. Reveal to me my potential so I can grow into it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Join Pamela for this Friday unplugged devotional on God’s grace.
Because of God’s grace, I am ridiculously blessed, I am highly favored, I am fully equipped, I am supernaturally strong, I am divinely guided, and I am radically different!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Statistics show over 40 million adults in the US currently struggle with anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread and uneasiness. It is a general worry over something, anything, and nothing, all at once. And did you know, the cure for this is literally in your Bible? For real, there’s a section in my Bible in Matthew chapter 6 titled “The Cure For Anxiety.” Even better, these words are direct quotes from Jesus! Wow … we should probably read that, shouldn’t we?
But not just read it … Receive it … Believe it. Jesus does not want you to go through your life worried! Matthew 6: 25, Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life.” The verses that follow are a shift in mindset from worry and anxiety to peace and confidence.
In a study called the Legacy Project, 1,200 senior citizens were interviewed and asked about the meaning of life. And get this, the overall theme from people who have lived longer than me are saying as they near the end of their lives they share the same regret. They wish they hadn’t spend much of their lifetime worrying. Wasted time on worry was their biggest regret.
Can’t you and I who have life and breath and purpose today learn from their regrets? Their advice was simple and direct: Worry is an enormous waste of your precious and limited lifetime.
That’s true for all of us, but especially for a girl who loves and trusts Jesus. For someone who is told time and time again in scripture of their value and worth. We look at the birds in the sky who aren’t freaking out because their heavenly father feeds them, and aren’t we much more valuable than the birds? Don’t you think God will take care of you too? Look at how God cares for the wildflowers in the fields dressing them in such beauty, don’t you know he will do the same and more for you?
Matthew 6: 34 MSG “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Could this be the cure for anxiety?
A person who went through much more in life than I have said, “Think of the beauty still left around you and be happy.” Who said that? That was Anne Frank. A young girl who’s family lived during the holocaust under the most extreme conditions. if Anne Frank could think of the beauty still left around her and be happy, don’t you believe you can take a look at your world today and see what you have left and choose to be happy too?
But instead, what we often do is we look at what we have left and we worry. We worry when that too will fall apart. We worry if it will come to an end. We worry if something will go wrong. And ultimately we miss the beauty still left all around us and instead of being happy, we are worried.
Are you spending the precious days of your beautiful life worried?
You have a God who loves you wildly. His care for you is unlimited and his power is unfathomable. He has the ability to take care of any situation you are worried about today and he has the care for you personally to actually show up and do it.
What are you worried about? Why are you wasting your precious lifetime worrying about these things? Are they guaranteed to happen anyway? Will it even matter in 5 years? Is your worrying making it any better at all?
Here’s what God is doing today. He’s showing up right in the middle of your mess, in the middle of your worry and he is saying, HEY GIVE YOUR ATTENTION TO ME TODAY. Look at me. Look at the beauty still left around you, I put it there. I’m doing something in the middle of this mess. I’m working. Won’t you watch me work instead of getting worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. I’ve already gone before you.
In Deuteronomy 31:8 we are given a promise, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
You don’t know what may or may not happen tomorrow, but you don’t have to worry about it, God has already gone before you. And he will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. But today God says, look at me, I want your attention. Stop worrying, it’s a waste of the very breath he gave you. I will cure your anxiety.
Not everyone received this gift of Thursday, May 16th, but you did, now don’t waste it. Trust God. Trust what he is doing. Trust he sees it all and he cares about you.
The God who has numbered the hairs on your head because of his wild love for you is making a way for you now. He’s paving the way. Every detail is coming into alignment. Every thing that has happened to you and everything that has not happened for you is now being used for your good. And your worry only creates delay.
Yes, your worry creates delay. It’s a bad habit that isn’t adding a single day to your life and only sucking the joy out of the days you do have.
You are valuable to God, you are his masterpiece, his daughter, his treasure and he will provide for you. Hear Jesus right now as he speaks to you personally, “My girl, do not worry, I’ve got this.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God is referred to as the Great I Am. Meaning all things begin and end with him. All power is in him. Mountains crumble and demons run in fear at the name of the Great I Am. All of creation is the result of first the thought and then the word of him. Your entire world is in his mighty hand. And this Great I Am is relentlessly pursuing you, writing the story of your life, paving the way for you, and preparing all eternity for you.
He has created you.
He has chosen you.
His name is I Am.
Not I Was.
Not I Might Be.
Not I May.
Not I Will
No, I Am … the Great I Am.
In Exodus we read of God choosing Moses for a mission. Moses lacked confidence and had a stuttering problem, so when God told him to go speak to a powerful group of people, this was Moses’ worst fear. Surely God had gotten this wrong, there had to be somebody better than Moses to speak for God.
Isn’t that just the way our God works … he chooses to display his power in our weakness. Isn’t this what scripture means when it says “my power is made perfect in weakness.” We try to run away from our areas of struggle, hide our insecurities, and God says NO THIS IS WHERE I WORK BEST. This is exactly where he wants to show himself in your life. In your weakness is where his power is made perfect.
So God chose the man who stuttered, whose tongue got tied and words got tangled to deliver his message. Moses, filled with doubt in himself, argues with God saying “God, there’s got to be a better choice. Please choose someone else. I’m not your guy.”
And God doesn’t back down.
No Moses, it is you. I am certain of my choice, it is you. Your inability is not beyond my ability. Your struggle is not beyond my strength. I am not limited by your insecurity.
So Moses says, well when I get to where you want me to go, and I stand before the people you want me to talk to, what do you want me to say? Who should I say sent me?
And God says in Exodus 3:14 “I am who i am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”
I Am. This is how God names himself and describes himself. I Am. God is the beginning and the end. He is the all in all. How do you describe God? And so, in the greatest form of powerful simplicity, God simply says “I Am.”
The Great I Am went with Moses on his mission and empowered him to do mighty works. Impossible things were done in the name of the I Am.
And understand right here, right now, this same great power is working in you. This same great I Am has chosen you! He has called you out and given you a mission. A mission that likely stares down your struggle and your insecurity and says YOU CAN’T DO THIS, BUT I AM!
I am likely the least qualified girl to lead you in a devotional. Imposter Syndrome tells me if you really knew how ordinary and simple I am, you would never want to listen. But God tells me that exactly why he chose me. His power works perfectly through my ordinary simplicity. I’m just an empty vessel for his power, and crazy enough to believe if I will show up every morning, he will speak through me. And he does! I know he does! It’s not me, it’s the I AM!
Why would we ever believe the almighty powerful I Am would be limited in any way by our ability? It is not your ability that limits God, it is your willingness that limits his power you will see at work in you.
God gave us each free will. We get to choose how much of his power we see at work in our lives and through our lives, as a result of our willingness. Moses could have chosen not to go. He could have sat in his insecurities, rehearsing all the ways he would surely screw things up and be made fun of. And he would have missed out on the miracles God had planned for him. He would have missed out on his role in destiny.
I have to wonder where I have missed out on my role in destiny. Where have I sat it out with my lame excuses and list of insecurities, when God was calling me to more?
Where have you played little? Where have you stayed stuck in your head instead of moving forward in your life? Where have you dismissed yourself from being a vessel for the great I Am because you didn’t feel good enough?
God is speaking to me and to you today, and he’s saying I HAVEN’T GIVEN UP ON YOU. I am here again inviting you into the life I have planned for you. Won’t you trust that I AM working? I AM in control. I AM for you. I AM with you.
I AM. Not I once was. Not I might be. Not maybe when I get around to it. NO, I AM. I am working in you right now!!!! I am speaking to you right now. I am calling you right now. I am.
The Great I Am is here today reminding you, I AM OVER EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE. I AM aware of your struggles. I AM seeing this. I AM hearing you. And I AM moving. I AM in action for you.
And this is all I need. Just knowing the Great I Am, the one who always was and always will be, the one who’s power is unlimited, the one who sought me out like a lost sheep and brought me home, yes THE I AM is right here, right now with me, well that’s all I need.
And he is with you! He is strengthening you. He is guiding you. He is preparing you. He is working in you. He is clearing the way for you. He is unleashing his power in your weakness. AND IT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
He is saying to you, Daughter, I AM.
What have you been praying over? What have you been seeking God for? What have you been searching scripture and crying out to God for? His answer to you today is “I AM”. I am in control. I am in the middle of this. I am working all these things together for good. I am moving. TRUST ME.
The I AM has chosen you. He is calling you. He is strengthening you. He is working through your disappointment to bring you to your destiny. Through your mess to give you his message. Through your problem to give you purpose.
When you ask God today, hear his answer: I AM!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if it’s not your circumstances that are defeating you, it’s what you tell yourself about your circumstances. What if the thing that harms you the most isn’t what anyone else does to you, but what you do to you. You defeat you. You harm you. You dismiss you. And you do it by disbelieving who you really are.
Listen to me, my sister, this isn’t about you showing up perfect and proving you can. This isn’t about you always getting it right. This isn’t about you knowing precisely what you’re doing and doing it without a flaw. If it is, you will fail. Over and over again, you’re going to screw this up.
Instead, this is about the power of God dwelling within you. This is about showing up where God has placed you, to do what God has called you to do. This is about battles that are bigger than you, being won through your faith. This is about believing God’s promises and boldly walking in those promises like he’s making you good enough.
But the greatest battle we fight is inside of us. Within our mind, we win or we lose. We either believe God’s unstoppable power is working within us, or we believe we carry the weight on our shoulders and we’re simply not strong enough. When you choose to believe it’s all you, overwhelm quickly sets in and you back down. But, my sister, what if you’ve been backing down from battles you’re already guaranteed to win? What if doors have already been opened, but you’ve been dismissing yourself from even walking down the hallways to see them?
God wants to work on your mindset. What do you believe about you? How do you see yourself? What are the stories you tell yourself. There’s one thing for sure, those stories you tell yourself have been impacting your life far more than your actual circumstances. You’ve done more harm to you than anyone else, and you did it all in your head. But God loves you entirely too much to sit back and watch you continue to dismiss yourself from your destiny.
Scripture tells us a story of 12 men sent into the land of Canaan by Moses. These 12 men were spies, sent to scout out this beautiful and bountiful land Moses and the Israelites desired. They left the wilderness where they had been hiding, and snuck into Canaan. What they found there was everything they were lacking in their desert wilderness. Food growing. Water flowing. Animals roaming. People thriving. It was a paradise. And this paradise was meant for them!
Have you ever seen something so good, you wondered if it could possibly be meant for you? Have you ever wanted something better, but questioned if you were good enough to claim it? Have you noticed the little voice that talks to you when there’s more right in front of you? What does that voice say? That voice has been stealing your promises for years, it’s time you take notice.
The 12 spies return from visiting the bountiful and blessed land of Canaan, and give their report. In Numbers 13: 31-33, ten of the spies spread negativity and fear saying, “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are! The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants (they’re exaggerating), and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.” Then the whole community broke into loud cries and the people wept that night.
This is a classic case of what you tell yourself about your circumstances being worse than your actual circumstances. Yes, exaggerating the negative creating dreadful overwhelm. The truth was, this land was wonderful. It wasn’t a land that devoured people. That was in their heads! They weren’t like tiny grasshoppers either, that was also in their head. And because they didn’t check the stories in their head with the promises of God, their fears became greater than their faith. And their fears spread to the people, making everyone cry.
Sister, your fears aren’t just affecting you. They are creating fear in those around you too. You’re infecting others with the nonsense stories you’ve allowed to grow in your head.
Maybe you’re living a life of fear that didn’t even originate with you. Someone else’s fears were handed down to you, now those fears fill your thoughts. Are you going to just let that continue? Are you going to let your mama’s negative, fear filled thoughts steal your promises? Maybe it wasn’t your mama, maybe it was your negative friend, your fear filled husband, or the garbage you hear on TV. Are you going to continue to pass that down in your family? Is that the legacy you want?
Here’s the question: Are you willing to miss what God has available for you because of your own misguided beliefs about yourself?
Moses and the Israelites were not grasshoppers. These were people who had miraculously walked through a parted Red Sea. These were people who had been divinely guided by a pillar of clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night. These were chosen and rescued people. People with promises over their destiny. But 10 men who came back with fear filled negativity caused them to give up on their journey.
This is what a grasshopper mindset does to us. Believing you are stuck and incapable of change does nothing but dig your hole deeper. Talking about your insecurities and accepting them as your truth does nothing but teach others to do the same. Then we’re just a bunch of stuck girls, living in deep holes of despair, missing out on the promises God has for us. Is that what we’re going to settle for? Is that okay with you?
I say NO! No, we are not grasshoppers. We are not tiny, inferior, incapable girls stuck in the wilderness of nowhere. We are on our way! The way may not be easy, but dang it, we’re moving forward! We’re carrying the power of God within us, and we don’t have to back down to anything! We will go where God says we can go. We will do what God says we can do. We will live how God says we can live. And no giants will stand in our way or discourage us!
Of the 12 spies who witnessed the promised land of Canaan, 10 spread reports of fear and negativity from their grasshopper mindset. But 2 … well 2 came back with a different report. 2 saw themselves as chosen champions in the battle ahead. Those 2 were Joshua and Caleb. When they saw the Israelites backing down in fear, they said in Numbers 13: 7-9, “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!”
Now, let me tell you the end of the story … The people listened to the 10 negative reports over the 2 positive, so they stayed stuck in their wilderness and lived in fear. They didn’t move forward. For 40 years, they were stuck because they stopped. Stopped when God said go. Stopped when the way had been made. Stopped because of the stories they believed over the promises they had received. There were only 2 of this entire generation that were granted the blessing of living in the promised land of Canaan. Guess what 2 it was? Joshua and Caleb. The 2 who believed God’s promises. The 2 who fought for God’s promises. The 2 who refused the offering of the grasshopper mindset. The 2 who wouldn’t settle for less because it was easier.
Numbers 14: 37-38, “Those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the Lord. Only Joshua and Caleb remained alive of those who went to scout the land.”
The difference between these 2 and the other 10 was simply the stories they believed about themselves. They believed if God was for them, then nothing could be against them. They believed they could do anything through the power of God. They believed if God promised it, God would deliver it. AND THEY WERE RIGHT!
You are right to believe God is for you in this. You are right to believe God is bigger than this. You are right to believe God’s power is within you and strengthens you to do what you could never do on your own. You are right to believe every one of God’s promises are for you. You are right to believe God will do it!
Now, God is asking you what stories you will believe. He’s asking you what report you will share.
I’ve decided I will be like Joshua and Caleb, and tell you this:
Where God is leading us is extremely good. If we trust him, if we follow him, if we remain faithful, he will graciously strengthen us for every battle and pour out his blessings on us. We have absolutely nothing to be afraid of! God is with us and we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!
And “all” includes this! You can do this today! Move forward!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Millions of people witnessed something magnificent this past weekend. The Northern Lights coloring the night sky! Yes, in the Midwest. In the South. In the East. My friends in Missouri, in Colorado, in Illinois, in Kentucky, in Florida, in North Carolina … all sent me photos of the Northern Lights in their sky.
I’ve always dreamed of hosting a Northern Lights Retreat … there’s only one problem with that. The Northern Lights are typically in Alaska between the months of August and April. Do you know what that season is there? That’s WINTER. Y’all, I don’t do winter. I have no intentions of owning a parka. So, God brought those beautiful Northern Lights right to us this past weekend at our BIG Life Mountain Retreat in Virginia! What? The Northern Lights in Virginia?!!!!!!
Do you remember Friday’s devotional? It was titled “God Did That”. Living in an awareness of all God does in our every day life that makes the sheer act of waking up a gift! How fitting, we stood on top of a mountain on Friday night, gathered with BIG Life sisters, in total awe of the hot pink and green in our sky, and said, “GOD DID THAT!”
The night sky in full color. I’ve never seen anything like that.
It all reminds me of the viral videos of someone who is color blind putting on those magical glasses and seeing color for the first time. Without fail, they erupt in a flood of emotions, moved to tears over the sheer beauty of the world around them in this new dimension of full color. (Watch here: https://youtu.be/1ZcK-Eima-w?si=fjkQ-RwXKdbaC8IU ). My favorite is a man who puts the glasses on, seeing red and green and blue and purple and yellow for the first time in his life, and through the tears he said “I’ve been missing so much.”
I’ve been missing so much. I see life in full color, but I too have been missing so much.
I fail to see life as God sees it. What God sees and what we see is the difference between black and white and full color. And my sister, you’ve been missing so much. The moment you get a glimpse of your life the way God sees it, it will all make sense. It will all be more beautiful than you imagined. And much like those videos that make me cry every darn time, we’ll be in awe over it all.
God sees our life from the very beginning with the end in complete view. Proverbs 5:21 says “For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.”
He not only sees where you’ve been and where you are right now, but God knows exactly where your life is going. He knows the end of the story. Everything is in his full view. Because he knows the end of your story, he can guide you in writing each chapter with a full awareness of how it ends. And not to spoil the story or anything for you sister, but it all works out pretty darn well for you.
But today you woke up in the middle of your story where all you see is all you’ve been through and all that exists today. You have a limited view of your life. You do not see what God sees. And so the things that happen, the twists and turns and ups and downs today, this week, this year don’t really make sense to you. But you’re missing so much. If you could only see the full story. You’re seeing in black and white, while God sees it all in full color. It all fits together perfectly in God’s view. It all makes sense when you know the end … but you don’t know the end, you just have to trust it. You just have to trust the dull gray you see today is actually the most brilliant color your eyes will ever behold. You just don’t get to see it quite yet.
Kinda like those Northern Lights that showed up in skies we weren’t expecting!
But even more than your story, God sees YOU different. You don’t see yourself as God sees you. There is this person you think you are. This person who wakes up tired, this person who struggles to stay out of the darn pantry all afternoon long, this person who thinks really random bad thoughts and goes down these crazy rabbit holes in her mind. This person who gets a little wrapped up in her own world, makes a big deal out of stupid crap, and kinda misses the boat with some important stuff. This person who occasionally gets it right and knocks it out of the park, but then wonders what everyone else is thinking. Yes, this is the person you see. But this is NOT who God sees.
You think you are this scattered, faulted, struggling person … and then there is the person God knows you are. The person God knows you are is who he sees. This is the person he created you to be. The woman who has reached her full potential in all she can become through Christ Jesus. And this is who God sees when he looks at you. He’s not limited by time or space. You may not be her yet, you may still be licking yesterday’s Cheetos stains from your fingers, but you are becoming her. You are evolving into exactly who God created you to be. Yes, he sees where you are, but more importantly he sees where you’re going. He knows your destiny. He is fully aware of your purpose. And this is what he sees when he looks at you.
It’s the drastic difference between seeing yourself in black and white and seeing yourself in full color. You simply don’t see what God sees. But when you do … when you finally begin to see yourself as the magnificent creation in process which God has designed, you’ll be left saying “I’ve been missing so much.”
God sees you now as you will be in the future. He knows exactly what he is doing. And guess what, he will stop at nothing to bring you to this place of wholeness and complete beauty. That’s why the process may get a little hairy. He’s willing to go through those dark times. He’s willing to lead you through the valleys and head towards the hard climb because he’s seen the mountaintop … and he knows it’s worth it! He knows you’re worth it.
So today, may you see a little more of what God sees. May you get a glimpse of all you have been missing. May your world be a little more colored than it was before. May you stand in awe of the beauty of your journey and fully trust you’ll get there, and it will be worth it. May you be filled with confidence knowing your God has seen the end of your story from the very beginning and today you’re one step closer to being exactly who he created you to be. May you trust the process. And may the gray areas in your life be a little more colorful.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Unplugged Friday bible study…
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You know what makes me uncomfortable in a conversation? Pauses. Moments of silence. I fumble to fill those pauses with words. It’s as if I have a personal mission to never allow silence when I’m in a conversation. Do you do this as well? Are you uncomfortable in those moments of dead air? I suppose it makes me a really good podcast host because I always have something to say. You know, now that I think about it, you’ve never once spoken a word back to me here … I do all the talking. Yeah, that’s because I’m a space filler.
I often do the same with my conversations with God. I talk, then I pause for his response and I get nothing. When I get nothing, I’ll start rambling on again. I imagine God must be exhausted after hearing my prayers.
I confess, I struggle with the pauses. But isn’t that where God dwells? Isn’t that where he moves? Isn’t that where he works.
In those empty, blank spaces.
In those spaces we simply can’t fill.
Those spaces left so uncomfortably blank.
Filled with silence and unknown. Filled with step one but no sight of step two. An instruction to go, but no word of when we will come back. There’s just a blank space. A space we try so desperately to fill … but the only sufficiency is God. It’s his space, and he intentionally leaves it blank.
God is calling you somewhere. He’s calling you to fulfill a purpose. He’s calling you to a destiny. And here’s what we often miss … purpose and destiny don’t appear as we imagined.
Purpose look more like blank spaces than mountaintops. START CLIMBING in the blank.
Destiny looks more like an open ended question than a clearly defined plan with action steps. GO WITH QUESTIONS.
In my life it seems I’m only aware of my purpose on the other side of it. I can look back and connect the dots. Oh, now I see how God perfectly aligned that connection for that opportunity so I would be here at this time and seemingly stumble right into that. At the time it all just looked like blank spaces, but there were dots. Dots aligning and connecting. I couldn’t even imagine what God was doing, I just had to be willing to show up in the blank spaces and trust he was working to connect the dots.
Don’t you know that’s what God is doing in your life right now? He’s leading you into these empty places with blank spaces. Open ended questions of which you don’t have the answers. Mountains you don’t know how to climb. And just like those pauses in a conversation bring uncomfortable moments of silence, we must be willing to be uncomfortable. These are spaces we can’t fill on our own.
Sit in it.
Wait for it.
Trust God is doing something only he can do. He hasn’t forgotten you in this blank space where nothing seems to be happening … he’s connecting dots to your destiny.
I love the story of Abraham. His entire life is a story of blind faith where God continually led him into blank spaces, and when Abraham followed God worked. DID YOU GET THAT? WHEN ABRAHAM FOLLOWED, GOD WORKED. There’s a timely instruction for each of us. If you will just follow God, God will work.
In Genesis chapter 12 God speaks to Abraham and says “Go from your land, your realtives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” That’s how the story begins. Leave everything and everyone you know. Go. I will show you. You don’t know where you’re going right now. You don’t know how you will get there or how long it will take, but I will show you. Abraham go. Step right into this blank space of the unknown.
And in verse 4 it says “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.”
As he is traveling, the Lord appeared to Abram and said in verse 7, “To your offspring I will give this land.”
Now here’s what’s important to know about this. Abraham was 75 years old. He and his wife were unable to have children. Abraham has no offspring. Yet as God is taking him to this unknown place, after leaving everyone he knew and everything he had, he says “hey, this land you’re walking through right now, I’m going to give all of this to your children.”
Yo wait … God, what? We don’t have kids. Where have you been the last 50 years as we’ve tried to get pregnant. It’s impossible. The time has come and gone now. Sarah’s an old woman past the childbearing years, I’m an old man and things don’t quite work the way the used to … so what do you mean ‘to your offspring I will give this land?’
Blank space. God didn’t answer that question. He left it blank. It was up to Abraham what to do with that blank space. Just as it’s up to you with your blank space. Trust God and move forward, or don’t.
Sometimes God just doesn’t make sense does he? God, you say you will make all things work together for my good, but this doesn’t look real good right now. You say you will never leave me nor forsake me, but I don’t see you anywhere in the middle of this. You say you guide me in the way I should go, but I straight up have no idea what to do next.
Blank space.
Dots you don’t see are being connected here.
At 75 God told Abraham about his children. When he was 100 his son Issac was born. Sarah was 90. That was a whole lot of blank space there. That was a whole lot of time Abraham had to trust God in the silence.
Did he always get it right? No. Remember Abraham and Sarah became inpatient and had another younger woman first bare him a child. Read the story in Genesis 16, it didn’t go so well. This was their attempt to start connecting the dots on their own. God was being silent and silence is so uncomfortable. So they filled the blank space on their own, then there was a mess to clean up.
Oh what messes we create when we fail to see God is working even in the silence. I know you’re tempted to start filling this blank space and connecting dots on your own, but Sis, that’s how messes are made.
God followed through on his promises to Abraham, even though he had messed up. God will be faithful on his promises to you as well … even though you have messed up. He hasn’t given up on you or written you off. God is still connecting the dots … even when you can’t see him.
You’re in the middle of a blank space. Find peace here. Trust God is working for you.
As you continue to show up and do all you can do, trust God is doing what only he can do. And it may not happen today … it may not even happen this year, but eventually you’ll look back and you’ll fully understand the purpose of this blank space. You’ll see God’s divine plan in it all.
Trust it. Trust the silence. Trust the unknown and uncertain. Lean into the empty spaces you don’t understand and let God guide you in his ways. Dots you cannot see are aligning to be connected in glorious ways, my friend.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today we’re returning to the story of the stormy sea, fearful friends, and Jesus walking on water. Yesterday, we read Matthew’s account of this intentional storm and personal encounter. We saw that Jesus insisted his friends go out on the boat that night, intentionally sending them straight into a storm. And we saw that storm was not to harm them, but to allow for a personal encounter with their Jesus that would have Peter walking on water too.
Reading this has us looking at our storms with a different perspective. The storm isn’t always against us, sometimes it’s for us. Sometimes within the storms of life we experience the power of Jesus personally, and we are changed forever.
My friend Gina sent me a message with words you too need to hear today: There’s no strength to be gained in softness, no power to be found without challenge, no wisdom to be found without searching. You have to hit that wall hard, be challenged beyond what you believe you can handle and continue to seek Him when you feel utterly lost, to truly learn what it means to fully surrender to His will. Even when you think the complete opposite is what’s right for you. Without these hard moments, we become complacent and comfortable and never become who God intends us to be.
Wow, could this be where you are? Could you be held safely in the hands of your Savior, while being allowed to go through these hard moments, so that you become the girl God intended you to be? Yes. I think this is where I am. This is the process of full surrender. This is where we gain strength and power and wisdom.
Now, let’s look at this same story through another account and see one additional statement that will no doubt rock our world.
Mark 6: 45-51: Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said goody bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded.
Did you see it? The 5 most confusing words in the middle of this miraculous story. Jesus saw them straining in the storm and he WANTED TO PASS BY THEM. Here comes Jesus, walking on the water in the middle of a storm while his friends are struggling, and he wanted to walk on by. Really, what’s up with that?
My friend Kelly shared this with me after yesterday’s devotional and I just can’t stop thinking about it. Why would Jesus see us struggling and want to just pass by us? My first thought was perhaps his presence should bring us peace. Shouldn’t seeing Jesus in the storm with us be enough? But sometimes we need more, don’t we? I’m so grateful my savior is willing to do so much more!
What if Jesus wanted to pass them by because he was on his way to the other shore where he intended to meet them? Wasn’t that the plan? Didn’t Jesus tell them to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side? This meant Jesus was going to meet them there after they crossed the sea. And guess what … the plan hadn’t changed.
STORMS DO NOT CHANGE THE PLANS OF JESUS.
What if Jesus was planning to pass by them and not stop on the sea because he was certain of the fulfillment of his plan and he was moving toward the shore where he told them he would meet them. The storm didn’t change Jesus’ plans for them, so he planned to walk on by and meet them on the other side.
I don’t know what storm you’re in right now my sister, but I know this for sure … this storm has not cancelled God’s good plans for your life! He’s not flipping out in the middle of this wondering how it’s all going to work out. He already knows. He knows you’re going to make it to the other side and arrive at your destiny, just as he has always planned.
Isn’t that what we most need to know right now? God’s plans for you still stand. Everything he has promised you is still a go. These storms on the journey have cancelled absolutely nothing.
Jesus was heading to the destination of the shore, because the shore was still the destination for his friends in the boat. The storm hadn’t changed that. But, when Jesus sees they are terrified, he stops. Verse 50-51, “They all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, ‘Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.”
Jesus stopped. He spoke encouragement and truth. Then, Jesus GOT IN THE BOAT!
Our Jesus will get in the boat with you. When you are afraid, call out to him, and he will continue the journey to the destination with you.
While the storms haven’t cancelled the good plans for your life, if you are afraid, all you have to do is ask Jesus to come be with you through this. What Jesus doesn’t want to do is stay stuck in this with you. He doesn’t want to sit and wallow in this with you. He wants to get you to the other side because that was always the plan. You’re not supposed to stay in this storm, honey, you’re just passing through! Don’t settle for staying stuck here. Don’t assume this is just your life and this storm will always be your story. No, girl, you’re going to the other side.
If you don’t feel like Jesus is close to you in this, maybe it’s because he went ahead to the shore where he knows you will be too. Maybe it’s because he’s 100% certain his plans for you will be fulfilled and no storm can stop that. Maybe it’s because he knows this storm won’t last forever and your feet will land on that shore where he promised you would be. Maybe it’s because he’s making breakfast on the shore and he’s waiting for you there.
One of my favorite stories about Jesus is when he met some of the disciples on another shore. They had been out all night fishing with no success. Early the next morning, Jesus calls to them from the shore. John 21: 9, “When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.” You know what Jesus had been doing while his friends were out fishing all night with no luck? He was making them breakfast on shore. He was providing for them what they were unable to catch themselves.
That’s our Jesus. The more I learn about him, the more I absolutely love him.
He’s the one who will make a good plan and fulfill that good plan. He’s the one who will meet you where he said he will take you, without fail. He’s the one who will stop and get in your boat when you are afraid. He’s the one who will calm your storms and bring you peace. He’s the one who will have breakfast waiting for you, just when you need it most.
That’s our Jesus.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If God sends you into it, surely it will be good, right? If he guides you there it’s part of his good plans for goodness in your life, right?
And when it’s not good it must not be his will? We must have disobeyed somewhere if things got hard and we stepped into a mess. We missed a turn, we failed to see the signs. I mean surely that must be what has happened because God wouldn’t intentionally lead us into disaster, would he? He wouldn’t guide you directly to a problem like the one in your life right now.
OR WOULD HE?
Would God willingly lead you right to this place of uncertainty? Would he bring you into a chaotic mess on purpose?
You bet your butt he would! And he does.
Oh, don’t be shocked, Jesus never hid his ways. It’s always been right here in the Bible for us to see clearly and set our expectations accordingly. We just miss it.
Look at this. Matthew 14: 22-24 “Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. (Then) he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.”
You’ve likely read that before and completely missed the fact that Jesus insisted his friends get on a boat and head out into the middle of the lake where they would encounter a mighty storm. My Bible’s translation even says, “he MADE the disciples get into the boat and go.” You think Jesus didn’t know there was a storm coming? You think he missed the weather forecast that evening?
Impossible. Jesus knew without a doubt there was a storm coming. Remember, he is the one whom the winds and waves obey. So, he not only knew his friends would encounter a storm in that boat, he arranged it.
Not all the storms in our life come through the hand of the enemy. We’re so quick to give him credit for every disturbance to our plans and every disruption on our journey, but what if the storm you’re in right now isn’t a work of your enemy, it’s under the direction of Jesus? What if he sent you right in the middle of this storm for a purpose? And what if the purpose isn’t to defeat you like you think it is?
Jesus INSISTED the disciples get into the boat and go out that night. He knew trouble would come while they were out far away from land, and he sent them anyway. In fact, I would propose he sent them FOR that purpose. He insisted they go because they had an appointment with the storm. The strong winds of resistance were for them. The pounding waves were for them. This storm was no accident.
And honey, your storm is no accident either. This resistance you feel may just be FOR YOU. The pounding you’ve been taking may just be FOR YOU. What could God possibly be doing here in this time of hardship?
Oh, he could be setting you up for an encounter with Jesus!
You may know the general power of Jesus already, but you’re about to experience the PERSONAL power of Jesus here.
The disciples had been hanging out with Jesus and had come to know him as a friend. Directly before getting on the boat that evening, do you know what they had just witnessed? They had just been on the hillside where a crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children had gathered to hear Jesus. There on that hillside Jesus decided he wanted to cater the meeting and feed them, but of course the only thing available was the lunch a boy had carried of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. The disciples had just been part of the miraculous feeding of this massive crowd. They had just seen Jesus take what wasn’t enough and turn it into more than enough. They had just finished gathering the leftovers after feeding the crowd and counting 12 baskets full of bread and fish. They knew what Jesus started with. They knew how many people had eaten. And they knew the leftovers were much greater than what Jesus had to work with in the beginning. There was no doubt they just witnessed a miracle.
But … it was not personal to them. It was a display of the general power of Jesus. And now, here they are on a little boat in the middle of a big storm and they’re about to come face to face with the PERSONAL power of Jesus.
Maybe you’ve known God is a provider, but you’ve never known his personal provision until you had a personal need. Could that be why this deep personal need has been permitted now in your life … because here you will meet the PERSONAL power of Jesus in your own life.
Maybe you’ve known God is a healer for others, but up until now you’ve never needed his healing hand over your family in a way like you do now. Here is where you meet the PERSONAL power of Jesus in your family.
This storm isn’t to destroy you my sister. This storm isn’t punishment. And perhaps this storm isn’t even a sign that you’re on the wrong path going in the wrong direction. Some storms are delivered by the hand of God as a personal, life changing encounter with his power because a greater invitation awaits.
Scripture tells us Jesus walked out to the boat in the middle of the storm and of course the disciples were afraid. And you know how the story goes … Peter says, “hey Jesus, if that’s you, tell me to walk out on the water to you.” And Jesus responds with one word, “COME.”
After Peter walks on the water with Jesus he says, “truly you are the Son of God.”
It was an intentional storm, then a personal encounter that led Peter to KNOWING exactly who Jesus was.
I can tell you it’s the storms in my life that led to some personal encounters with Jesus that brought me to knowing exactly who he is.
Many years ago my husband and I had built a successful mortgage business in Dallas. I felt God leading us to leave everything we had built, move to El Paso and help start a church in the desert. For the first time in my life I asked God for a sign to be sure he was really leading us into this move because it could certainly mean financial disaster without him. I prayed for a white feather. Weeks later after receiving no sign, I was in our garage packing and preparing for the move, and a white feather fell from the rafters of the garage out of nowhere. It gave me the assurance we would be okay.
So, we moved, and we stepped right in the middle of a huge storm. I assumed going where God was leading would be a road paved with blessings. I was wrong. It was paved with hardship and closed doors. Everything we tried seemed to fail. We were in major trouble and God seemed to get real quiet on us for a long time.
And this is where God led us? This was his great plan for a family seeking and following him? Absolutely it was! Because here in this storm of hardship, struggle, failure and major disappointment, we would have a personal encounter with Jesus that would change everything we would ever do for the rest of our lives.
Now I KNOW who Jesus is, just like Peter knew who he was. Why? Because of an encounter. What led to the encounter? A STORM.
So this storm you’re in … this disappointing unfolding … this uncertain future … the dream that’s turned into a disaster … understand this is where God works. What if he led you here for an encounter that will leave you changed forever? Don’t run from this. Don’t wish this away. Dare to see what God is doing here.
He is working here. He is moving here. His eye is on you, it’s never left you once. Prepare for your encounter.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This morning when I asked God what his girls needed to hear, the Holy Spirit immediately prompted me with the story of Jesus’ first miracle. Then he began showing me the depth of this miracle and how it applies precisely to YOU in the exact situation you find yourself in.
The first miracle tells us so much about Jesus. It tells us he took time to attend a wedding and cared enough to make it a success. Let me tell you something, sister, Jesus is taking time to show up to every single situation you invite him into and he cares about your details. We often don’t invite Jesus because we assume he must be too big and too busy for our little things, but we’re wrong. Always invite Jesus. He will be right there in the middle of it. And no doubt, when Jesus is there, things just go down different.
John 2: 1-2: On the third day a wedding took place in Canan of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. (Notice, Jesus was invited! That’s important. Have you remembered to invite Jesus? I’m being serious. Is Jesus invited to your family gathering, your vacation, your meeting, your commute, your appointment, your celebration, your Monday? Just in case you forgot to invite him, do it right now. For real, stop everything and invite Jesus to go with you today wherever you are going.)
Verse 3-4: When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.” “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” (Yes, Mary asked Jesus to get involved in a situation that really had nothing to do with him. Did you know you can do that too? Maybe the problem you’re facing isn’t Jesus’ problem, but you can still get him involved! And girl, when you get Jesus involved, everything changes! Jesussssssss, I’ve got a problem!)
Verse 5-8, Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons. “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did. (Mary is asking for Jesus to fix the problem of wine running out at the wedding. Jesus’ response was to take the jars that were available and fill them with what there was, which was water. Water wasn’t what was wanted, but water is what Jesus would use. All the servants had to do was take what was available and fill it with what there was. The rest was up to Jesus.)
I think today, Jesus is asking his girls to take what is available and fill it with what there is. It doesn’t matter if what you have seems insignificant. It doesn’t matter if what you have seems undesirable. Jesus isn’t asking you to focus on what you have, he’s asking you to focus on him and put what you have in his hands.
Verse 9-11: When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from – though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believe in him.
Do you understand the magnitude of the miracle here? It’s literally just slipped in like an insignificant detail in parentheses (after the water had become wine). This is a big deal of impossible magnitude. Let’s do the math. There were 6 stone water jars each holding 20 or 30 gallons. Jesus had them fill each of the jars to the brim. Not just a little. Not just enough. Not half way. All the way. Oh girl, don’t you know when Jesus is invited, he goes all the way for you! He doesn’t kinda sorta, barely, maybe, do a little something for you … no, he does it big! He made 120 to 180 gallons of wine! There are 5 bottles of wine to each gallon, that means Jesus made 600 to 900 bottles of wine! Jesus offers abundance. Jesus offers overflow. Are you living in his abundant overflow, or have you settled for less and failed to ask him for more?
Jesus is not limited. Heaven’s storehouses are overflowing. Angels are awaiting their mighty command. This IS being made possible!
Think about the miracle itself, turning water to wine. Water is the most basic of all liquids. It’s clear with no flavor. It’s two hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, with a total absence of all other things. Water does not and cannot become wine. That’s impossible. Yet, that’s precisely what Jesus did. And here’s what that tells us today: Jesus will take what you think is nothing, and he will make it into something. He will take what would require way more time than you have, and he will make it happen precisely when it needs to happen. Substance and time are not a limitation for Jesus.
You think there’s not enough time for the things you need to change to really change. Jesus says, think again! About 6 months was required for grapes to ferment and become wine. But that would have been the low quality wine. The best wine would require more time for aging. That’s the wine Jesus made … the best. And how long did it take him to make it? Only as long as it took the servants to fill the stone jars with water.
Stop dismissing the miracle you need because of the time you think it will require. Jesus holds time. He can and will do the impossible. Time will not be a limitation!
And when Jesus does the impossible for you, it will be the best of the best. It will be the finest of the fine. He will come through with greater than you ever imagined. It will be more than you hoped for!
I bet you already have an experience of Jesus coming through and giving you more than you imagined. I bet he’s already shown up in the middle of your human need and done heavenly things. He’s already proven he will get personally involved when you invite him. So, girl, just invite him!
He’s going to ask you to use what you have even when it seems insignificant. Use it. Be obedient in your faith. Your questioning is getting in the way. I know it looks like you don’t have what it will take to meet the need you’re facing, but never forget you have WHO IT WILL TAKE. This will take Jesus, and he’s right here for you!
Yes, this problem you’re facing, this issue you’re dealing with, this circumstance that hasn’t been getting any better … this takes Jesus. When you step into it today, make sure you invite Jesus to come with you. He will always accept your invitation and he will always get involved in anything you ask him to get involved in.
He cares about you. He cares about your family. He cares about the things that concern you. And he has a solution that defies science, defies time, and defies what everyone else says is possible. But you know … you know your Jesus does the impossible for you because you’re his girl!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Join us for an unplugged bible study of John 4.
REMEMBER THIS, ANYONE YOU ADMIRE WAS ORIGINALLY JUST A NOBODY!
What has Jesus done for you? Talk about that! That’s your story!
Why? Because there’s someone else who desperately needs that same Jesus to do that same work in their lives. And you’re the perfect nobody to point them to the somebody who saved your soul!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How confident are you in your abilities, your willpower, your courage, your strength? Are you confident you can and you will?
There are a million books and podcasts on building your self-confidence. All sorts of self-help steps to create a more confident you. That’s absolutely fantastic. Confidence looks good on you. Confidence will get you out of the dark corners and have you showing up for life. But my sister, you will be tempted, and sometimes you will humanly fail. Sometimes you won’t get it right. Sometimes you can’t be perfect. Then what happens to your self-confidence?
Scripture tells us there’s something even greater for us to strive for than self-confidence, GOD CONFIDENCE.
1 Corinthians 10: 12-13, “So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful!”
Because you are human, you are going to struggle to constantly do what you know you should do. Your faithfulness may waiver when your weakness is poked at. I don’t know what your weakness might be … Is it that extra 20 minutes of sleep, that bag of Cheetos, that pint of icecream, men that smell good, clothes that get you noticed, mindless scrolling, thinking you’ll do it later, trash TV, or margaritas? Whatever your weakness is, it will be poked at. Your temptation will lurk. And sometimes, you will be weak.
This is life as a human and temptations gonna tempt. Your willpower will waiver … but GOD IS FAITHFUL.
Our God never misses a beat. He never fails to be right there when we need him. He’s never late, he’s never too busy and he’s never empty handed. He is guaranteed to be right there when you are tempted to cave.
So, instead of all this attention on building confidence in yourself, when you’re human and incapable of perfection, place your confidence in God who is guaranteed to be 100% faithful. He will NOT fail you.
1 Corinthians 10:12 in the MSG translation says it like this, “Forget about self-confidence, cultivate God-confidence!”
Having confidence in God will never disappoint you. Knowing that God can and will do what is best every single time in everything concerning you, is a well of confidence no other book can teach you. When you walk in the room unsure of your abilities, but absolutely certain of the God who directs your steps, guides your thoughts, and supernaturally flows through you, then girl, you’ve got confidence. God-confidence.
I may not be all that, but my God sure is! When I’m walking in with him, I’m walking in with the full package! When I’m battling with him (not battling against him, but WITH HIM), losing is impossible. I’m on the winning team, and knowing that make a girl show up for life a whole lot different.
I may fail. I may waiver. I may screw up. But my God is undefeated, unshakable, unfailing, and unstoppable. I’m 100% confident in that!
Because of who my God is, all I need to know is I am HIS GIRL. God’s girls show up different because what we carry within us is his unstoppable, unfailing, unshakable and undefeated power. It’s really not about me … it’s about Him IN ME.
With God-confidence, I can and I will!
Now, part 2 of this scripture. This faithful God of ours “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.”
The next time you are facing a temptation to avoid what you know you should do, or do what you know you shouldn’t do, intentionally look for the way out of that temptation faithfully provided by God for you, his girl. Without fail, the way out of that temptation will be there for you. When God says he is faithful, he means it. When his word says he will make a way for you, you darn well better believe, regardless of circumstances, the way has been made and it’s right in front of you awaiting your next right step.
However, what God will not do is force you to take that next right step. He will provide the way out for you, but you must choose it.
Let’s put this into practical terms. If you’re committed to sobriety, and a frozen margarita with salt is your temptation, I bet right there on the same exact menu is another drink option for you without alcohol. There’s your way out of the temptation … choose it! Thank you, Jesus!
If you’re fighting the good fight to be healthy, and Ben and Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is your temptation, I bet that same exact grocery store sells a banana! It’s your choice. The way out has been provided for you.
If you love rap music, but know the nasty words of those songs get into your soul, look around for God’s offerings that are better for you. Lacrae raps with the best, and he raps about the best … Jesus!
What if you treated this like a game. God, just how faithful are you to me? How good are you at ALWAYS providing a way out of the things that tempt to trip me up? Start looking for the alternatives that have heaven’s fingerprints on them.
If you have confidence in God, then have confidence in his divine ability to give you better options. Go on the hunt for his better options. Then, when you find them, actually choose them!
Today, you will be tempted. And right there with that temptation, God has faithfully given you a way out. Heaven’s fingerprints are on another option for you. Recognize it. Celebrate it. Choose it.
Self-confidence may fail you. Why? Because, girl, you’re human and you have a tendency to human things up sometimes. But God-confidence will have you showing up like you belong here, like you are chosen, like you are supernaturally strengthened, like you are anointed, like you are appointed, like you have a mission and you’ve been divinely equipped for that mission. Ba bam!!!!!!!!!!!
Psalm 46:5, “God is within her, she cannot fail!”
It’s not that I’m incapable of failing because of anything I am … it’s that I’m incapable of failing because of the God who is in me who never fails! Yeah, that’s God-confidence!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What’s the recipe for a successful new month of life? How do you rock this thing and make May 2024 count?
What if I told you God has it clearly lined out for you in scripture? Yes, a clear plan for making May 2024 one of the best and most successful months of your life is right here in your bible. Listen closely, I’ll be reading from the Message translation, 1 Peter 1: 13-17.
“So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready… Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves… doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.”
There it is, your recipe for living well this month.
First, 3 things: “Roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready.”
This means, a successful month of life won’t just happen, you have to be willing to work for it.
Are you willing to work for your BEST life? There are no short cuts. Stop spending your energy, time and money trying to find the cheat. Living BIG requires work. There’s no way around it. Take full responsibility for the work required here, roll up your sleeves and let’s do this! Set your mind now to becoming the person you were created to be. Get a vision of you at your best and refuse to settle for anything less than the journey to her. It won’t happen overnight, but be ready for the journey.
Then it says “Don’t lazily slip back into those old groves of doing just what you feel like doing.” Oh, who has a groove of only doing what you feel like doing when you feel like doing it, and that groove has created a deep rut.
Following our “feelings” gets us in deep trouble. Your feelings never lead you to the life you truly want. They lead you to little life living far short of what you were created for. The enemy plays in our feelings. The truth is we rarely feel like doing what we need to do, so how about you stop checking in on your feelings so darn much.
How about this month you commit to being tough, doing what needs to be done, then checking to see how you feel about it after you’ve done gone and did it! Oh, there’s the ticket sister! Guess how you’ll feel after you did what needs to be done … awesome. And guess how you’ll feel 97% of the time before you do it … you totally won’t want to do it. So the key is, stop asking if you feel like doing the right thing, and just show up and do it!
This scripture says, “you didn’t know any better then, you do now.” That’s great news. You don’t have to guilt yourself into change here. You can’t do better until you know better. And here you are girl, you know better now. Don’t live in regret and shame for how you spent precious years of your life making bad choices and digging that hole. That doesn’t serve you or honor God.
You’re here today with a whole lot of experience now, knowing what doesn’t work. If you struggled last month, examine your habits and actions. That’s an up close example of what didn’t work. That’s a valuable tool for your journey. If you know it doesn’t work, let’s not do that anymore!
Now that you know better, you can do better. YAY YOU! Here be in BIG Life we say “your life gets better when you do.” This month is about simply getting better. That’s all. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. As you get better, your life will get better too! Now that’s exciting!
You are closer today to your potential. You are on the path to living the life God had in mind for you when he created you. Don’t slip back now. Don’t get lazy. Isn’t it crazy how quickly we will regress back to our old ways if we don’t continually push forward? Maybe you feel your push running out. You’ve been pushing, pushing to become your best, pushing to make something of your life, pushing to move on to the next level and you’re growing tired. Deep down you have a fear that all your progress will be lost with that one slip up. But let’s look at this scripture again. It says “let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life.”
As a follower of Christ, when you are seeking him, all the pushing isn’t left up to you. As your push runs out, God steps in and does the pulling. When you seek him, he pulls you into the life you were created for. He pulls you into position.
God pulls you!
Ahhhhh, that’s exactly what is happening here today. You showed up to seek God. You want the life he created you for. You want to become the woman he intended you to be. As a result, he is pulling you. Right now, you’re being pulled. Don’t you feel it? That’s the work of the Holy Spirit guiding you to all God has available to you.
Have you asked God to keep pulling you? Have you surrendered your journey to him fully?
When you feel your push wavering, when you feel your will beginning to buckle, here’s what you do, call out to God for help and he will help you. Ask him to pull you. Pull you into an energetic life. Yes, remember that’s what our scripture says “let yourself be pulled into a way of life that’s energetic and blazing with holiness.” What does that mean? A life on fire for all God created you for.
God, pull us into a way of life that’s energetic. Lord, let us be on fire with your Spirit!
Are you on fire for the life God has planned for you? Are you on fire for his vision for your life? Are you on fire for your destiny? This is your source of energy. This is a way of living. Seek God and be pulled into living better.
The enemy seeks to put out that fire, and maybe he’s been successful at his mission recently. That can stop right here, right now, today. He doesn’t get to threaten the fire God’s spirit is building in you! It’s time to get your fire back!
And my favorite part of this scripture is the final sentence. “He won’t let you get by with sloppy living.”
Sloppy living. You know if you’ve been living sloppy. You know if you’ve been showing up with less than your best. You know, I don’t even need to say it. Let’s be real clear, YOU WERE NOT CREATED FOR A SLOPPY LIFE! There’s so much more in you! That sloppy living may feel good in the moment, but a moment later it sure doesn’t, does it? God, as your responsible Father, won’t let you get by with sloppy living. No, not when he created you for so much more.
Understand, this is why we don’t feel good when we’re not doing good. You’re not supposed to feel good when you’re making bad choices. You’re not supposed to feel good when you’re letting yourself slip. You’re not supposed to feel good when you’re sucking at this thing called life. That’s your loving Father saying “girl, I created you for more – snap out of it!”
Today, we will be willing to do what we know we need to do, even if we don’t feel like it.
We won’t slip back into our old ways of living.
We will keep pushing and we will trust God to pull us in the direction of our destiny.
We will keep getting better.
We will live with energy and be on fire.
We will be excited about this life available to us and darn it, we won’t get sloppy with it. We’re gonna clean up our act.
We’re gonna show up and give today our very best effort! May, are you really ready for a bunch of BIG Life girls showing up with our best?!!!!!!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You know what’s funny about anxiety and panic … it does absolutely no good. It doesn’t help you in any way. It doesn’t get you out any faster. It doesn’t change the situation. And 99% of the time, anxiety and panic really makes no sense at all. In that very moment, you’re really okay. It’s our mind that makes us not okay. Why do we do that?
I’m not a fan of tight spaces. For a girl who just flew 28 hours to get home from Bali, it was a marathon event of mastering my thoughts and managing my urge to scream, “get me the heck out of here.” It’s funny, my car is much smaller than the airplane I was flying in. I don’t panic in my car. But looking down the long tunnel of chairs and feeling the tightness of the ceiling and the emergency door I know I can’t open, just makes my heart do a backflip in my chest.
Let me tell you a little story. While we were in Bali we went on many adventures. It is the land of adventure. You want to hike … girl, best hikes of my life. You want views … they have views that go on forever. You want jungles … well they don’t get any more wild than Bali. My favorite adventure was a day of white water rafting followed by riding ATVs through the jungle. The ATV ride would NEVER happen in the US. Like ever. It was wayyyyy too dangerous. Way too risky. That company wouldn’t be able to afford the liability insurance here. But in Bali, there’s no waiver required, you pay the fee, you put on the boots, and whether you know how to drive or not, you’re plopped on an ATV and told to ride. Literally one driver in our group wrecked in the parking lot within the first 30 seconds. We all just kept going.
The wildest part of the ride came deep in the jungle within the caves. Yes, caves. TIGHT spaces. I’m talking openings that are only 3 inches wider than your ATV and tunnels that go on and on and on. I had no idea how long that cave tunnel was when we first entered. But once you’re in, you gotta just keep going. The faster we went, the better I felt. Finally we were out and I was breathing deep.
We rode through waterfalls and straight down the steepest cliffs. Then we turned around and went back up that steep cliff.
There’s one problem with turning around. I realized we were about to go back through the same darn dark caves we had come through. And there I began mastering my thoughts and managing my urge to scream. Then it got worse. In the cave tunnel, the one that’s only 3 inches larger than the ATV I’m riding, there’s a crash ahead of me. We come to a stand still. And the ATVs pile up behind me. And then it hits me, I’m stuck.
I’m stuck in this dark, tight place and I can’t move forward and I can’t back out. I’m suddenly realizing I’m underground and that cave ceiling is closing in on me.
But, it really wasn’t. That cave ceiling wasn’t falling. I wasn’t running out of air. I was absolutely fine. My anxiety and panic wasn’t helping me, and it didn’t even make sense. It was my mind that made me not okay.
Is it your mind that’s making you not okay? Is it your thoughts about the situation that are making the situation worse?
My sister, God is going to get you through this! He is. You’re not going to be stuck here forever.
There’s a scripture tucked away in Isaiah 50: 10 that is perfect for you in your cave of darkness where your heart is doing backflips of anxiety. “For anyone out there groping in the dark, here’s what you do: Trust in God. Lean on your God.”
Well that’s so clear isn’t it?!!!!!
Lean on God.
But what do we do in our state of overwhelm and panic? We lean into our feelings and dark thoughts. One of the very first scriptures I memorized was Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Lean on God, not on your own thoughts and feelings and ways of controlling this.
Listen to that scripture from the MSG translation: “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
Are you listening for God’s voice here? Can you hear him telling you he’s right here with you in this? Can you hear him telling you he won’t leave you? Can you hear him telling you he is making a way? LISTEN TO THAT VOICE. To listen to his voice, you have to practice quieting your own.
You know the really funny thing about our dark places where we get overwhelmed and stuck … sometimes it’s not nearly as bad as we think. Actually, most of the time it’s not nearly as bad as we think.
Here I am stuck in this cave, no way out ahead or behind, and I’m doing what I know to do in a panic attack. I’m singing. Did you know singing lowers cortisol and relieves stress and tension. Studies have shown that when people sing, endorphins and oxytocin are released by the brain which in turn lowers stress and anxiety levels. My go to song for my stuck places is Bon Jovi’s “I Ain’t Gonna Live Forever.”
There I am, in this cave, fighting off a panic attack, singing out loud:
It’s my life
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
Suddenly the crash ahead is cleared, the ATVs ahead of me begin moving. Within seconds of driving just around the corner I see the end of the tunnel. It was right there. This wasn’t the same super long cave tunnel, this was a different one. If I would have only known it was short and I was 50 yards from the opening, I would have never panicked. I wasn’t deep in a cave, I was sitting right around the corner of the opening. Silly me, our return trip was a different route and I just didn’t realize it.
I have to wonder if the darkness you are going through right now isn’t nearly as bad as your panicked thoughts tell you it is. I wonder if the way out isn’t as long or as hard as you imagined. I wonder if God is already handling this for you, and you just need to sing yourself a little song and calm down.
Lean on him. Leaning on your own understanding about this isn’t making it better. You can’t see what God sees. You don’t know what God knows. Lean on the Lord.
I read something late last night that made it onto the pages of my Bible. It says:
“The reason why God doesn’t reveal his entire plan to you all at once is because if he did, then you would get your peace from the information rather than your relationship with him.”
Well isn’t that the dang truth? If I knew my way out, I would lean on what I knew. But when I don’t know and have no way of knowing, then I only have God to lean on. And it’s by great design.
The one who is in control of every detail of your life wants a relationship with you. Lean into him. The way through this probably isn’t as bad as the story you’ve told yourself.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You know how the enemy constantly tells you you’re not good enough … that you couldn’t possibly have what it takes. That you’re not pretty enough, smart enough, you enough, old enough, or strong enough? And you know how exhausting it is to constantly battle those negative thoughts and try to convince yourself Satan is wrong about you?
Well, today, you’re not going to fight those thoughts and feelings anymore. We’re putting an end to this, and it’s going to be a whole lot easier than you ever imagined. It only takes one truth from God to change everything. So today, I’m showing you a truth in God’s word to change this so you don’t battle those feelings of insecurity.
I know, I know, I know, you’ve tried to overcome this before. And I bet you’ve been discouraged by your continual return to these negative thoughts and feelings about yourself. But this time it’s going to be different. Radically different.
You see, this time, I’m not going to tell you to talk back to the enemy and convince him he’s wrong about you. Actually, he’s right about you. You really aren’t good enough. You really don’t have what it takes. You’re not smart enough or strong enough. You can’t do it and you can’t stick with it. (Geeze, worst Monday morning pep talk ever, right?)
Instead, of trying to fight him again, we’re going to say, “Thank you, enemy, you’re right about me. I appreciate that reminder.”
And here’s why that negative reminder about yourself is such a good thing … it confirms God’s absolute truth about you. The truth is, you are primed for God to work through you! You’ve been hand selected for divine purposes. How do I know? Because really, you’re so extremely average and unimpressive!
God chooses the nobodies!
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29, “Consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish … he has chosen what is weak … he has chosen what is insignificant, so that none of us can boast.”
So, what is that, Satan, you say I’m a nobody … God chooses the nobodies! You say I’m just a foolish girl with nothing special … God chooses the foolish. You say I am weak … God chooses the weak. You say I am insignificant … God chooses the insignificant!
Every time the enemy reminds you of your insecurities and pokes at your weaknesses, all you have to say is, “You’re right. Thank you for the reminder that I am precisely all the things God chooses!”
God chose Moses to miraculously set his people free and lead them out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and through the wilderness to their Promised Land. Honey, do you know who Moses was? He was a nobody! He was a baby born to a slave who was supposed to be killed! He wasn’t born in a palace, but God divinely placed him in a palace for eternal purposes. Then, he killed a man and was hiding in the desert in shame, convinced his life was forever ruined by his mistakes. But God would call him out of that desert. Read the story of Moses throughout the book of Exodus. God did all of this through an absolute nobody with nothing.
What is that Satan whispered in your ear this morning when your alarm rang? You’re too weak? You’re too flawed? You’re too far gone? Gosh, thanks for all those fantastic reminders that prove I’m precisely the kind of girl God chooses! I’ve messed up, I’ve failed again … you’re right about that Satan, look at me being in prime position for God to use!
God chose Mary, a humble girl without an education, without a prestigious name, without any experience at all, to raise the savior of the world. God chose Noah, a man who had never built a boat before, to build the ark that would save mankind. God chose David, the smallest and least of all his brothers, to defeat the giant Goliath and rise up as a leader. God chose Mary Magdalene, the one who was plagued with 7 demons and suffered greatly, to walk closely with him, be present at the cross, and be the first to see him after his resurrection. God chose the woman at the well, the one living in shame who had been married 5 times, to bring her community to know Jesus.
God chooses the nobodies. He chooses the least. He chooses the broken. He chooses the unqualified. He chooses the one who could never, ever, possibly be anything without him. So tell me again why God wouldn’t choose you? Tell me again why you’re disqualified from his calling?
Paul says again in 1 Corinthians 2: 3-5, “I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.”
Oh, wait … Paul stepped into God’s purposes for his life when he wasn’t sure, when he was afraid, and while he still felt totally not good enough? Did you know you can do that? Did you know you can show up when you don’t feel up? Did you know your imposter syndrome can be running wild, and you can still run right in to God’s plans and purposes for your life?
You know about imposter syndrome, right? That little voice inside that says, “Girl, who do you think you are trying to show up when you know you aren’t really good enough? That was just luck before. You can’t keep up this effort. You’re doomed to fail again then everyone will know you were always a fraud.”
Imposter syndrome is the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success on the inside, despite all your breakthroughs and progress. This condition often results in people feeling like “a fraud” or “a phony” and doubting their abilities. Do you struggle with that too? Whew, it’s a constant battle in my head that creates anxiety that could sideline me in an instant.
But, here’s what I’m learning … this is a blessing. This keeps me humble. This reminds me it’s not about me, it’s about God’s power working in me. I’m truly not good enough, and that’s why God chose me!
He chooses the foolish things. He chooses the weak things. He chooses the insignificant things. These things are what best reflect his true power. I can’t possibly brag that it’s all me because I know there’s no way I can do any of this without God’s power!
And the same is true for you. Every single reason why you could never be good enough is precisely the reason why God has chosen you. Every reminder of your insignificance and your inability, is direct proof of the qualifications God is looking for!
God says, “That girl right there could NEVER do this on her own … she’s perfect! I’m calling her!”
Paul goes on to say in verse 4, “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.” He’s basically saying, “Hey, I’m not very good at this thing, and I’m okay with that. I don’t have to be good, I just have to let God’s power work through me!”
What if you don’t have to be good either? What if you’re not expected to be world class? What if you don’t have to be perfect? But what if you have to be available and humble!!!!
You don’t have to pretend to be anyone you’re not. Be like Paul and admit that you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re completely fumbling your way through this thing. You totally DON’T “got this”, but God sure does!
Now, I’m about to give you a new title that you’re going to love! 1 Corinthians 4: 1, “A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God.”
Girl, you are a servant of Jesus and a manager of the mysteries of God! Isn’t that the coolest thing ever?!!!! You get to manage these mysteries that the Holy Spirit reveals to you. Things that only make spiritual sense like being chosen because you’re a nothing and a nobody. There’s no earthly sense in that, but it makes complete spiritual sense! You’re an empty vessel for God’s power.
Now that God has revealed that mystery to you, manage it! There’s only one thing you need to be the manager of God’s mysteries you’re called to be. One thing, and here it is. Next verse, 1 Corinthians 4: 2, “It is required that managers be found faithful.”
That’s it … you don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t have to prove anything. Just be faithful, my sister. Faithfully available. Faithfully humble.
Ask God what being faithful looks like in this part of your journey. Faithful in attitude. Faithful in effort. Faithful in changes. Faithful in growth. Faithful in next steps.
Lord, show me how to be faithful in managing your mysteries. Show me how to be a humble nobody that you can fully work through!
Remember, today, every time the enemy of your soul tells you you’re not good enough, smart enough, or strong enough, you tell him thank you for the reminder! It’s all true! And that’s precisely why God has chosen you. It’s why he has called you. It’s why you’re the one he will work through. Because you could NEVER take credit for what he is going to do … it’s all God, and you will know it!
All those insecurities, all those doubts, all those fears … You’re right. Thank you for the reminder that I am precisely all the things God chooses! All I need to do is be faithful.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This week’s unscripted and unplugged Friday Bible study time together
focuses on when bad things happen to good people in Acts 27 & 28.
Also, key scriptures:
James 1: 2-4, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an
opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested,
your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your
endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing
nothing.”
John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you
may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I
have overcome the world.”
You can watch the video of this devotional on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I wonder how often we simply settle for far less than God has available to us? We settle for less than our best and less than His best.
Where have you settled in your life?
I’m talking about an area where you’re playing little when you were created for BIG. An area where you backed down when you should have stood up. An area where you opted for easy when the victory was yours if you would have fought for it. I wonder just how close you are today to your breakthrough, right now at this very moment. I wonder if today could be the last time you have to start over. I wonder if the very thing you’ve been seeking is just around the corner, but you’ve been too tired, too scared, too lazy, too busy, too distracted to round the corner.
Oh, who am I talking to today?
Somebody has been settling in life. You’ve talked yourself right into less. You’ve bargained with your own destiny because the daily walk wasn’t easy.
We are tricked into settling by a masterful enemy who knows our weakness. He knows your fears. He knows your downfall. He knows your love of icecream and clearance racks, trash tv and compliments from men that smell good … that’s why they’ll show up today when you’re trying to practice willpower.
The enemy’s desire is to make you ineffective and keep you living a little life. A little life far short of the BIG Life you were really created for. And here’s why … if you ever really, I mean really, stepped into the life you’re capable of living, every single life around you would be impacted.
So if a bowl of icecream will shut you up and keep you in the corner feeling less than awesome about yourself, icecream will be all around you. If it’s a marathon of your favorite trash TV that will keep you on the couch, boom … there it is. If it’s a clearance rack that will cause you to spend more than you make and go further in debt, yip … it’s all on sale! If it’s a paycheck, then you’ll be offered a little raise in a job you were never supposed to be stuck in. Just a little something to make the walls of your comfort zone a bit taller and keep you stuck.
Understand this, the enemy doesn’t care if you’re slim and trim. He has no concern over your health. Your finances are not his worry. Your marriage isn’t even on his radar. However, if the demise of any of these things will render you ineffective, then it’s game on for him. At your best, you’re a threat. This is why everything good in your life is threatened. This is why you are tempted. This is the cause of the ice cream, the clearance racks, the trash TV, the flirty guy that smells good … an enemy using any cracked door he can to screw up your life and make you settle for less than you were created for.
Girl, you better check for cracked doors in your life and lock the enemy out. He’s like a roaring lion roaming the halls of your heart looking for any way to get in and devour you from the inside out. He doesn’t give a flying flip about your success, but here’s what he knows … your success may cause boldness and confidence. Your success may cause you to walk in the power of God available to you, and that’s the last thing your enemy wants. The roaming lion ready to devour whom we call Satan attacks your success, attacks your health, attacks your marriage, attacks your happiness, because he knows what you’re capable of! But if he can keep you playing little and settling for less, you’re no threat at all.
Isaiah 54:17 is a promise to you “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” That’s a promise of God’s protection and provision over your life, but girl you gotta get out of your own way!!!!! You will never discover what’s inside of you until you’re challenged. You’ll never know you can scale the walls of your comfort zone in a mighty leap until there’s something outside of where you currently are that calls you relentlessly.
What’s in your way? What’s been tripping you up and holding you back? See it for what it is … it’s a tool the enemy has been using in your life, and you’ve allowed it. Stand up and say no more! This is stupid. God has made you more than a conqueror, you can’t be ruled by eating crap! You can’t be detoured by lazy habits. You can’t be derailed by cheap temptations.
Stop settling for less than your best. Stop settling for less than God promised for your life. No weapon formed against you shall prosper … now how about you stop manufacturing the weapons of your self-sabotage!
Hey let me talk to you this morning about your situation. You know that situation that has you all worked up and worried. God is sovereign over your situation. He is king over your problem. He is above anything that may be in your way and he is ready willing and able to make a path right through what’s standing in front of you. But you’re likely going to need to GO right through it. Not around it, through it. And as you go through what is standing in your way, don’t focus on your situation. You won’t be here forever. Keep on going.
You know that country song …
If you’re going through Hell
Keep on going, don’t slow down
If you’re scared, don’t show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re there
Ephesians 3:20 tells me “God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
God is working in you, if you will let him, and because of the power of God in you, you can do more than you ever imagined. So it’s time to believe in something that’s not normal. It’s time to stop settling for less because you’re lazy. Stop settling for less because it’s easy. Stop settling for less because you’re scared of what more might mean.
God has something mind blowing for you – a life bigger and better than you could have ever imagined but here’s the one thing you must do, STOP SETTLING. Today, stop settling. In every area of your life, stop settling. Stop settling for the snooze button, get up. Stop settling for being late, show up. Stop settling for always being sick, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Stop settling for hating your body, TAKE CARE OF IT. Stop settling for stressful relationships and constant conflict, GO FIRST and start making a resolution, or make a change.
God has offered you one BIG, beautiful life. Won’t you decide that you want it bad enough to stop settling for less? God’s almighty power is working in you and you can do more than you ever imagined possible.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In the Old Testament, before God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, God only spoke to his people on occasion. His word would come through a vivid dream, through a blinding light, through an angel’s visit, a talking donkey.
We rarely hear of these blinding lights, angelic appearances of prophetic dreams now, and here’s why … God’s Spirit now dwells within those who have accepted Jesus as their savior, and he’s continually prompting us. God no longer has to show up in a magical way in our day, he’s already in us. As a Christian, you carry his Spirit with you every where you go.
So, this is what you need to know … GOD IS SPEAKING TO YOU. He is prompting your thoughts, guiding your feet, opening your eyes, and stirring your dreams. Constantly. And here’s the problem with something you’re constantly experiencing … You stop noticing it. You’ve stopped noticing how God divinely brings you to the right place at the right time. You’ve stopped noticing how you just wake up naturally in the morning when God stirs you. Now, you just go back to sleep. You’ve stopped noticing how your spirit is stirred to go here, do that, say this, and you’ve been dismissing it all in your busy loud world.
God is still speaking. His word is still flowing through you. His promptings are continual. But continual becomes normal, and normal is so easily dismissed.
Lord, don’t let us dismiss your promptings just because you have been so faithful to continually provide them.
Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 1: 4-5, “The word of the Lord came to me: I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.”
My sister, the word of the Lord comes to you too! He has chosen you before he formed you. He has set you apart from the very beginning. Will you receive that word today? Will you listen as God speaks to you? Feel that stirring within right now. This is for you.
What does Jeremiah do when he receives this powerful word from the Lord? The same thing we do …
Verse 6, “But I protested, ‘Oh no, Lord God! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth.”
He protested. Essentially Jeremiah says, God, you can’t be speaking to me. You can’t see me as anyone special. And he dismisses himself with the insecurity he carried. Lord, I’m too young.
My excuse is no longer that I’m too young. I’m more in the too simple category. Too ordinary. There’s nothing special about me, God. There are others with so much more, surely you would choose them.
What’s your excuse? What dismisses you from hearing directly from the Lord? Why wouldn’t he choose you?
These are YOUR insecurities … not God’s. God is not insecure about you at all. He’s confident in your potential because, honey, he’s the one who formed you in your mother’s womb. He knows what he put inside of you. He knows what you’re capable of because he set you apart with those capabilities.
When Jeremiah protests and dismisses himself from God’s calling on his life because of his insecurities, God interrupts him. Verse 7, “Then the Lord said to me: ‘Do not say, I am only a youth, for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to rescue you.””
And God is showing up right in the middle of your ordinary, routine morning and he is interrupting you! STOP confessing your insecurities. Stop labeling yourself with your doubts. Stop accepting your shortcomings as your identity. That’s not who you are!
Right here, right now, God has asked me to tell his girls this:
You are mine. Stop talking bad about yourself!
Recognize, whatever you put after the statement “I am” is a direct reflection on your Maker. You are what God has designed you to be. You are a reflection of your Creator, made in his image.
Is God too simple? Is God too stupid? Is God too ordinary? Is God too shy? Is God too scared? Is God too busy? Is God limited in any way? Absolutely NOT!
And you, as his chosen girl, you carry his powerful spirit within you that makes you all he created you to be in his image. Now start talking like it.
Be aware of what you put after the words “I am.”
When is the last time you confessed:
I am chosen.
I am enough.
I am loved.
I am equipped.
I am called.
I am forgiven.
Jeremiah 1:9, “Then the Lord reached out his hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with my words. See, I have appointed you today …”
God’s Spirit overcame the exact insecurity Jeremiah had been held back by. When Jeremiah felt he didn’t know how to speak, the Lord filled his mouth with His words. Now, would you dare to believe whatever insecurity has held you back, God’s Spirit which permanently dwells within you, is perfectly equipping you, making you the right person in the right place at the right time for God’s divine purposes.
Now remember, because his Spirit is always in you now, his promptings and filling might feel normal. But this is supernatural. This is holy. This is awesome!!!!!
Now God asks:
My girl, if I have chosen you, will you choose you now? Will you stop dismissing yourself?
If I have declared you are enough, would you just start agreeing with me and see how I’m making you enough with my Spirit?
If I have loved you, will you dare to love you. Stop hating yourself. Stop treating yourself so poorly. Love you as I have created you to be.
If I have equipped you, will you show up and courageously use my equipping. Yes, use what I have put within you. Don’t let it go to waste.
If I have called you, will you answer? Will you say yes? Will you stop hiding? Stop playing little?
If I have forgiven you, will you finally forgive yourself? I don’t want you holding on to that guilt and shame for one more day. It’s time to let it go now so I can bring good where the enemy intended harm.
Young Jeremiah stepped into his calling as a fully equipped, chosen, loved and called child of God. Where God’s spirit led, he went. The words God put into his mouth, he spoke.
Now, it’s your turn. Will you listen closely to the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit, and respond with a confident “I am, Lord.” I am chosen. I am enough. I am loved. I am equipped. I am called. I am forgiven.
I receive your truth, I speak your truth, and I will walk in your truth about who I am in you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Not everybody gets you. Not everybody likes you. Not everyone will agree with you or be on your side.
Are you going to let that get you all upset and steal your joy? Even worse, are you going to let that cause you to lash out and fight back, then cause you to show up as a lesser version of who you were created to be?
In my head, I’m a pretty darn nice person. I know the intentions of my heart are good. I’m also fully aware that I’m flawed and imperfect and screw up on the regular. People often remind me of that by email. I literally have a team of people who scan my emails before they reach me because some messages are a little too harsh for my naive, rose glasses mindset that thinks everyone is my friend with pure motives.
These messages used to rock my world and leave me in tears. I would allow the criticism to replay in my mind for days, hurting me a little more with each replay. Then, it accumulated in my heart and began to steal my joy and make me cynical. The notification of an email from a stranger sent fear through my veins, automatically assuming someone else had something hurtful to say to me. I assumed the position of a victim, forfeiting my calling as a woman with a divine mission.
As my joy lessened, my passion for living out my purpose wavered. It honestly felt not worth it.
Maybe you feel the same way. You feel misunderstood. Under appreciated. Under attack.
Girl, let me call you out of that victim mindset. That’s not where God wants his girls to hang out! You have a calling on your life and a divine mission for your days. Don’t you forfeit an ounce of what God has placed within you because you can’t win everyone over.
A few years ago Taylor Swift wrote a song that became the anthem of every girl going through a time of discouragement. I’m warning you right now of the earworm I’m about to throw at you.
‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (hoo-hoo-hoo)
Heartbreakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake
Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (hoo-hoo-hoo)
Yes, that’s an earworm, also known as the stuck song syndrome. Like it or not, the same lyrics just get stuck in your head. But did you know there’s a way to end the stuck song in your head? Yes there is, and you won’t believe the trick.
To make the song you can’t stop singing get out of your head, you simply play the song all the way through. Yes, let it play and let it end. It gets stuck when you leave it unfinished.
Ahhhhh, I wonder if that’s what happens with harmful words and hateful emails. You never let it end. So it replays, hurting you a little more each time. Growing bigger and bigger. And guess what, Sis, you’re the one who has to end it. End the loop of replayed harmful words and actions with your intentional response of grace led by the Holy Spirit.
Here’s the example in scripture.
Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Their intentions were good. Their message was positive. Yet, not everyone liked it. Not everyone wanting the saving grace they came to share. I know that’s crazy, but not everyone wants or accepts good news, even when it is absolutely true. The people stirred up all kinds of crazy nonsense against Paul and Barnabas. And verse 51 and 52 show us their response and the result. “But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”
They literally shook it off. Hey Taylor, is that where you got your catchy little song? Yes, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off!
Paul and Barnabas were disliked and unjustly under attack, and their actions stopped the continuation of the nonsense and secured their joy. They never lost their joy in the nonsense.
Girl, don’t lose your joy in the nonsense. People gonna say what people gonna say. Liars gonna lie … that’s just what liars do. Why would you be so shocked? Haven’t you heard that hurt people hurt people. We’re surrounded by a whole bunch of hurting people and the only thing they know to do is lash out and hurt someone else because of the hurt they feel.
But, as God’s girls, we can stop it.
Just as you let the song play all the way through to stop the earworm of annoying continuance, you play this all the way through. You shake off the insults and you move on. Respond with grace and love, wish them well, and let that be it.
Shake it off.
Move on.
Jesus tells his disciples to shake the dust from their feet when people reject them. He’s telling them to recognize they had done all they could do and the results were never up to them. Leave even the dust behind so you are not hindered from where God is taking you next.
The enemy wants us to collect the dust. Wallow in the dirt.
God says, “Shake it off and move on.”
Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet from where the nonsense had raged against them, and they went to the next place. Thank you, next. (I think that’s another song, now the previous song isn’t even in your head. See how that worked.)
What did the disciples receive when they shook it off and moved on? They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit!
The Message translation says it like this: “They shrugged their shoulders and went on to the next town, brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples.”
Trying to figure everything out and get everyone to see things like you see them is 1) Exhausting, and 2) Impossible. God isn’t asking you to convince anyone of anything. The Holy Spirit does the convincing, not you.
Shrugging our shoulders says, “Hmmmm, well that’s interesting … whatcha gonna do? It’s not for me to control.” Then, release it and move on. It finishes the song. It ends the earworm. It stops the replay of the offense and releases you of the hurt.
When we stop being hurt and instead start being healed, you know what we bring to the world? We bring healing. Hurt people hurt people. But healed people heal people.
God wants his girls healed from all the hurt so we can bring healing to others. Healing from criticism. Healing from unfairness. Healing from nonsense. Healing from trying to convince anyone of anything.
Ahhhhhh, shake it off, move on, and let your joy overflow!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
We love the God of “yes” and “right now”. But isn’t it the same all-knowing, all-powerful, loving and gracious God who also says “no” and “not now”?
Did you know the Holy Spirit not only opens doors, but honey, he closes doors. He redirects us down a different path for divine purposes we may not know or understand. Our role in this partnership is to seek, listen, and follow. His role is to align, guide, and direct.
I saw a great little video by a funny gal named Ellen demonstrating what our surrender to God really looks like. The title says, “Point of View: Letting Jesus Take the Wheel.” She was sitting in the passenger seat of her car, allowing Jesus to take over driving. Ahhh, this feels good Jesus, you drive. Then, it starts happening …. So, Jesus, it says 55, why we only going like 20? Let’s fo faster! Jesus, there’s the turn. Uhhhh wait, you missed it. So, like that’s where everyone else usually turns, don’t you want to go back? Then she says, “Okay, so I thought this was going to be more like you drive a little, then I drive a little, like we take turns, Jesus. Aren’t we gonna take turns now?”
Well isn’t that what we do … Jesus, you take the wheel when I don’t know what to do, but when I think I’ve got this, then let me drive. Let me set the pace. Let me turn when I want to turn. We’re good at letting Jesus take the wheel, but how are we with letting him keep the wheel?
Sometimes I feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit that says go. I love it when I get the green light. I’ve grown to love it when the Holy Spirit says, “This is what I want you to say, now say it.” Okay Jesus, I lovvveeee talking. Tell me all about what to say and I will talk all day! But sometimes the Holy Spirit tells me to shut my mouth. Sometimes the Holy Spirit says be still. Sometimes the Holy Spirit says I know you can do this, but I don’t want you to.
I don’t really like that.
The question becomes, will I let him keep the wheel when he slows my role or directs a turn I don’t want to take.
I naively assumed the Holy Spirit would co-sign all my good intentions. I believed all positive work would be Spirit approved and blessed with expedience. I was wrong. What Bible was I reading? Oh, the same one I’m reading now, just I’m reading between the lines of quoted feel good scriptures to see the deeper works of the Holy Spirit I had been missing. And my whole life is making a whole lot more sense now.
Paul and Silas were missionaries for God. Their intentions were good. Their works were positive. But when their positive works of intended good were met with a no from the Holy Spirit, we have to take notice.
Acts 15: 6-7, “They went through the region of Phyrgia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bihynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.”
A little geography lesson. This area of Asia is our modern day Turkey. All of these town were the different regions of Turkey. Northern Turkey, Southern Turkey, Western Turkey. The Holy Spirit would not allow Paul and Silas to share the word of God here. It was a NO.
Sometimes a no from God doesn’t make sense. Why, God? Why wouldn’t you want your word shared here? Why wouldn’t you want these disciples of Jesus to share the good news to people who had never heard it?
I often find myself pleading my case with the Holy Spirit. I’m all whiny like, “But why, God? My heart is in the right place. It feels right. It’s what I want to do.” Then, I eventually start taking the wheel back into my own hands and doing what I want to do because God’s answer of no doesn’t make sense to me.
Sound familiar? Do you do it too? Ahhhhhh, you have some messes in your life right now as a result, don’t cha?
The Holy Spirit limited Paul and Silas for a very specific reason. We read it in the next 2 verses.
Acts 15: 8-9, “During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him. ‘Cross over to Macedonia to help us.’ After we had seen the vision, Luke says, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Macedonia is in Northern Greece, and this is where God had a few divine appointments for them. In Greece, God’s spirit would work through them to save entire families through miraculous works and wonders.
When the Holy Spirit limited them in Turkey, it was a divine redirection to Greece.
Could your limitation be a divine redirection? It’s not here, but there … go there, my girl. God has work for you to do there. The Holy Spirit will flow through you for greater purposes there, but you won’t understand it if you stay here.
Does God have permission to redirect you? When he limits you, will you fight him, or will you look for the redirection? When he closes the door, will you beat the door down in frustration and self-will, or will you seek a vision for the open door he is directing you to?
All of this left me to wonder why God wouldn’t let Paul and Silas teach his word in Turkey. The purpose behind the limitation was to get them to move on to Macadonia in Greece then, but it wouldn’t always be a closed door in Turkey. Acts 18:21, Paul says to the people in Ephesus which is in Turkey, “I’ll come back to you again if God wills.”
He willingly left where he wanted to be, in obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He left in faith. He left knowing this wouldn’t be the end if God so desired to bring him back.
And guess what … God did bring him back. THIS WAS A TIMING THING. A DIVINE TIMING THING THAT HUMAN MINDS CAN’T COMPREHEND.
Eventually, Paul travels back to Ephesus the ancient port city in Turkey and the doors are wide open for sharing and baptizing. In fact other people God had called had already started the work and Paul walked in and further helped them. And Acts 19:10 says, “All the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.”
Chapter 16, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let them share the word and closed the door. Chapter 19, the Holy Spirit guides them back to the same exact place and all of Asia came to know of Jesus!
Just because the Holy Spirit shuts it down now doesn’t mean it will be shut down forever. Maybe this is a timing thing, and maybe it’s bigger than you know of now.
Will you give Jesus the wheel, and let him keep the wheel? Will you seek, listen and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit when he says yes and when he says no? When he says right now and when he says not now?
May we grow to love the God of every answer and trust he sees it all, he knows it all, and he controls it all. And honey, he controls it way better than we ever could!
Jesus, I give you the wheel, and this time, I’m going to try real hard to let you keep the wheel.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Join Pamela for this Friday morning Bible study of Exodus 25-40.
You can watch the live recording from Bali here:
https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God uses hardened hearts for his glory.
Right now, in your life, someone has a hardened heart. Someone isn’t listening. Someone is making life ridiculously hard. And you’re asking God why. Why won’t they change? Why won’t they open their eyes and see the path they’re on and the destruction it’s leading to? Why won’t they stop?
May our questions change from why to what. What is God doing here? What is he aligning for his glory? What good plan does he have aligned through this?
In Exodus we read of the Egyptian king with the hardened heart, Pharaoh. God not only allowed Pharaoh’s hardened heart, but he orchestrated it for a greater purpose. Exodus 7: 3, the Lord says, “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.”
God’s power would be seen through the condition of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. One hardened heart would be used to prove God’s protection, provisions and personal involvement for over 2 million Israelites.
The Lord told his servant, Moses, to go to Pharaoh and demand the Israelites be set free from slavery in Egypt. But God had planned for Pharaoh to refuse. The question isn’t “Why, God”, but the question is, “What, God … What are you doing through this?”
What God was doing was bigger than the problem being faced. The problem was slavery in Egypt and a leader who refused to let them go. And no doubt, that sucks. Their work was hard. Their life was unfair. But God was getting personally involved! WHAT God was doing through this hardship was more than a temporary relief, it was a show of his glory and power that no one could deny.
My sister, God is getting personally involved in your hardship. He has heard your cries. His relief will not be temporary here. It will be an undeniable show of his power involved in the details of your problems, and God will receive all the glory!
Get ready to give him glory!
Each time Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go, God’s power showed up in the form of a plague on the Egyptians, but the Israelites were protected. First all the water turned to blood. Second, they were invaded by frogs. Pharaoh promised set the Israelites free if Moses would appeal to God and take the problems away. Moses cried out to God for help, and God miraculously intervened and removed the problems. Then, guess what happened … Void of the problems, Pharaoh quickly returned to his old ways. Exodus 8: 15, “But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen.”
Plague after plague, it happened. Horrible things happened to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, he would promise to let the Israelites go, but as soon as God made the problem go away, Pharaoh would change his mind and return to his hardened heart.
And through it all, God was not at all surprised. Nor was God stopped or limited. God’s power showed up all the more. God’s glory grew and grew.
God works through hardened hearts, bad decisions, and hardships. This is the stage for his power to be displayed. This is where God does what only God can do. This is where we will know it is God who saved us!
So, there’s a hardened heart that is making a mess for you? Talk to God about that. Ask for his involvement. Ask for his mercy. Ask for second chances, third chances, 47th chances for the one with the hardened heart. Don’t stop asking. God’s power will not stop. There is no limit to what he can do.
But know this, when hearts won’t change, God’s power will not stop. Be like Moses, and continue to seek God’s intervention in the situation.
Moses witnessed God’s miracles through every plague brought onto Egypt. He was even personally involved in these miracles. And God’s people had undeniable proof of his power in their lives. And God received glory.
Glory for the bloody water, glory for the frogs, glory for the gnats and flies and locusts, glory for the boils, glory for the hail, glory for the darkness, and glory for the protection of his people’s livestock and families. It was all around God’s people, but his people were protected.
It’s all around you right now, but you will be protected. See him working here. Keep your heart soft to the ways of the Lord. Don’t grow tired of how he miraculously causes the sun to rise for you each morning. Don’t grow unimpressed by his breath that fills your lungs and gives you life. Don’t grow numb to his works all around you.
Sometimes God allows the hardship so we continue to look to him. Aren’t we just like Pharaoh, we believe when we need to, but we quickly return to old ways when the problems go away? Exodus 9: 34, “When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart.”
Lord, don’t let us return to our sin when things get easier again. Don’t let us take your miracles for granted. Keep our hearts turned toward you, even when times are sweet and we’re surrounded by goodness. And when times are hard, may we change our questioning from “Why, God”, to “What, God … What are you doing? What miracles do you want me to see? What changes do you want me to make? What glory can I offer you?”
God works through hardened hearts and harsh conditions. He works through the things we wish we could avoid and the things we can’t make go away. He works through the ordinary, and he works through the extraordinary. This is all a stage for God’s great works in your life and he wants you to see what he is doing.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God needs your cooperation today. He’s trying to work in your life. He’s trying to pave the way. He’s trying to guide you into his ultimate and best plan, but he needs your to cooperate. There’s one thing we keep doing that hinders God’s work and allows the enemy to gain a foothold. This one thing is something most of us struggle with, without even realizing the danger.
What is it? What are we doing that’s hindering God’s work in our own lives? We keep running our mouths.Feel that … yip, that’s conviction! That’s God’s spirit pinging in you right now guiding you to a better way.
In Exodus chapter 14 the Israelites are being chased by the Egyptians. They have every reason to be scared. Every reason to want to turn around and go back. But their instructions are very clear. Verse 14 in the Message translation says “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!
“If you’re facing a battle right now, understand God wants to fight it for you. He wants to defend you. He’s able to bring victory … but you have a job to do and that job is to zip your lip, shut your face, girl stop talking about it. Let God fight this for you. Take a seat and be silent.
When I’m under attack I have a natural defense … I lash out. Then after I lash out, I like to retell the story to anyone who will listen. Are you the same?
We build our defense by talking about it. And did you know when we do, we hinder the VICTORY God has planned for us? He doesn’t need you to lash out. He doesn’t need you to tell everyone your side of the story. What he needs is your cooperation.
Here’s the problem … if we’re busy complaining and telling our side of the story, we’re not praying. The answer is always PRAY about it, not COMPLAIN about it. How often do we seek the opinion of others without first seeking the direction of God?
Did you know your words have the power to steal your peace and your victory? God has a plan to redeem you fully. Every hardship or wrongdoing against you has been seen, he is fully aware, and it will be used for your good, but girl you’ve got to get out of the way! When you lash out in anger, speak out of turn, pipe up with your complaints, your side isn’t being built … understand you’re only giving the enemy ammunition.
Satan wants you to be busy fighting so you’re distracted from your mission. Every time you retell the story, every time you engage in the argument, every time you complain about the situation, you’re loading bullets in the weapon pointed directly at YOU.
I promise it is possible to be under attack and still have peace. It is possible to be in the battle and retain your joy. You can walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and FEAR NO EVIL because God is with you and he will comfort you.
You’re not in this alone! Oh if you could only see God leaning in over you to protect you. If you could only see the angel armies of Heaven on their way to defend you. If you could see it, you’d easily keep that mouth shut. Even though you can’t see it, will you trust it?
Do you trust that God is for you and not against you? If you do, then you know what they’re saying about you has ZERO impact. Who can be against you? NO ONE. Let them talk, you keep your mouth faithfully shut and those lips zipped. God wants to fight for you. Victory is yours … If you don’t screw this up. You have one clear instruction here, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.
No complaining, no building up your side of the story, no fighting and arguing, no lashing out. Cooperate with God and let him do the fighting.
I remember a time when there was a personal attack against my family, my team and my people. It was harsh. It was unfair. And it was untrue. Everything within me wanted to stand up and defend myself and set the story straight. I woke up one morning totally fed up with the nonsense, fully prepared to lash out on my attackers. As I was typing out my planned defense, I overheard a TD Jakes sermon my husband was listening to. The scripture that day??? Exodus 14:14 “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouth shut.
“It wasn’t what I wanted to do. Every ounce of my flesh was crying to speak out and put others in their place. To prove myself innocent. To defend my family and my team. To save what we had worked so hard to build. But God was clear. He promised he would fight the battle for me … I just needed to cooperate by shutting my mouth. Dang, that’s hard, isn’t it?
And you know what? He did! I never had to defend myself. My silence eventually silenced my enemies. And with a bit of perspective, I realized I was battling more than confused people who had a twisted story. I was battling the true enemy who knew what God was doing!
Ephesians 6:12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but this is a life or death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.
”Hey guess what … you can’t fight a spiritual battle with your natural words! This isn’t about what they’re doing or what he or she is saying … this is a spiritual battle over eternal impact. You have no idea the battle happening all around you. The enemy knows your potential. Things of tremendous value are at risk here. The only way to fight this is to keep your mouth shut and pray. God will do the fighting. Stop handing the enemy ammunition with your unruly mouth and unbridled tongue.
Every time we complain, we build the enemy’s case against us. Every time we speak in anger, we stop the flow of God’s love. Every time we build our story, we build walls. Walls that close us in and keep us from our true potential.
Every time we stand in faith and obey God by trusting him to fight for us as we stop complaining and refuse to retell the story, God moves on our behalf. For the Israelites, when they stopped complaining, God parted the Red Sea for them to pass through safely on dry ground while he swallowed up their enemies. He made a way!
And he will do the same for you, my sister. He will make a way. He will faithfully guide you. He will fight for you. But you have to be quiet here.
God, help us to control our mouths. Convict us of our words. Strengthen us to fight this battle with our prayers and praises to you. You have shown us a better way … we now know better, may we do better.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Who’s getting tired of doing the right thing over and over again, with seemingly minimal results?
Who’s worn out from fighting when the relationship just doesn’t seem to be improving?
Who’s burned out from counting the calories, from denying yourself of the deliciousness you most desire, when the progress is ever so slow and nonexistent at times?
Who am I speaking to this morning? Are you getting tired of doing what is good? If you’re questioning if it’s worth it, I believe God has your answer for you loud and clear this morning.
Galatians 6:9 – “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
DON’T STOP NOW. Steven Furtick says, “You’re only stuck if you stop.” If you don’t stop, honey, you can’t be stuck. Keep doing the good you know to do because God is getting ready to give you a harvest of blessings if you just don’t give up.
Let me speak life into your frustrated spirit this morning. Today is not the day to give up. This is not the time to back down. This day was made for doing good. With all that you are, with all that you have, do good today.
God desires for each of us to come to a place of full surrender in life. A place where we recognize we can’t do this on our own. A place where we fully trust that if we do all we can, God will show up and do what only he can.
Now this place of full surrender doesn’t come naturally to us. It takes one heck of a storm to get us there. It often requires a weary spirit, exhausted from trying. A body without a lot of fight left. This is surrender … and this is where God works best.
I don’t know about you, but I have some areas in my life where I need God to do what only he can. I have some impossible. I have some mountains. I bet you do too. And oh how our loving heavenly Father WANTS to show up for us. He WANTS to. You never have to question God’s desire to help you. He’s never sitting in heaven looking down with angry eyebrows and arms folded saying, “nope – don’t wanna. I just don’t wanna help her today.” Yet, the truth is that’s exactly what we believe sometimes so we don’t even ask for help.
Understand this, God is ready, willing and able to help you. He wants to pour out his blessings on you … and HE WILL, oh how he will if you just keep doing the good that you know to do. And as you know better, you will do better.
God is cautioning us against growing weary in doing good. Has the storm weathered your heart? Are you becoming cynical? Have your good works been met with greed and ungratefulness? Have your good works been taken advantage of or gone unnoticed? Have your good works been void of return? Then of course it becomes easy to have a critical spirit. I mean why even try if it’s not going to make a difference.
It’s like what is the point in cleaning the house when you have a tornado of a toddler tearing it up faster than you can put it back together. Why speak kindness to your husband when he’s so negative and edgy? Why give your best at work when it goes unnoticed and unappreciated? Why work so darn hard on your health when you still get bad news?
That’s what a weary heart says. That’s what a critical spirit says. That’s what a cynical woman’s thoughts sound like. That’s the product of a bad attitude.
And that is NOT you.
In the words of one of my favorite songs by Hillsong – Don’t let the storm weather your heart. Don’t let the darnkness beat you down. My sister, you can walk through the fire and not be burned. You can pray in the fight and watch it turn. All you need to do is keep doing the good you know to do and trust God with the outcome. Jesus right now, we give it all to you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today, I’m going to tell you something very specific God absolutely loves to see you do. Something you can do that brings him tremendous delight. You would want to make God happy today, wouldn’t you? You would want to please him.
I do. Gosh, I want to make God absolutely giddy he gave me this day of life. But sometimes I wonder how to please him. How to make him smile. How does a really normal girl like me bring great delight to my Almighty creator? Have you ever asked the same question?
2 Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a cheerful giver.”
You’ve likely heard that before along with a guilt trip to give your money. But what if your opportunity to be a cheerful giver goes far beyond money and meets you right where you are today. God is asking you to give what you have with joy, with excitement, with open hands and an open heart. To stop holding back, and let God flow through you in all you have to give.
MSG: “God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.” The Voice: “Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.”
Right here, this Monday. Will you be a cheerful giver?
Let’s take an inventory of what you have available to give today.
First, your time. In this single day you have 24 hours – or 1,440 minutes. Will you give your time cheerfully today? OR WILL IT BE A CHORE FOR YOU TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE WITH THEM? WILL IT BE A CHORE TO LISTEN? WILL IT BE A CHORE TO REALLY BE THERE? Will you be happy about giving time with God today?
How many of us are there, but we’re not really there? We’re begrudgingly showing up and checking the box but we don’t really want to be there. That’s not GIVING your time … that’s allowing someone or something to TAKE your time. Today will you GIVE your time. Purposely. Intentionally. Cheerfully. Will you gladly be there? Will you fully be there?
God loves that. He loves when you cheerfully show up for your own life and invest in it. He loves when you are fully there, engaged. Not because you have to, but because you GET to.
And he really loves it when you view this life you have to live through the eyes you have been given instead of a screen you hold in your hand!
What else do you have to give today? Your energy. Within you is the power to GSD. Get stuff done. You have a set of 2 choices.
Do it – or don’t do it. If you should do it, then you have another choice to make – Do it happy – or do it miserable. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
Here in Bali, I’m learning what a privilege work is. Everyone I meet is delighted to have a job. They are working long days to make $25 per week. They are perpetually early, genuinely eager, with attitudes of gratitude. Have we lost that? Have we become too entitled to remember what a privilege this all is?
There are a whole lot of people showing up for work today miserable. They’re there, they’re completing the tasks before them, but it’s not because they want to be. How incredibly sad. How sad that there are moms holding babies, wishing they were somewhere else. How sad there are wives making the bed in an angry fit today. How sad there are daughters taking their gifts for granted and complaining about all they HAVE to do.
Or the girl that landed the job and is bringing home the paycheck, you know the job she prayed for … and she’s just wishing she didn’t have to work today. Oh has she forgotten that job was given to her? It’s a blessing. She’s giving her energy to that work today, but it’s begrudgingly. But what if she could show up to work today and be a cheerful giver? Do you know how much better the day would be? Same work, different attitude.
That’s it … that’s the difference I’m experiencing in Bali. They are cheerful givers. Freely giving of their time and energy. Our waitress, Dayu, went into the jungle after her long day of work, to find a special leaf to make a tea for my husband’s upset stomach. Our waiter, Darma, brought fresh fruit from his home to share with me this morning at breakfast. Fruit I’ve never seen before. He gave it to me so cheerfully after picking it in his village before the sun came up today.
It makes me question, what do I have to give, and will I give it cheerfully? If a leaf cut from the jungle, and a fruit picked from a tree could be offered as a blessing to a foreigner in this beautiful land, what could you and I offer as a blessing?
God loves a cheerful giver – yes I believe it brings him joy to see his girls giving of their time and energy and resources with happiness – however on a deeper level I believe God loves a cheerful giver because he knows what it does for us. He knows he created us to thrive when we are giving our most valuable resources from a place of plenty.
And there’s the secret … a place of plenty. Don’t you recognize you have more than enough? You don’t have to live in lack. Not when the creator of the universe is on your side. Not when the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills, the maker of heaven and earth, is in charge of your supply.
It is our own mismanagement of time, energy and money that causes lack.
God lacks nothing. You are his daughter … all he has he desires to make yours. BUT CAN YOU BE TRUSTED WITH IT?
Psalm 84:11 says “The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”
You have enough today. Enough time. Enough time to sit down and value the moments with your family. Enough time to spend with God. Enough time to do all you need to do and do it well. Enough energy. Enough energy to give your best. Enough blessings to share.
Today, you will be called on to give. Will you be a cheerful giver? Will you be absolutely giddy over the opportunity to give what you have, knowing that as you pour out, your cup will be filled right back up. Knowing that some things can only be received through giving first.
I’m saying don’t just show up today, but show up and be happy about it. Don’t just work today, but work and be happy about it. Don’t just give today, but give and be a cheerful giver.
When I got my head and heart right about money, money has never been an issue again. Before then, it was nothing but a problem.
I’m still in the process of getting my head and heart right about my time. I’m finding on this journey I have more than enough time when I spend it intentionally.
Energy … energy multiplies when poured out in the way we were created to spend our energy. You can’t outgive God. Give him your energy, and watch His supernatural energy flood your days!
God loves a cheerful giver, because he knows you can be trusted to receive even more of what he has to give. Just let it all pour out, Sis!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Wednesday. It’s the middle of the week. The 13th of September, the middle of the month. We’re just in the middle. In the middle of what we started but has not yet ended. Nobody likes the middle. Let’s get to the end already! The hardest years of marriage are said to be years 7 and […]
Have you ever been looking for something specific so intently, that you totally miss it? You miss the forest for all the trees. You are looking for that future husband. Everywhere, you’re looking. Desperately looking. But where is that man hiding? Clearly he’s lost somewhere because he’s not willing to ask for directions, so you’re […]
Today, you’re taking steps. Steps that are leading you somewhere. If you look down the path you’re currently on, is it taking you where you want to be in your life? Are you on a trajectory that even slightly resembles the good plans God has for you? And what do you do if, in your […]
Are your thoughts ruining your day? Negative, overwhelming, fearful, anxious thoughts can wreck havoc on a perfectly good day of life. These thoughts make you feel anxious, and that feeling becomes a literal limitation on our abilities to even function. Here’s the problem. We’ve made peace with feeling anxious. We’ve claimed it. It’s now yours. […]
How is it that some people claim to hear from God all the time, and you feel like you never hear from him? How is it some people just seem to have this big, bold, blind faith that leads them into miraculous unfoldings, and you’re struggling to know what to cook for dinner? How do […]
There’s only so much you can do here, right? You’re limited on what falls within your power, and honestly you feel like you’ve done about all you can do. So now you’re frustrated because even with doing all you can do, nothing is happening. Nothing is changing. And you’re beginning to lose hope. Is that […]
Look at your schedule today. All you have to get done in such a limited time. Do you feel rushed? Me too. It’s funny how we translate busyness to importance. If I have all of this to do, I must be important, right? Let’s compare our to-do list for the day, and the one with […]
What has your self-doubt stolen from you? What opportunities were divinely aligned for you, but you were too afraid to step into because you didn’t feel good enough? What are you missing in your life right now solely because you talked yourself out of showing up for it? Honey, you settled. You settled for less […]
God has blessed you with the opportunity to live a big, beautiful life. He has brought you through the unimaginable. He has made a way where there was no way. He has strengthened you, equipped you, and blessed you. Now, what happens from here, for the most part, is up to you. What will you do with all God has done for you? How will you use what he has already given you?
Here we are waking up to a brand new month of life. The gift of September is here. We’ve never seen September 2023 before. This is all brand new. If you didn’t wake up this morning with great anticipation, you might just be missing the power of this gift. It’s here for you, now what in the world are you going to do with it?
If you use the days of this month to just drag your butt through a meaningless existence, it might not feel very impressive. However, if you use your days to plant every seed given to you, you might just be walking in a bountiful harvest in your future!
You don’t choose the seeds you are given. God creates the seed. He creates the opportunities. He gives the blessings. He provides the start. But I assure you, what God gives you is the beginning of more than you could possibly imagine. Now, it won’t look like much. In fact, seeds never look like what they will become. Have you seen the seed of a massive apple tree? It’s that tiny little nuisance you cut around when peeling an apple. But that seed has the potential to become something so much greater, it just doesn’t look like it in the beginning.
Recognize the little things that seem like a nuisance right now are your seeds. Seeds given to you by a mighty God who wants so much more for your life. Seeds entrusted to you to do something with. Honey, you have no idea what seeds of tremendous potential you’re holding in your hand right now. And while you don’t know what it could become, now is the time to trust God with the future harvest, and plant that seed!
Looking back, wouldn’t you agree it’s funny how life turns out. Can’t you look back and see how your first job led to your next job, and through the twists and turns it brought you to your career? If you would have told 17 year old Pamela that her job making cheeseburgers and french fries at McDonald’s would lead to a career of taking women on adventures around the world, I would have told you to shut the front door. But it did. Every step of the way, I was always being equipped for my future purposes through today’s work.
Yes, today’s work is equipping you for your future purposes. Don’t miss that!
What could today’s work be equipping you for in your future? MORE. BIGGER. GREATER.
That’s the thing about seeds and harvests. Harvests are always more than the seed they started with. They’re always bigger. And they’re always greater.
No, I don’t work at McDonald’s anymore, but I truly believe my weekend 3 am opening shifts were priming me for the very thing I do today. I had to learn how to wake up early. I had to learn how to choose happiness even when everyone else wasn’t. I had to learn how to be intentionally positive. I had to learn how to be faithful. That was the seed. My harvest is more. My harvest is bigger. My harvest is greater.
Look at the harvest of the seeds you have been faithful with. Can’t you see how it all grew to become so much more? And Sis, think about this, God knew all of this goodness was in your future when he gave you those seeds back then to work with. He always intended to bring you to a fulfilling harvest. But, remember, he’s still giving you seeds today. He’s still giving you opportunities to be faithful. This isn’t over. Why? Because God has more, bigger and greater things in your future.
Galatians 6:9, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
Remember back in January when you decided to do all the good things? You were going to get your life on track this year. You were going to show up and do the things you know you needed to do. And maybe you did for a little while. But what about now? Day 1 of month 9. Have you just gotten tired? Have you given up on planting those seeds? Honey, have you neglected the seeds of potential God has given you?
You stopped putting in the work. You stopped showing up with your best effort. You grew bored, distracted, and discouraged because this whole harvesting thing sometimes takes longer than we wish. But God knew that. He knew you might forfeit your harvest of blessings along the way because planting gets old. He knew you would take your future harvest for granted if the process were easy and automatic.
And you know what really sucks … picking weeds. Dang, I hate picking weeds. But, the weeds of life grow naturally and they threaten to choke out the good that is growing. We must protect what God has given us by continually removing the nasty little threats growing in our lives. Those bad habits. Those lazy tendencies. Those little settles along the way that lead to giving up. Those negative thoughts that create inaction. Pluck that sucker out by the roots!
Because here’s what God’s word promises us: We’re promised if we don’t give up, when the time is right, we will reap our harvest of blessings. What will the harvest look like? Probably nothing like the seeds we started with.
I think about my son. Dang he was a cute little boy. He loved his mama and was pure joy … until 12. At the age of 12 he morphed into a disgruntled and difficult little beast with a bad hairdo. In that season of life I began to understand why some animals eat their young. And it got worse before it got better. It’s a miracle we all survived and there was only 1 hole in the wall. (Yes, for real, there was a hole in the wall and I’m not the one who put it there but there were days I wanted to.) We went through seasons of ridiculously bad choices, seasons of lying, seasons of alcoholism, and seasons of losing his Jesus. And now … well now he’s handsome and healthy, married to his dream girl, living in Hawaii. And almost daily he calls his Mama and Daddy to chat about things like investments, marathon running, the power of prayer and the scripture he’s studying.
HARVEST OF BLESSINGS! A harvest that looks absolutely nothing like the seed I was dealing with in past seasons.
Are all my little seeds ready to harvest? No. Some of them are still in that awkward stage of not looking anything like what they have the potential of becoming, and requiring way more work than any growth I see. But that’s just the process.
Whether you’re dealing with a 12 year old who makes you want to punch holes in the wall, a job you dread going to, or the same dang 5 pounds that just keeps coming and going, or praying the same prayers that don’t seem to be working … remember the promise in God’s word. “Don’t get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up.”
Yes, on month 9 of this year, don’t you give up! You have seeds to be faithful with here today. Seeds that may just become something this month! And no doubt, you have weeds that need to be pulled. There are threats to all that is trying to grow in your life. Yank that crap out and set it on fire!
2 Corinthians 9:10, “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything.”
You know who God pours astonishing blessings on? The ones who have been faithful with their seeds. The ones who have been ripping out the weeds. The ones who haven’t given up. The ones still working in the fields even when we don’t see change.
Girls, we may not know what our harvest will look like, but we know we have been called to be faithful with our seeds, and we trust these seeds will become more, bigger, and better than anything we could imagine. So today, we’re not giving up!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Why doesn’t God just do what you think he should do when you think he should do it? Why do we have to wait? Why do things get worse before they get better? Why can’t God just swoop in and fix this right now?
As I was writing these questions this morning, God’s spirit immediately prompted me with this: God has! Countless times God has swooped in and fixed things before you even knew they needed fixing. Just yesterday he did miraculous things on your behalf you don’t even know about. You didn’t have to wait for it. It was immediate and it was perfect. So perfect you didn’t even notice. So first, let’s praise God for all he has done. Yes, before you even had time to come up with a solution on your own, God fixed the problem. Thank you God for your immeasurable grace over the details of my life. Thank you for your miraculous touch I’m not even aware of most of the time.
But some times, well some times, we wait. Some times the miracle doesn’t seem to come. Sometimes we sit and we watch as things go from bad to worse and there’s still no answer. What do we do with these times?
Whatever you’re going through, God has a purpose. Whatever you’re in the middle of right now, God’s good plans reach beyond this. And whatever you’re waiting for, God will do it in his divine timing, and when he does, it will be swift, it will be complete, and you will never be the same!
Isaiah was a prophet of God, meaning God spoke through him to deliver his messages to the people. Isaiah 60: 21-22, “Your days of mourning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory. The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”
This is a letter to the Israelites who would face extreme hardships through slavery, captivity, exile, and wandering through deserts facing enemies far bigger and greater than them. And the promise was, THIS WILL COME TO AN END. AT THE RIGHT TIME, I, THE LORD, WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
And this is our promise today. Whatever you’re going through, whatever you’re facing, whatever you just want to run away from and make go away, God assures you THIS WILL COME TO AN END. When? At the right time. How? God will make it happen.
This day, August 31st, is remembered as one of the hardest days for our family. It went from an extreme high, to one of the lowest lows I’ve ever lived through. This was a day we had been waiting on for over 9 months. The day we were going to Mexico and bringing our little girls home from the orphanage. I had bought a special pink shirt that said “Daddy Loves Me”, and a purple shirt that said “Mommy Loves Me”. Our 7 year old son was wearing a “Proud Big Brother” shirt. We had been told by Mexico that today was the day to bring home our girls and we couldn’t drive our little white Mitsubishi across that border fast enough.
We arrived to the orphanage where a celebration was happening. All the children gathered around the little girls we were claiming as our own. We had grown to love all of these kids in our years volunteering there, but we knew these two little girls were chosen by God as ours. I had been dreaming of them since meeting them. Their little faces had filled my dreams for 9 months as we proceeded with the myriad of paperwork. Alexa was 5, wearing her “Mommy Loves Me” shirt. Paola was 4, wearing her “Daddy Loves Me” shirt. And when they got in our car with their single black trash bag holding everything they had, they knew their lives would never be the same.
They were going home.
They were ours.
This is the day everything would change.
Until we got to the border. At the border we discovered our attorney had not completed the immigration paper work, and we were turned away. No entry into the US meant total failure. Mission incomplete. The girls had fallen asleep in the car, assuming they would wake up at their new home, but instead they woke up to the bumpy dirt road leading back to the orphanage. And there, we would have to leave them.
As they’re clinging to us, crying, we were forced to hand them over and drive away, not knowing if this would ever be made right. They weren’t going home. They weren’t ours. And that day ended in utter defeat.
I’ll never forget watching 5 year old Alexa hyperventilate when she saw the orphanage again. I’ll never forget the saddest brown eyes you’ve ever seen cry tears weighted with sheer pain in 4 year old Paola. And I’ll never forget driving home that day with one child instead of three, and crying myself to sleep in the pristine purple bedroom that awaited the girls.
But this wasn’t the end of their story. Just like this isn’t the end of your story. This heartbreak comes to an end. This battle must cease. At the right time, God will make it happen. The problem is, we don’t know what God knows, so we don’t understand his timing.
With proper perspective on the hardest day for our family, we now see the time simply wasn’t right on August 31st. And there was divine reason why. You see, 5 year old Alexa was getting ready for her 6th birthday. At the orphanage, they had been teaching this scared and broken little girl how to trust in a great big God who loved her wildly. She had prayed one of her first prayers, and it was simply to have a family for her birthday. And here’s the thing, her birthday was September 7th. We were 1 week early.
After one week of hiring every attorney that would answer our call, and faxing hundreds of letters to every government official we could get a number for, we were granted special permission to go get our girls and bring them home. Just guess what day it was. Go ahead and guess. One week later, it was September 7th, Alexa’s 6th birthday. The little girl who had been abandoned. The little girl who had been hurt. The little girl who had been so scared and heart broken. The little girl who had hyperventilated the week before when she woke up back at the orphanage. Yes, that little girl was getting the family she had prayed for, and it was on her exact birthday.
Now, the time was right. Now, God himself made it happen. Now, our days of mourning had come to an end.
We pulled up to that orphanage in our white Mitsubishi like it was a white stallion, and we got our girls. We put their special little shirts on them once again, and we walked across that border into the US, to never return again. And on this day, they were going home. On this day they were ours. On this day everything would change. And there couldn’t have possibly been a better day.
How much sweeter is their story because of that hardest day ever? How much more glory does God receive because of that delay to ensure that 6 year old little girl received her birthday prayer ON her exact birthday?
It’s been 17 years. Little Alexa is now married with a perfect baby boy, and they live in Italy. But I still see the little girl hyperventilating in our car, returning her to the orphanage because she just didn’t understand God was working to give her the greatest birthday gift in just 1 more week. I’m still grateful God is so big and so loving that he allowed all of this to ensure she would always know he heard her very specific prayer, and he answered in the most perfect way.
I don’t know what you’re praying for, and I don’t know how much longer it will be for you. But I know for sure, God has heard your prayers and he intends to do something about it. And I know when God does something about it, it will be swift. It will be complete. It will be perfect. And God will get all the glory because you’ll look back and see only God could have done it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you heard about glimmers? A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger. We all know about triggers. That little thing that just sets you off. A reminder of a painful memory, causing you to react negatively. If you experienced a traumatic event, you likely remember certain sounds, smells, or sights related to that experience. […]
Are you dragging around the regret and shame of something in your past right into your future? Does God’s forgiveness not cover this? Can this not be taken from you? Are you doomed to have this hanging over you forever? Here’s the thing about sin that we often miss. God doesn’t hate sin because we’ve […]
Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to get you or choose you. You can’t make everybody happy, girl, you’re not a taco! So, how do you continue to walk boldly in your purpose when others aren’t walking with you? How do you confidently show up as your authentic self when […]
Where you are today is not where you will stay. Who you are today is not all you will become. God is in the divine business of making you more than you could imagine and taking you to places beyond your wildest dreams. Who you have been does not define you. What you have done […]
What you have today is all it will take for your breakthrough. Honey, you’re not waiting until you have the right tools, you’re waiting until you have the faith to use what you already have. As always, I started this morning on my knees, asking God what he wanted to say through me today. He […]
I checked the weather today. You know what I found? Excessive heat warnings. Extreme weather alerts. Stupid hot temperatures. Do you know why I checked the weather? Because I also realized 4 months from today we will all be getting ready for Christmas. And guess what … it won’t be hot then. In fact, we’ll […]
Have you ever been so afraid to make a choice because you don’t want to make the wrong one? So afraid to take the next step because you’re unsure of the step to take? Maybe that’s you right now. You have a decision to make. Stay or leave. Do this or do that. Go here […]
Are you playing it safe? Eliminating the risk so failure isn’t a threat? What have you sacrificed for this safe life where you’re just trying to keep everything the same? Understand this, safe is just another word for regret. God is calling you into a life of full surrender, of bold decisions and BIG living. […]
You are being called out of the boat, into the water and into your next place of promise. Yes, you are being called to a place of promise. A place God has been preparing you for. A place of full circle, meaning, purpose and destiny. Do you want to go there? Do you want to […]
My facebook feed is currently flooded with those priceless back to school photos. Just yesterday I saw Breckyn’s first day of kindergarten and Kiley’s first day of college. And while it seems a lifetime will separate those two photos, us older moms know just how fast it all goes. We only have these kids home […]
What if God could help you forget? What if you don’t have to carry this pain with you into your future? What if your wounds could be completely healed and every ounce of hurt redeemed? What if you don’t have to replay the story one more time? What if all that happened to you in […]
When God created the world, he would pause and see that it was good. For six days, he created. He formed the mountains. He filled the seas. He breathed life into all living creatures. And the final verse of the first chapter of the Bible says, “God saw all that he had made, and it […]
God is here offering you a life beyond your wildest imagination. He’s already placed everything within you required, confidently believing you would accept the invitation. Don’t let it go to waste. Don’t miss your opportunity. Show up and participate! How do you do you do this? Really, how do you live this life God says […]
You’ve heard the phrase “hell no.” That’s when it’s not just a no, but it’s a definite, certain, undeniable, unshakable no. Hell no. What if that’s exactly what you need to be saying, but you forgot one thing. You forgot the comma. You see, when you place a comma, the entire sentence changes. Here’s an […]
God is not done with your story. This is not the end of what he’s doing in you, through you and for you. Oh honey, there is soooooo much more. More than you have dared to dream. More than you can imagine. Your story is MORE. Yesterday was the ribbon cutting ceremony for the 99+1 […]
Do you need God to come down like ASAP and get in the middle of your situation? Do you need him to show up and do something? Well, I know his call card. I know the guaranteed way to get his attention and move to action. Here it is … it is your praise. Psalm […]
It’s not if you’re going through hard times, honey, it’s HOW you’re going through hard times. Will you worry your way through this? Will you be a ball of anxiety, overwhelmed in the emotions of a tough situation? Will you become bitter, hardened, jaded and cynical? Or will you stand strong in your faith and […]
What do you do after a big disappointment? Your steps after a failure are of great importance. When you most don’t want to get out of bed to face the day, there’s something Jesus wants you to know. We will learn this valuable lesson through the story of Peter. Remember, Peter is the gutsy friend […]
Oh, the things self-doubt is robbing from you. Just because you don’t feel qualified doesn’t mean it’s not in your destiny. Just because you dismiss yourself doesn’t mean God has dismissed you. If you’ve been letting that little voice in your head talk you out of showing up, let me be straight up honest with […]
If it were certain, it wouldn’t require faith. If it were easy, faith wouldn’t be necessary. If you knew exactly when and how it was all going to happen, faith would never be exercised. But, it is your FAITH that pleases God. It is your FAITH that makes you righteous. It is your FAITH that […]
There are spiritual solutions for the problems you face. Yes, solutions that are beyond you and above you. And yet, these solutions are within your reach. You access them through prayer. But isn’t it funny how we often pray as a last resort instead of our greatest resource. Prayer gets put on the back burner […]
No pain, no gain, right? But wouldn’t we all just rather have no pain? No pain at all. No suffering. No hardship. No setback. We all would choose the path of no pain, but would we be sacrificing great gain? What has caused you pain in your life? What hardship have you endured? Maybe you’re […]
This weekend, while hosting the BIG Life Retreat in Lake Tahoe, California, I had a moment of absolute awe and wonder. There were about 12 of us gathered around a table on the top deck of a gorgeous log cabin in the tall pine trees. Sitting around this table, I listened to the stories of […]
Why the rush? Why do we jump from one thing to the next without fully enjoying either? Who set this pace you’re living in, and is it working for you? I admittedly sped through my 30’s. Looking back, it’s all a blur as I hurried my children, pushed my plans, and rushed through each task […]
Who are you? I mean really, who are you? Behind the scenes, beneath the layers, who are you? Do you like you? Are you proud of you? Are you living a life as the person you really want to be, or when you’re being truly honest are you a bit disappointed in yourself? You’re certainly […]
Sometimes we can want something so bad, that it completely blinds us. We can become so wrapped up in our little world here and now that we forget God’s big picture plan reaches far beyond this. And while we are forced to wait, we sure can make a mess of things, can’t we? Many years […]
Why can’t life just calm down? Why can’t the problems go away? Why can’t this whole thing just be easier? Well, let me tell you why … because God is refining us. Through the heat, through the fire, through the pressures, and through the trials, God is crafting you to become everything he designed you […]
What keeps us from a life fully surrendered to God? What separates us from living in the full potential of partnership with our Creator who has these good plans for our lives? Could it be the simple belief that we first need to clean ourselves up, then we will step into that? Could it be […]
What if this isn’t whether or not you have a hardship in your life, but rather how you steward any hardship you may endure. We spend so much of our time trying to avoid hardship at all costs, when the truth is, they’re going to come. No one is immune to the tough stuff of […]
Who is this God we pray to, and are we bothering him with our requests? Are we even doing it right? Are our prayers getting through? Does the Creator of the Universe really hear our requests, and if he does, does he really want to? Scripture is filled with instructions on prayer. We are instructed […]
Everything God does is with eternity in mind. When God says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”, he’s not just referring to your future later this year or 10 years from now. […]
Sometimes, don’t you just feel alone in the crowd? Like you’re lost in the mix and no one really knows what you’re battling. So, you battle alone. You fight those feelings alone. You wrestle those thoughts alone. But, my sister, you are not alone. Ever. There hasn’t been a second of your existence that you […]
If you’re going through hell, what should you do? KEEP ON GOING. There’s a country song most of us know that says: If you’re goin’ through hell, keep on goingDon’t slow down, if you’re scared don’t show itYou might get out before the devil even knows you’re there But, what do we often do? We […]
As you wait, are you wondering if God is really for you? Are you questioning if God really has a good plan here? All this waiting and wondering kinda zaps a girl’s hopes. If that’s where you are today; waiting, wondering, worrying, wishing, without any signs of God working, this devotional is specifically for you! […]
You’ve been putting up with crap for entirely too long. It’s exhausting and overwhelming you. It has zapped your energy, stolen your peace, and robbed you of your joy. You’ve literally been living in torment because you don’t recognize the attacks of the enemy of your soul. And because you don’t recognize this crap as […]
Our problem with today is we can’t see beyond it. We’re focused on today, but there’s so much more than today. Here’s precisely what God asked me to tell you today: THERE IS A GREAT FUTURE FOR YOU BEYOND THIS. God has gone before you and designed a future just for you that reaches far […]
You don’t see what God sees in your circumstances. You don’t see how he is using all things together for good. You don’t see the plans he is aligning and the details he is orchestrating. And, you’re not supposed to. You’re not supposed to know how God is going to do what God is going […]
Have you ever been on a beach at the end of a busy summer day to see all the footprints, all the mounds of sand piled, and all the deep holes dug? Then what about the next morning? That same beach is fresh and flat, and all the mess of yesterday has been washed away. […]
That thing you hide from others so well, isn’t hidden from Jesus. That thing you carry around on the inside of you is fully seen by Jesus. He knows your dirt. He sees your shame. He is aware of your guilt. And he’s not walking away from you for a second! You’re not dismissed from […]
Wouldn’t it just be nice to know exactly what you’re supposed to do with what is coming next? Wouldn’t it be great to know how what you’re dealing with right now is going to all work out? Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you knew precisely when it’s going to happen so you could […]
You’re waiting right now. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for something to change. Waiting for an answer. Waiting for a breakthrough. Waiting for your next move to be revealed. We’re all waiting. God wants us to wait better. He wants us to wait different. Instead of our worry filled, anxious and impatient questioning, God […]
Today, in America, we celebrate Independence Day. Flags are waving, anthems are playing, families and friends gather as fireworks are set off into the sky. We celebrate FREEDOM. Freedom allows us to live fully. Freedom promises opportunities and possibilities. Freedom brings joy and happiness because all that has served to hold us back has been […]
Sometimes I literally feel like God tricks me into the best parts of my life. And he has to, because I realize I wouldn’t have stepped into the best things on my own. God had to do that. I’ve just returned from hosting the retreat of my dreams. Now granted, my dreams are not everyone […]
Often times we’re going through life running low on power and energy because we’ve failed to plug in to the one thing our soul most needs. What is it our soul most needs? Connection with our creator. Ahhhhh yes, when is the last time you connected with your creator? He is your power source. Are […]
Where do you find your worth? Where do you find you identity? Do you find your worth in the kids you’re raising? Ahhhh, be careful my friend, prodigal sons and prodigal daughters come from even the best of families and if your worth is tied up in them, you may be heading for the clearance […]
So Much More Have you ever gotten your hopes up over something specific happening and it’s a big ol’ let down? You’re excited thinking “finally, this is it” then wa-wa-wahhhhh it’s a sore disappointment. What do you do when you’re disappointed? What do you do when time and time again life just doesn’t quite work […]
Today you and I woke up to the opportunity to start again. An opportunity to step into the fullness of God’s grace and mercy and receive a fresh start. But sadly, most will miss this opportunity. Instead we will receive the offer of the enemy to dwell on where we screwed up yesterday. The offer […]
Your brain is specifically wired to protect you. Protect you from harm and danger, and promote survival. The bad news is, honey, that brain was great for the time in history when humans were running from saber tooth tigers and killing lions for dinner. But that hasn’t been happening lately, now has it? You’re not […]
Does God want you to be miserable? Does he want you to wake up each day, dreading the life you have been given to live? Are his intentions to steal all your fun and joy so that you walk around overwhelmed and depressed, encouraging others to follow you to this God who gave you this […]
What does it mean to love people? Does it mean to agree with them? Does it mean to think like them? Does it mean for them to be like you and you to be like them? Jesus is our perfect example of love. Literally, perfect. And Jesus shows us he loved people he didn’t agree […]
Do you have a life purpose statement? Like a mantra that shifts your perspective and helps you see your overall life and it’s purpose more clearly? I’m going to suggest that in the busyness of this life that gets really loud and chaotic, you get yourself a life purpose statement. One that remains true regardless […]
God is working, and you’ve been overlooking it. He’s moving, but you’ve failed to see it. His power has been in motion, but you’re not seeing the effects. You think everything is just staying the same. You think nothing is happening now and therefore nothing will ever happen. But Sis, you’re wrong. Oh, there is […]
The time of your complaining has come to an end. The worry flowing from your mouth and filling your conversations has been put on order to cease. This is a Spirit of Shut Up. No more doubting. No more fearful ‘what if’ scenarios spoken about. No more negativity. God says ZIP IT! God is working […]
Why is it we suffer alone? Why do we struggle our way through life entirely more than is necessary? Really, why are you here today, silently battling whatever you’re battling, thinking this is just the way it’s going to be for you? Girls, we are entirely too quick to make peace with our problem and […]
Has God been faithful to you? Do you have anything in your life as a direct result of his hand of mercy and grace over you? Does he know how you feel about it? Seriously, does God KNOW you’re grateful? Have you told him? Luke 17: 11-19 tells the story of Jesus encountering 10 men […]
Why are you holding back? Really, why are you withholding thinking you can’t give the very best of you? You’re not allowing yourself to go all in right here and now, because for some reason you’re convinced you’re going to run out if you give it your all. I get it. I used to do […]
Body Lease Agreement: https://shorturl.at/klnv9 Just how much do you hate your body? How much do you dislike your own skin and the reflection you see? How long are you going to punish yourself, sitting your own self in time out, not allowed to fully enjoy this life you have been given? You don’t get to […]
For the past 12 hours, I’ve been asking God exactly what he wants to say to you through me today. I’ve been seeking his promptings for this devotional, praying it would meet you where you are and be precisely what you need to hear for your next step. And I believe what you hear next […]
Are you stuck in a waiting period, just hoping God has heard your prayer? You’ve prayed, but you haven’t heard God’s answer. You’ve sought him, but you haven’t seen him working. What do you do in this space between asking and receiving? What do you do when you’re trying your best to believe God is […]
Do you ever feel like you do all that you do for nothing? Like everyone takes you for granted and no one gives you the credit you deserve? Whew, that can make us some bitter women! I cleaned this house all day and not a single one of you said thank you. What, you think […]
Right now, at this very moment, you are being led. Lovingly led into good plans for your future. Led onto the right path to get you there. Led through valleys and dark shadows to bring you to the place your creator designed for you. Who is leading you? It’s Jesus, your Good Shepherd. Here’s the […]
God is using your deepest pain to launch your greatest calling. The very thing that threatened to take you out serves to bring you in closer. Maybe from where you are today, you can look back and see for yourself how the hardest times brought you to a greater purpose. And if you can see […]
The battle you’re in right now has already been won by God. He already has a plan. He’s already seen the end. He already knows the victory ahead while you just know the struggle you continue to be in. We can get so overwhelmed in the fight, but God has never been overwhelmed. He’s never […]
Sometimes life is straight up hard. It’s not fair. It doesn’t make sense. We want out of it, but there doesn’t seem to be a way out, just through.
But you’re tired of going through this. You’re tired of this hardship. You’re tired of this struggle. And you’re not sure how much more your heart can take.
I hear you, my sister. Some have reached out to me recently and I want you to know you were on my heart this morning. Your situation was on my mind. I talked to God about you, and I asked him what he wanted to say to you today through me. And this is what he gave me.
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
That brokenness you feel within has summoned God Almighty to drawn in close to you. He is here. He is right here with you, right now. Your spirit feels crushed. Your hopes have been diminished. The light of your joy has temporarily gone out. But God is rescuing you!
You may not see it right now, and you may not feel it today, but I assure you, God is rescuing you.
Somehow, someway, he is going to get you through this. He isn’t going to leave your side, you will never be alone. His supernatural strength will be given to you. His divine direction will be flowing through your spirit. His presence will be all around you. And let me tell you something, THE ENEMY FLEES IN HIS PRESENCE!
Deuteronomy 28:7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
So, Sis, here’s what you can’t do in the middle of this. You can’t give up. You can’t crawl in that hole and pull that rock over your head. You can’t believe the lies that tell you it’s always going to be this way.
God is drawing close to you in your brokenheartedness, and the enemy simply cannot remain in his presence. When you show up with God, the demons of hell go running!
Now maybe you don’t know how to show up with God right now because you’re out of the words to pray. You’re out of the energy to try anything else. You’re at the very bottom and the way up seems absolutely impossible. The good news is, it’s not your perfect prayers, or a 3 step plan followed that you need here. You need God and God draws in close to the brokenhearted. He rescues the crushed in spirit. God is on the move to you, you don’t even have to be on the move to him.
He’s near you, Sis. He’s here going through this with you. He is actively rescuing you in this. His presence with you is causing the enemy to flee.
Who wrote these words, “”The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
It is believed to be David, or someone close to David writing about his life. David went through many hardships and struggles. When the King is out for your life, you’re in trouble and you have something to worry about. But 3 times King Saul tries to seize and kill David, and 3 times he failed. Why? Because God protected David. God gave David supernatural battle plans. He hid him and protected him. He gave him favor in battle and made impossible things happen.
When David’s newborn son died, God was close to him, and soon gave him another son named Solomon. This baby grew to become King Solomon.
God worked in loss. He worked in chaos. He worked in battle. He worked in struggle. David’s entire life was proof of God’s presence and rescue.
And God is doing the same for you in this. Whatever you’re going through that’s breaking your heart, God is drawing close to you. His presence is all around you. His presence protects you from the continued attacks of the enemy. Will the enemy still try to attack? Yes. But he won’t be successful. That scripture says the enemy will come at you one way, so no doubt he is coming. He is attacking. But, notice it says, he will flee 7 ways.
7 ways God will defend you. 7 ways God will protect you. 7 ways God will rescue you. And all 7 will have your enemy fleeing, scattered, overwhelmed and defeated. The enemy has to flee because continually coming after a girl who is protected by God is a waste of his time. And you, YOU ARE PROTECTED BY GOD.
Know that today. Find peace in that today. Know that your crushed spirit is being rescued. Rescued by a powerful and almighty God who has good plans for your life.
As you go through this, God is close to you. You are held in his mighty arms. You are safe in his shadow. You are strengthened in his spirit. And God is going to bring you through to victory.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if you could be wildly successful in this new month of life? What would that look like for you?
Did you know God has success designed for each of us? You know those good plans for our lives he talks about in Jeremiah 29:11, yeah, those plans are for success. The problem is, we’ve twisted success to mean things that take us farther away from God instead of closer to him.
Success is not always overflowing business … not if that business wears you out. Success is not always toned legs and an ab or two that pops out on your perfectly flat tummy … not if that becomes your identity. Success is not always a list of goals achieved … not if that becomes your obsession.
Success is actually the same for you and I. Regardless of where you live and what you do, and how different it may be from where I currently am, we share the same success. Success is knowing and doing God’s will. Success is walking in the flow of his divine power to be right where you’re supposed to be naturally. Success is becoming who God created you to be.
This is success.
You know why? Because who God created you to be is who you really want to be. By design, all your desires are directly connected to God’s vision for your life. When you’re living as who God created you to be, you feel different, you show up different, and life becomes different. You feel good in your own skin. All this time you’ve been wanting to trade skin with someone else and have a life that looks more like theirs, but it’s your skin that fits just right when you’re growing to become who God created you to be.
Nothing feels better than living in a trajectory of your God granted destiny. Nothing feels better than walking in your purpose. Nothing feels better than watching your life transform to become what God envisioned when he created you.
This is success. And I’m telling you, YOU WANT IT!
You want to wake up with purpose.
You want your every step to be guided supernaturally.
You want to love the life you live and the woman you are in that life.
And I assure you, God wants that for you.
God is not playing some wicked game of cat and mouse, dangling success in front of you, only to take it away from you before you get there. He’s not trying to trick you into a life you will be miserable in. He’s not punishing you or withholding from you.
Mamas, how badly do you want good things for your own kids? How much do you want them to be successful? Don’t you want them to find their people, find their groove, and walk boldly into a ridiculously good life? Think about that, then know God feels the same way, and even more, about you.
Now here’s the real eye opening moment. As much as I want these good things for my children, I can’t give it to them. I can’t always help them find their people. They’re going to go through heartache and let down. They will choose the wrong people, then try to fix the wrong people and lose themselves along the way. (Oh wait, am I just speaking from personal experience here? Maybe there aren’t any other moms who have watched their daughters try to fix every broken boy on a bad path, then be drug onto a bad path herself. Or maybe I’m not alone in this at all.) I can’t always give the perfect advice for the choice they should make, because quite honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know which career will be best for them. I don’t know where they should go to school or where they should live. I don’t know what they should do from here.
I give to my children from a less than perfect resource … which is me. I truly want what’s best for them, but I don’t always know what’s best.
But God is perfect, and he has every resource ever created. He owns it all and controls it all. He knows the end from the beginning. It’s all within his hands and obeys his command. So, if God always wants what’s best for us (which he does), then coming to him for guidance is the key! God gives from his all, and his all is everything we will ever need.
He knows exactly who are people are, we just have to ask him.
He knows precisely where we will thrive, we just have to be led by him.
He has always known what will be so perfectly right for us, we just have to seek him.
Acts 20: 22-24, Luke writes, “But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won’t be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.”
Luke was a man who was led by God. He said he felt “compelled” to go to Jerusalem. That’s how God’s Holy Spirit works. It compels us. It prompts us. It stirs a next step within us.
And there are two more lessons for us to learn in this scripture from Luke.
- He didn’t have to know what would happen when he followed this prompting. He released all details and control. His life was lived in surrender. If God compels me to go, I will go.
- He made friends with hard times. Luke knew going where God was telling him to go wouldn’t be easy, but he went any way. Our problem is, we’re seeking easy a whole lot more than we’re seeking God. We want God to pave the way for us, but if there’s a bump along the way, we’re so quick to dismiss the path as if it’s not for us. This wasn’t easy, so it can’t be what God has for me. WRONG. This is hard? This may be exactly what God has for you, because this hardship was designed for God’s power to flow through you perfectly, Sis. Stop giving up just because it’s hard.
Luke knew what his job was. He knew his purpose. He was living in success. Success is knowing and doing God’s will. Success is becoming who you were created to be.
Now the question, how do you know God’s will so you can do it? How do you discover who you were created to be?
It’s really quite simple, Sis, and you can start doing it today. In fact, you already are. The simple fact that you are listening today tells me you’re doing it. You pressed play today because you want to spend time with God. You want to grow closer to him. You want to know more of his word. And really, that’s it.
Spend time with God. Draw closer to him. Study his word.
How about some scripture throw down?
Psalm 25: 4-5 “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 25: 9 “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
God is serious about guiding you to the good plans he has for you. God is personally invested in leading you to success in this life.
A mind thinks differently when it has spent time with God. Eyes see differently when they’ve studied his word. Our spirit is pinged with promptings of which way to go and what to do when we are continually seeking God.
And that’s really how it happens.
Plain and simple.
God has success for you. Success that will fit you better than anything you’ve ever tried before. Success that will fill you with energy and passion. Success that will have you overflowing with joy. Stepping into that success and dwelling in it every day of your life is 100% contingent upon spending time with God, drawing closer to him, and studying his word.
As you consider your goals for this new month of life, will you make time for God? He has success for you in June, but it only comes through him.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Were you once doing well, going strong, making major progress and then you got tripped up? Something stopped your progress and you’ve been a bit stalled since. You lost your get up and go. Your motivation is now low. You say you will, but you won’t. You get your hopes up that this time you’ll stick with it, this is it … then you’re disappointed once again with another start strong and stop quick.
Or maybe you’re just now shaking off the past little hiccup in your journey and you’ve started again. You’ve made a little progress, but deep down you’re worried you’ll fail again. You know your own track record and feel it’s just a matter of time until you mess it all up.
Have you ever wondered if maybe God gets frustrated with us? Imagine God has this great plan for your life and you’re missing out on it because you’re tripped up and can’t seem to stick with the plan. How does God feel about this? What does he have to say to you about it today?
God wants you to know he’s in the business of redeeming and restoring, then refocusing. He’s got your number and, ring ring ring, oh hello, he just called it!
Look at Peter. Most of us know the disciple Peter for one thing … denying Jesus. You remember the story, Jesus is preparing the disciples for his own crucifixion which was ahead. Peter says “Jesus I will go with you even to death.” And Jesus says, Peter before the rooster crows, you will deny you even know me 3 times.
And Peter failed Jesus, not once, not twice, but indeed 3 times. 3 times he denied Jesus. And when he heard that rooster crow he remembered what Jesus had said. Can you imagine his shame? Can you imagine the reality of his failure?
But here’s the thing for us to remember and apply today. Jesus knew Peter would fail, and he chose him anyway. This was no surprise to Jesus. And God knew you would screw up too. He knew you would get lazy. He knew you would waiver in your commitment. He knew you would get distracted and lose your focus. He knew in advance every misstep you have taken and will take and he is choosing you still. GOD IS STILL CHOOSING YOU. He hasn’t thrown his good plan for your life out the window. God has chosen you and he wants to work with you through your failures and use them as a set up for your comeback. He sees your struggles and says “ahhhh, I can help her with that! I know exactly what to do.”
God wants to partner with you. With his limitless power and your God given potential, you can do the impossible … but you can’t do it on your own. You’re going to kill yourself trying to overcome your past and future failures on your own. God wants to restore you. He wants to help you. Won’t you surrender to him and recognize YOU NEED HIM. You will always be a work in progress this side of heaven. Go ahead and make friends with the process.
Now, shed the shame. Failures and shortcomings come with a natural measure of guilt and shame. But your failure is not the end of your story. Peter’s failure wasn’t the end of his story. He had this epic public fail that we’re still reading about today. Gosh, aren’t you glad to know your failure probably won’t even be remembered 5 years from now. If Peter can overcome his failure, I’m pretty sure you can too. Shame and guilt are and indicator of where you went wrong and what you can do different. It’s temporary. Recognize it, then shed it. But here’s what the enemy does. He comes in and takes that natural shame and guilt you feel and attaches it to your identity. The enemy takes your failure and says YOU ARE a failure. He’s a liar. He’s a manipulator. He twists the truth to rob you of your power and stall your progress.
So you screwed up. So you’ve gone backwards again. So you wasted some time. Okay, whatcha gonna do about it now? God’s already over it, can you get over it too and make progress again? God’s desire is for you to be restored and use every ounce of the hurt, every lesson in the failure for good in your future. But you can’t do that carrying around shame.
Understand what shame does in your life … it creates a distance between you and God. You run and hide. You pull away from not only God, but you pull away from the very people he has put in your life to help you. Where are my hiders at? You’ve had a little hiccup. You went backwards … and now you’re hiding! You’ve pulled away haven’t you?
If Peter would have been stuck in shame, he would have avoided Jesus. But we read in John chapter 21 that after Jesus had been crucified and put in the grave, the disciples were on the water fishing. Jesus walks up and says “hey boys, you catching anything?” When they realized it was Jesus, Peter was the one, and the only one, to get out of the boat and head to Jesus. He didn’t avoid Jesus, he swam to him.
Peter could have sat in that boat and hung his head, beating himself up for his epic failure. But he made a choice to instead swim to Jesus. Oh girls, we need to jump out of the boat and start swimming too. We can’t sit here rehashing our failures for the 73rd time. Remember, God knew you would screw up and he chose you anyway. He can work with exactly what you have. He can meet you exactly where you are right now and take you somewhere greater.
Don’t let anything in your past keep you from the future Jesus has for you.
Isaiah 44:22 says “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Peter became one of the greatest crusaders for Christ. A former failure. Redeemed. Restored. Refocused.
A fail doesn’t make you a failure. God knew all the times you would start and give up, and yet he’s still betting on you. He knows you, he believes in you. He wants to restore you. Redeem you. And refocus you.
You have a chance to start again. You were born for this. Let’s get going.
Within the inner circle of BIG Life are the amazing gals I get to personally mentor. One is celebrating a big milestone of sobriety. What an accomplishment. What a life change. I wonder how many times she had attempted to change this area of her life before and failed? What if she would have never tried again? She would be missing out on the amazing life she is living today.
Another one of the women I mentor has decided to rewrite her story. She will no longer live in the wake of a bad decision that created a hole where she has been stuck for years. She recognized the ties the enemy has had on the women of her family for generations, and she is breaking those ties so her daughter won’t have to. Do you know how many times she wanted to make this big move and just couldn’t? Do you know how many times she would take the first step, then fall 2 steps back? Many. Countless probably. But this time it’s different. This time she is seeking God and God has been so sweet to go before her and make a way. You see, that’s what God has always wanted to do for her, but she had to fully seek him. He has been waiting for her faithfully.
Now, these women are living in a freedom they’ve never known. They see God in every detail. They have been redeemed. They have been restored. And they are refocused.
Redemption, restoration and a complete refocus is available for you too my sister. Won’t you grab it and run with it today? Run right into the arms of Jesus who will guide you every step of the way. Run right into the life that’s always been waiting for you.
Here we go. Today we shed the shame and guilt and we step up to receive what is being offered for us.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Our God is a healer, redeemer and restorer. His desire is to guide you to living the best life he imagined for you from the very beginning.
His answer to your request for healing and restoration is YES. Do you believe that? Yes, he will heal you. Yes, he will restore that which is so broken right now. Yes, he will redeem that which seems too far gone and beyond hope. Yes he will, and yes he is.
Right now, at this very moment, he is healing and saving. He is doing a work you cannot fathom and you do not yet know. Just as you can’t see God, but you believe he is real, you cannot see what he is doing on your behalf here, but you can believe it to be true.
Jeremiah 17:14 says “Oh Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!”
As a response 13 chapters later in Jeremiah 30:17 we hear from God when he says ” ‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.”
It’s not a question of WILL HE. Will he provide? Will he guide? Will he make a way? Will he heal? Will he save? Will he restore?
ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, HE WILL.
What you do not know is how or when.
Jesus is unlimited, so stop limiting his power in your life to do things when and how you believe they should be done.
I’ve seen some of his miraculous works in my life, and they totally were NOT how imagined they would be, nor were they when I thought they would be best. But Jesus is not limited to my human concepts of restoration, or my timeline apparently. While it all seemed to be growing worse, Jesus was behind the scenes doing things I could not see, in ways I could not imagine. Now I see my role was never to know and understand, my role was to trust and hold tight to his promises. My role was also to get the heck out of the way and stop blocking his work.
Jesus is a healer. But how he will heal may be different than you imagine. Will you have enough faith to take your Jesus out of the box and let him work in your life?
Of course we know Jesus healed by touch. When he laid his hands on someone, his healing power would be transferred. I often pray for his touch.
We also see that Jesus healed by speaking. With one word, sickness would be gone. He told the crippled man to get up and walk, and with his word, he did. He still has that power in your life. He can speak one word over you, and your entire world can change.
But if I’m being honest, I don’t believe I’ve ever physically felt the hand of Jesus or heard him speak. But I know without a doubt he has healed me more than once and worked in miraculous ways on my family’s behalf. How did he do it? In ways we may often miss. In ways that don’t look miraculous at all.
In your bible are all the different ways Jesus healed and they’re all unique and bizarre in their own way. He spit in the mud and used that mud to give sight to a blind man. He put his fingers in a deaf man’s ears to make him hear again. He told 10 lepers to walk down the path to go see the priests and as they went they were healed on their way. He told another man to take a bath in the dirtiest of waters to receive his healing.
And here’s the thing, none of these had any magic healing power. It wasn’t the mud that healed him. It wasn’t the path. It wasn’t the water in the pool. It was a step of obedience in accordance to faith.
Your movement of FAITH unleashes the power of Jesus.
For some, getting up today when there seemed to be absolutely no good reason to get up, was an act of faith. Jesus’ power is meeting you here.
Is that you? Have you become so overwhelmed with the hardships of life that you could barely get out of bed? Your foot on the floor is your act of faith today. Your shower is your act of faith. It won’t always be this way, but for some, that is the biggest act of faith today. Even the smallest movement forward. And for you, Jesus’ power meets even that tiny step that has taken your all.
For others, continuing to pray over a situation that only seems to be getting worse is an act of faith. Jesus’ power is working here.
I know you’ve talked to God about this countless times and yet nothing seems to be changing. Me too. But I once again talked to God this morning. I approached his throne again with my requests, even when it’s been years of praying with no real change. Here’s what I know … Jesus’ power is working here. And his power is working with your every prayer too.
Take the limits off of how he can work. It may be in really bizarre and unexpected ways. I can’t determine how Jesus is going to heal, but I know he is a healer. He let Lazarus die first, then he healed him. He took Enoch and Elijah straight to heaven without dying. I can’t predict how and when he’s going to work, but I trust HE IS.
Right now, he is working. He is doing what we cannot do. He is moving mountains we don’t even know exist. He is making ways where we believed there could never be a way. HE IS DOING IT.
He is doing it for me. He is doing it for you. Will you believe that?
Decide right now you will take the limitations off his power in your life. You will trust he will work in his own miraculous way, while you get out of the way. Although you may not understand it now, one day you will and you will be amazed by all he did for you.
There is no truer act of obedience than praise while there is still a problem. Will you take that movement today with faith? The movement of faith called praise when the problem is still really darn REAL and really darn BIG?
Will you praise God for what he is doing while you still don’t know what the heck he is actually doing? Will you praise him for all he is doing in the unseen that you simply can’t understand?
This is your movement of faith, and Jesus responds here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today is Memorial Day here in the US. It’s a day set aside to remember and honor the lives of our military sacrificed to serve and protect us. All gave some, but some gave all. We wouldn’t have what we have and live the way we live if not for their all that was given. So today, we remember them. We mourn them. We honor them. We pray for their families. Let us not be ungrateful brats bickering over our differences of opinions, becoming so divided in a country that was paid for with precious blood to be united.
Today is also celebrated as the unofficial start of Summer 2023. For my sisters who have endured a long, hard winter of ridiculously cold days, your blessed Summer time is here. You spent the entire winter dreaming of that warm sunshine, now it’s finally here. School is out. The kids are home. Vacations are happening. The swimsuits are going on those bodies that have been wrapped up in layers. (And this is a PSA to all my sisters dreading the swimsuits … please know your loved ones just want you in on the fun, so please don’t sit this out! You can’t afford to declare you won’t be partaking in the summer fun because you aren’t happy with your body. Let’s work together to love our bodies, care for our bodies, and stop hating ourselves into a sad, lonely, hot corner, where we refuse to get in on the fun because we insist on wearing pants. It’s ridiculous.)
Summer 2023 is here! And this will all be over in just 98 days. You get 98 days of unofficial summer this year. 98 days from today, Memorial Day, to Labor Day, the ceremonial end of summer.
And here’s what I know from experience, and you do too, these 98 days will go fast. Time will not slow down. The days will come and they will go, and they will pass quickly whether you’re living them or not. So Sis, God’s suggestion is for us to LIVE THEM!
Moses prayed in Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
What if this could be our prayer for Summer 2023? Lord, teach me to number the days of this summer so that I live each day well and waste nothing.
Moses is asking God for wisdom to account for our time. To know what’s important and what is not. To spend our precious days on things that will matter. To value the moments in the days God has given us.
Only God can give us the divine wisdom to best live this summer. Only he can show us the value of these 98 days. Only he can open our eyes to the preciousness of this specific summer. So today, on day 1 of Summer 2023, we pray, “Lord, teach us to number the days of this summer so that we live each day well and waste nothing.”
What if you started a countdown of Summer? Today is day 1. Tomorrow is day 2. July 4th is day 37. August 1st is day 65. September 4th is the final day, day 98. This is numbering our days so we gain wisdom. This is acknowledging life is passing and this is precious.
What if we could consider every 24 hour period of the Summer 2023 as something valuable God has entrusted to us? Each day is not only a gift from God, but a responsibility to take the 24 hours and live them in a way that honors their true value. How can we live each numbered day of this summer in a way that honors the graciousness of our God for giving us the opportunity to even be here? How can we be faithful with our 98 days?
I remember when my kids were home, how summer would quickly turn into a messy house, bored kids that wanted to bicker, and a grouchy mama yelling more than I wanted to admit. And now, I realize just how numbered those days were. How precious they were. I only got 18 summers with them. Just 18. Then they were gone. I don’t get them back.
If you have kids at home, I pray you learn to number these days so you gain a heart of wisdom. The heart that knows these summers are so short and precious and passing quickly will certainly live differently. The heart that sees the value of each of these 98 days will not want to waste one.
Today is day 1 of my 47th summer. How many summers have you had? How many more will you get? It’s limited. It’s precious. When you learn to number them, they represent their true value.
Tomorrow will always threaten to steal the joy of today. Don’t let it. Don’t dread the work. Don’t dread the change. Don’t dread what you’ve imagined may come next.
This past week has been a sober reminder of the countdown on our lives which we live unaware of. I learned of a beautiful teenage cheerleader who died from fentanyl. I learned of a young pastor who’s vehicle collided with a train, killing his two little girls, leaving him and his little boy seriously injured, and a mother with more pain that I can possibly imagine. I learned of a young mom, pregnant with twins, who was in a car accident which took the lives of the mom and both unborn babies, leaving a 2 year old behind.
This is real life. It happens. I don’t understand it. I don’t agree with it. I can’t stop it. And this real life comes and touches every single one of us at some point. But, Sis, if you’re here today with an ounce of anything to be grateful for and joyous over, then you simply cannot afford to waste this!
Day 1 of Summer 2023. A heart that fully understands the gift of this day knows how precious and limited it is, and will live it differently. A heart that has learned to number their days, seizes the opportunity to live in the middle of what is and values each opportunity given to them by a gracious God who has gone before them in the Summer of 2023.
I’ve created a bucketlist of 100 simple, fun and creative ways to enjoy your 98 days. The BIG Life Summer Bucketlist is free for download and posted all over my social media. Find BIG Life or me, Pamela Crim, on Facebook or Instagram and look for the bright orange and pink image. Which item from the list will you choose today? Will you take a jumping photo? Will you watch the sunset? Will you go for a hike? Will you have a family BBQ? Will you eat dinner outside? Will you have a campfire? Will you run through the sprinklers? Will you blow bubbles? Will you go to the park? Will you use the fancy dishes? Will you eat a snow cone? Will you pick flowers? Will you go fishing? Will you have a deluxe PB&J picnic?
The real question is, will you live? Will you live like tomorrow isn’t promised? Will you live like this day is of tremendous value? Will you live like this day is a prized and precious gift entrusted to you for the purpose of living it ridiculously well and honoring the giver of the gift with your attitude and actions?
It’s day 1 of the 98 days of Summer 2023. Lord, teach me to number the days of this summer so that I live each day well and waste nothing.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Consumed? Did you know this is NOT God’s plan for you? He never intended for you to be consumed by stress and worry. He never intended for your schedule to be so busy that you’re frazzled. Nor did he intend for you to be consumed by a career, cars, clothes, a clearance rack or a cell phone. He didn’t create you to be distracted or divided. His plan for you is to be grounded, balanced, centered, focused, committed. That is your best life. This is your truest potential.
So how do we get back to that? How do we snap out of the overwhelm? How do we keep from being consumed?
God has a treasure for you in his word today. Words written by a broken hearted man named Jeremiah. A man who was surrounded by destruction, yet knew the secret to not being destroyed. In Lamentations 3: 21 he says “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this …”
He’s saying circumstances threaten to overwhelm me. Stress and fear are constantly knocking on my door. Darkness may threaten my happiness, yet I still DARE to HOPE.
Today, will you still dare to hope? Dare to hope when it seems hopeless? Dare to hope when the time has run out? It’s easy to hope when it’s sunny and 75, but someone is listening today who is in a winter season in their life that doesn’t seem to end. A season of loss. A season of hardship. A season of dormancy. And hope means you must dare. You must take a chance. You must muster up all the faith you have and say I still dare to hope.
Jeremiah gives us his secret to still daring to hope in the next 2 verses (Lamentations 3: 22-23) “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Do you know why he wrote these words? He was intentionally snapping himself out of it. Pain and sadness, worry and stress would threaten to consume him, then he would snap himself out of that sad state by meditating on a positive truth.
What a valuable lesson this is for us. This is how we SNAP OUT OF IT.
If you continue to dwell on all that is wrong, that is all you will see. Let us be like Jeremiah and regardless of the circumstances, meditate on God’s great love, compassion and faithfulness.
Meditate on it. Did you know to meditate means to murmur to yourself. To repeat something to yourself over and over again. I imagine that’s what Jeremiah was doing. In the middle of a bad situation he was saying, “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness God.” Again – “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness God.” Over and over again. This is his focus. He has intentionally set his mind on God’s love, his compassion and his faithfulness.
What a great thing for you and I to do today. Meditate on God’s love for you.
I believe if we could ever really grasp the truth of God’s unending, immeasurable love for us individually, we would never be the same. GOD LOVES YOU. Oh how he loves you. I’m not sure if God has a need for a refrigerator up there in Heaven, but if he does, your picture is on it. He loves you, he loves you, he loves you.
His compassion NEVER fails. This means God always cares. He cares about everything. There’s nothing too big or too small for his attention. He is moved by your circumstances and conditions and his desire is to help you. He hurts when you hurt.
Part of compassion is sympathy. I guess I never imagined God as being sympathetic, but he is. Maybe God is like me, he’s a sympathy crier. If I see you crying, my eyes are immediately filled with tears. I may not even know why you’re crying, but girl I’m gonna cry with you because I’m immediately hurting for you.
Isn’t it incredible to know the God of the universe hurts when you hurt. He is drawn to your pain in his compassion and is concerned for you.
And all of this is new each morning. Every morning his love and compassion and mercy is new. A fresh new supply is waiting for you today. Won’t you accept it?
Won’t you murmur to yourself throughout this day about his love and compassion and faithfulness. It will immediately snap you out of any funk you might be in. It will snap you out of negative thinking. It will snap you out of worry. It will snap you out of overwhelm.
Spending this day of life overwhelmed is a choice. You don’t have to stay there. You don’t have to be stuck. Overwhelm is a choice, and a bad one.
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Our God is faithful. Oh yes he is. He does what he said he would do. Without fail. He is there like he said he would be. You can count on that. He’s never late, he’s always on time. He’s got exactly what you need today, in ample supply and he showed up this morning with new mercies, overflowing love, and unending compassion.
If you’re going to wallow in something today, wallow in that. Just get down and roll around in his goodness. Let his love and compassion get all over you. Let his faithfulness rub off on you. Go ahead and just snap out of that funk right now. Consider yourself officially snapped out of it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When God created you, he had greatness in mind. He formed you as a masterpiece, equipping you with every single thing you would ever need. He had a vision for your life, a good plan for your days. In his marvelous ways, he created you to be marvelous. Now … let’s get back to the girl we were created to be.
Somewhere along the way of trying to keep the house clean, put food on the table, and raise decent human beings, we’ve gradually warped into women we are not. We’ve faded away. Our zest for life and our passion for living slowly evaporates. One tiny piece at a time, we literally become a shell of the girl we were created to be.
Here’s the big question this morning …. have you gotten so busy that you’ve forgotten to ENJOY LIFE? Have you missed that the very purpose for the breath in your lungs is to BREATHE IN LIFE? Not in a forceful “I have to be here and do this” rigid way, but in the natural way you were created to be.
You were made to live life. You were made to enjoy the beauties of your life. You were made to venture, to wander, to explore. You were made to capture and create. Don’t miss who you were created to be because you’re so busy doing what you feel you have to do, to get more of what you really don’t need.
Job 37: 5-6 “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’”
There is so much freedom in this scripture. God says to the snow, fall on the earth. That’s it. Just do one thing, just fall. And then he says to the rain shower, be a mighty downpour. Yes, just do the one thing I created you to do, and do it well. You’re rain, so rain. Come on down. You’re snow, so snow.
And my sweet sister, you are YOU. Totally special and unique you, and all you have to do is you. Just do you. And do it the best you can. You don’t have to try and be something you’re not. Stop trying to contort and twist yourself to match the pictures in the magazine. And don’t you dare play little and shrink back into the corner. Do what you were created to do. Be you. Fully you, not a watered down, held back, house-broken, tamed version of you. Be the FULL version of you. Passionate and powerful.
This is your mission. And that’s it. Take the weight off your shoulders. All God’s asking you to be is the one thing he’s already created you to be. Let what’s in you come out and play. Let the real you step forward and start running the show.
Trade your exhausting quest of more for the replenishing, refreshing, renewal of who you already are. Peel back the layers of expectation and pressure, and find the girl God created you to be.
Can you enjoy the life you have been given to live? Can you do what you were created to do? As the snow is just supposed to fall and the rain is supposed to be a downpour, you were created to live. Live as only you can. Give the love only you can give. Show up exactly where you are with exactly what you have and give it your all.
So start living. Living bigger. Living more intentionally. And ON PURPOSE be the girl you were created to be.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I have chosen to live a very unique lifestyle. Yes, I’m homeless. I have no idea where I will sleep beyond tomorrow night. I not only vacation that way, I live that way. Permanently. And yes, it’s by choice.
You see, many years ago, I woke up in the big house I had worked so hard to buy and fill, and I realized I felt quite empty. All I had ever wanted was now mine, and yet there was a deep ache of boredom within. There had to be more to life than mopping all that square footage. There had to be more than seeking the next piece of furniture to perfectly fill that space. There had to be more than a week long vacation I was living for.
So, we sold it all and gave the rest away. Homeless. Wanderers. Adventurers. Nomads. Gypsies. Crazy. We’ve been called all the things.
But more than anything, I would say, I live with my eyes wide open. No day is the same, so I can’t afford to sleep through it, worry it away, or stress out in the middle of it. I’ll be missing something I’ve never seen before. I’ll be wasting something that may never come again.
Isn’t the same true in your life. There are things happening today that will never, ever happen again. Things you will miss if you worry your way through this day. You’ve been given a life you can’t afford to miss, but maybe you’re missing it and don’t even realize it because it’s all so normal now.
I could show up for a night in your hometown and have a radically different experience. Why? Because it’s different to me, but all the same for you. I have the gift of fresh eyes where the eyes of the locals have become a little glazed over with the repetitiveness of life.
As much as you may think you want a predictable, predetermined, safe life where nothing ever changes and all things are guaranteed to stay the same, YOU REALLY DON’T WANT THAT. Your soul is craving change. Your eyes are desperate for new and exciting. And yet we cling to what “has been” with a death grip and fight change like the devil himself.
Let me tell you something, the very change you’re fighting may not be a work of the enemy, it may be the design of our almighty God to keep you fully alive in this life. To open your eyes once again, to snap you out of robotic living. To give you days you will actually REMEMBER instead of weeks, months and years of your life passing in a gradual decline.
It is time for change.
And oh how we serve the God of change. He created the seasons to continually change. He created our bodies to be in a constant state of change. He created this world to evolve, grow and change. So of course things are going to change. You can hate it and fight it, or you can embrace it and flow with it.
The truth is, God throws us some curveballs.
Have you ever been thrown a curveball in life? Things didn’t go the way you imagined. You thought it was going one way, then it changed and went another way. Yeah, me too. What does it mean when life seems to get out of control? What does it mean when the bottom drops out of your plans and you’re striking out?
How do you receive change? Do you flip out? Do you panic? Do you begin imagining your ultimate failure and demise immediately? Do you quit? Or do you TRUST? Do you trust that change is God’s curveball to keep you IN THE GAME. It’s not to strike you out; but rather so you can hit it out of the park.
Change is God’s curveball to give you fresh eyes, to wake you up, to keep you from growing so comfortable that you just drift through this week, this month, this year where things are stagnant and unimpressive.
CHANGE IS FOR YOU. For your benefit.
What is your curveball? What is your unexpected change? What is your disappointing pitch right now? Life isn’t in control, God is. Let me say that again. Life isn’t in control. Your life is totally out of control. All your planning and work will NOT control your life. God is in control. Complete control.
Proverbs 19:21 “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”
Make your plans. Your plans are not a bad thing. In fact God wants to conspire with you. Imagine God sitting down to dream with you and imagine all your life could be. Imagine God sketching plans with you and working to connect all the dots. Imagine God seeing your plans and then saying “that’s good, I like it, BUT WATCH THIS, I can do even better.” And that’s where the curveball comes in.
God not only allows curveballs, he stands on the pitcher’s mound and he throws them. And while you may not always understand God’s ways, you can always trust his heart. Always. He is always working everything out for your good. You can bet on that. He’s not out to destroy you or punish you. You can let go of that bad story now.
He is making you better. He is making you stronger. He is making you into the woman he created you to be, so much more than you ever imagined.
Trust the change in your life. Don’t fight it. Lean into what God is orchestrating.
Maybe this change is here to change you. To make you exactly who you were created to be. What if this change is a tremendous blessing in disguise? I promise you, you don’t want to miss that! Allow God to work. Allow him to move you. Invite him to shake up your world so you have fresh eyes. Understand that if things always stay the same, you’ll become robotic in your own life. Glazed over by the repetitiveness. You’ll miss the beauty if you resist change.
Now, listen to me closely and let me give you a word for today. You’ve been thrown a curve ball. Right now it seems like the thing you are striving for is NOT working. It seems to be going away from you instead of to you. But you keep standing in faith. Keep your eye on what you want. It’s a curveball and it’s going to turn and come RIGHT TO YOU. That’s what curveballs do. They turn. Just when you’re thinking it’s out of your reach, it turns and comes your way.
Where we mess up is we give up before the turn. How many times have you put down your bat and walked away just before the turn?
Be faithful. Keep your eyes fresh. Don’t grow lazy. Don’t allow disappointment to lessen your grip on the tools you have been given. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. It’s a curveball and it’s going to turn and come right to you.
Whenever God throws you a curveball of change, it’s not to strike you out; but rather so you can hit it out of the park. That’s because he is for you, not against you!
Stay in the game. Pray for fresh eyes to see what you’ve been missing. Allow change to come into your plans and see what God has designed just for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Proverbs 31: 17 & 25 “She is energetic and strong,a hard worker. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
Proverbs 31 gives us much of an outline of the woman we were each created to be. In both of these verses, our strength is referenced. Let me tell you something, you are a STRONG woman. You are fully capable with the power of God in you. Whatever it is you are facing, YOU CAN DO THIS.
The enemy wants you to believe you are weak. He strips you of your confidence and tells you that you can’t. He tells you that you will fail. He tells you that you’ll never change and you will always struggle. He tells you what you did will never be forgiven. He tells you it’s too late. But the devil’s a liar. I challenge you to choose carefully who you believe today.
This scripture says “she is energetic and strong.” You. You are energetic and strong. You do have energy. Energy to do exactly what you need to do today. Strength to show up and live well today. God has supplied it, now it’s up to you to use it. The funny thing about energy and strength, it rarely shows up when you’re wearing your “giving up on life pants.” Yes I said it … girl get dressed today. Today is not the day to wear you “giving up on life pants.” Maybe they’re pajama pants or yoga pants or sweat pants … those pants that are so comfortable they make you want to sit in comfort all day. Today is not the day for those pants. Show up for this day of life like you’re ready to live it.
God tells us that the woman he created us to be is a hard worker. I bet you have a mama or a grandma or perhaps an aunt that was a hard worker. Did you ever notice that she did more in 1 day than we do in an entire week, and yet she didn’t complain?
My grandma was a single mother to 3 girls, all born right in a row, less than 1 year apart from each baby. She woke up every morning and milked the cow and gathered eggs before she got on a bus to go to her full time job. When she came home from work she would kill, pluck and cook the chicken herself. And the laundry, all done by hand and hung on a freezing clothes line in the winter to dry as a block of ice. And every morning she would get up and do it again. Without complaint. Grandma was a hard worker.
And me … whew, do I ever have my perception of hard work tainted. Really, did I work hard yesterday? Do I have any resemblance of this kind of hard work in my days? Do you?
But it’s not just the work we do, it’s how we do it. God is calling us to be the kind of women who show up and do what needs to be done, without complaint and without resentment. Do you know why? Because hard work makes us feel good about ourselves. When you EARNED that paycheck, when you EARNED that clean house, when you EARNED that progress and success, you FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF. God designed you to NEED to work hard. He designed you to be strong and use every ounce of energy he supplies to you to do good work.
Will you do good work today? In real clothes. Without complaint?
Let’s go back to our scripture in Proverbs 31 again. “She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” The woman God created you to be laughs without fear. What a concept. Laughs without fear. A woman who doesn’t care what everyone else thinks. This is a woman who is confident. Confident in who she was created to be, confident in the good work she does, and confident in her mighty God.
This is who God wants you to be. He wants you to be able to find joy today, then actually ENJOY it. Enjoy it without fear that it may not last forever. You can get over that fear because girl, I can promise you, it won’t last forever. Your kids will never again be as young as they are today. You will never again be as young as you are today. So you know what, we need to laugh without fear today. We need to soak this up because it’s all going to pass.
How sad would it be to look back one day and realize we didn’t fully live this season of our life. That there was a preciousness to it that we simply missed. We were too busy complaining about all that has to be done, all the places we need to be, all that is unfair and too hard. AND THIS IS NOT WHAT GOD WANTS FOR YOU.
You are God’s girl. Now show up for life and live it today. Live it as the strong woman you were created to be. Use the energy God has given you. The first measure of energy can be used to get dressed like a woman who is excited to be alive. Be a hard worker today – not a disgruntled worker. Meet every task with a “can do” attitude and a sense of gratitude that you GET to. Behind every burden is a big ol’ blessing. Don’t miss it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There are no limits on what God will do for you. I’m here to remind you this morning that God wants to give you a ridiculous story. Have you been coming to him with your requests to seize the ridiculous story and wildly unreasonable life available to you?
Yesterday was a special celebration in my my world. Coach Lonnie and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary. We have a ridiculous story. One of those “against all odds” stories. Maybe you’ve heard our story, well here it is again.
I grew up in a tiny little country town in Missouri. When you live in a town with the population of 2,000 people, by about the 7th grade every boy in your school is either your cousin, or you already dated him … or worse … he’s both – he’s your cousin and you already dated him. So, each summer before school would begin, I would gather a few girlfriends at my house, we would stand in a circle holding hands and pray the following prayer – “Dear Lord, please bring new boys to our school. Amen.”
At the young age of 15 God clearly heard my prayers and uprooted an entire family from Dallas, TX and planted them smack dab in the middle of Douglas County. Our population jumped from 2,000 to 2,004 and rumor had it one of the new residents of Ava, Missouri was a 17 year old male. Can you say heart flutters and radars set on high sensory. We didn’t even know his name – we referred to him as new boy. There were more girls than just myself on the quest for new boy’s attention, but I walked away the proud winner of his affection and I promised I would one day marry that boy.
That one day came 6 days after my high school graduation. Yes, somehow my parents let me get married immediately after graduating HIGH SCHOOL. And new boy was forever mine. We married, went on a 1 week honeymoon, then very unlike all the fairytales he flew away to Germany to finish his tour in the Army there for 1 more year. After that 1 year apart we were finally able to be together. A few short months into the dream life of living on love and ramen noodles, surprise surprise, trouble hits. A blood clot was lodged in my brain stem, causing a major stroke. I lost my ability to walk or talk and my newlywed husband was prepared for his bride to never be the same. He never left my side. He never broke down and cried. He was just there. A strong and steady rock. He fed me, he bathed me, and he even shaved my legs.
And God healed me.
We have since ran marathons together, adopted children together, and made life one big old adventure together.
And it all started with a ridiculous prayer. A prayer for God to bring new boys to my school.
God gets all the glory for this ridiculous, big, beautiful story that was against all odds.
I believe our God is the God of the ridiculous.
The bible is filled with ridiculous stories. Stories of floods and rainbows, stories of wine made out of water, dead men raised, the blind made to see, a man in a whale’s stomach, a talking donkey, and people walking on water. And you know what I think … I think God wants to give you your own ridiculous story.
Won’t you be willing to pray ridiculous prayers out of ridiculous faith? Won’t you invite God to move mountains for you? God loves to show up and do the impossible. He loves to do things that only he could do so we all stand in awe and give him praise and honor.
If as a teenager who didn’t even know Jesus yet could ask for God to bring new boys to my school, what could a girl like you ask for today? Could you ask him for your special person? Could you ask him for your own family? Could you ask him for that business? Could you ask him for that opportunity? Could you ask him for that healing? Could you ask him for your own ridiculous story?
God simply wants to know if you will give him the glory when he does? Will you remember it was him that did that for you? Will you still give him the credit 29 years later?
The greatest, most ridiculous story of all is that the maker of the universe would give his one and old son for you and I. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He sent him to Earth for us, knowing he would sacrifice his life. He died because he didn’t want to live without us. That’s ridiculous. I don’t understand that kind of love. I may love you and I may be willing to sacrifice for you, but I’m sorry there’s no one I would be willing to give one of my 3 children for you. Sorry bout ya … that’s not happening. But it happened for us. The most ridiculous love story included YOU.
In John 10:10 Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The PDC translation (that’s the Pamela Dee Crim translation) says Jesus came so that you could have a ridiculous life!
Ridiculous – that means absurd and wildly unreasonable.
Will you be willing to pray a bold and totally unreasonable prayer to a big God who loves you wildly? A God who loves you so much he gave his son for you? Hasn’t he proven there are no limits on what he will do for you? So why wouldn’t you come before him with your requests and seize the ridiculously absurd, wildly unreasonable story available to you?
A story of mountains only God could move. A story of the impossible happening right before your eyes. A story of miraculous proportions. Get out of the boat and step out on the water where God has a ridiculous story and big life waiting for you.
Then just make sure when you tell the story, give him the glory. It’s all because of him. I’m an ordinary girl, living a ridiculously good life because my mighty God heard the prayers of a 15 year old girl asking for new boys to move to school. And so it began. And it continues in the most ridiculous, unlikely ways because that’s how our God works.
Against all odds.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
One of the most powerful prayers I know to pray is the wreck it prayer. God, here are my plans, if you have something better in mind, wreck it. And often he does.
I can spend days creating an elaborate plan of action, I can even be in the middle of working the plan, and here’s God just like Miley Cyrus warned … he came in like a wrecking ball! Boom, what I thought would work, doesn’t. Bang, how I imagined it would be, isn’t. Crash, when I thought it would happen, it didn’t.
Disappointment is a strong possibility on this journey of faith. I still don’t understand why God allows some things that seem so bad, and yet prohibits other things that seem so good. If I didn’t know better, I would think He just doesn’t care. I would assume He was just too busy. I would believe He was punishing me. But I know better. I know better, but sometimes I don’t “feel” better.
I once had a turning point in my faith. It wasn’t one of those turning points of God shows up and does something miraculous in a fashion he can’t be denied. No, my turning point was a moment of raw honesty after being knocked to my knees.
We had built a successful business, then we left that business to help start a Church. In my head, I believed our faithful sacrifice for God’s work would be met with his miraculous provision. In my head I had it all worked out. I would go in faith and God would go before me with open doors. To my absolute shock, I went in faith and my faith was met with slamming doors and dead ends. Every day I woke up believing today would be the day it would all change … and it didn’t. It just kept getting worse.
We were completely out of money and as self-employed individuals we knew the pipeline of our business had absolutely nothing in it. We were in trouble. But you see, I’m naturally an optimistic person. I believed. And I was disappointed. That disappointment crushed me.
One day, sitting on the couch, my husband looked at me and said, “why don’t you just admit you’re mad at God.”
To me, that was absolutely absurd. I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t say it. I mean, he’s God. What if I hurt his feelings? He has lightening bolts in his hands, I really don’t want to insult him.
My husband continued to push and he said, “Pamela, you think God doesn’t already know how you feel? Just say it!”
And then the words came out of my mouth … GOD, I AM SO MAD. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY FAITHFULNESS.
That day began a change in me. That change only came after a crushing.
There have been many crushings since then. Prayers that seemed to go unanswered. Pain that feels unresolved. Restoration I am yet to see. And God has been working in every detail. Looking back I see it. I see now what he was doing, but I sure couldn’t see it then. So today, I must trust he is once again working and the crushing is for a purpose.
Your crushing is for a great purpose as well my friend.
What doors have slammed in your face? What dead-ends have you come to? Where have you been disappointed with the payout from your faithfulness?
It’s okay to be disappointed. It’s okay to be mad. God can handle your emotions. You don’t have to feel guilty for honest feelings over the crapfest you woke up to today. You won’t hurt God’s feelings with yours. God doesn’t expect you to always like it, but he does expect you to trust Him anyway. And here’s what no one tells you about trust; it still feels scary even when you fully trust. Just because you trust doesn’t mean the ride is easy. I trust if I jump from an airplane with a parachute on my back, the parachute will open. Trust allows me to jump, but my hands will still sweat and my legs will still shake. I’ll still feel the drop before I’m caught.
In Philippians 4: 12-13 the apostle Paul writes “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
If the man God chose to write the majority of the bible was in a mess, I guess that means we probably will be too. If his chosen messenger would experience disappointment, persecution, hardship, and hunger … I guess we too are qualified for the same. How else will we know the gift of God’s strength if we are never subjected to being out of our own? How else will we know the power of God’s healing if we are never sick? How else will we know the provision of God if our own ways don’t meet defeat? How will we ever know God’s better plans if ours don’t first fail?
God doesn’t insulate us from real life. He doesn’t place us in a bubble of protection and let us live perfectly peaceful lives. Nope, he lets crap happen, then he uses that crap as fertilizer to make us grow.
THE CRAP OF YOUR PAST IS THE FERTILIZER OF TODAY.
The disappointments you’ve faced have crushed you, but there was purpose in the crushing. Think about it, grapes must first be crushed to become their most powerful form of fine wine. If you’re being crushed, it’s because something better is coming. Your life is being transformed into a more powerful, more potent, more valuable form.
A pound of grapes is $2.49 at the local WalMart. A bottle of wine can be hundreds of dollars. Those grapes were crushed.
Your life may look okay right now, but you see, your creator put so much more than just okay in you. Okay is not enough. He sees your potential and knows you have awesome in you. So, he allows the crushing to elevate you to your higher form. You’re a fine wine sister. Fine wine requires crushing … and it requires time. Don’t give up in the process.
The process isn’t always pretty. Wrecking balls aren’t gentle. They’re destructive and destroy what once was. But there’s always purpose in the process. Our God is in the details. He is using all things for good, yes even those things which make absolutely no sense right now. Yes, even our good plans that we have all worked out, when they get wrecked it’s for a purpose. So God, wreck our plans for your better plans.
If it’s for me, bless it. If it’s not, block it.
And when God does some blocking, keep the faith that it’s not because he’s mad at you. You can be mad at God without him being mad at you. You can be at your wits end, without God being at his. You can be stuck and God can move those mountains. Or he may choose to make you into a mountain climber. Either way, he will see you through. You won’t stay here. He has somewhere he is taking you and it’s beyond this mountain. He has a master plan he is working.
He crushes grapes to make fine wine.
He crushes our plans to give us something more valuable.
He turns crap into fertilizer that promotes growth.
He uses our crappy, hopeless mess as the very thing that causes us to grow bigger, better, stronger, faster.
If you have long hallways with slammed doors, my sister it’s because God has something very specific for you and you must keep going down the hallway. When it’s the right door, it will open, you just haven’t found it yet.
If you are knee deep in a mess and can’t seem to find your way out, oh girl … what a harvest you will have when the season is right because that’s a lot of fertilizer for your growth!
I take myself back to that couch where I sat so many years ago and finally let out my disappointment in God. He was so faithful to me, even when I wasn’t. He never gave up on his plan for me, even when I did. I’m grateful he didn’t allow me to enter the doors I thought were best, because I was wrong. He had better in mind for me. So much better.
He has better in mind for you too. If it’s for you, he will bless it. If it’s not, he will block it.
God, here are our plans, wreck them if you have something better. We’ll try not to be spoiled brats in the wrecking. Help us be obedient daughters in the mess, and grateful girls in the process.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In this life you will have battles to fight. It’s guaranteed. We were never promised a trouble free life. But we were promised victory through Christ Jesus. There will be victory! Whatever you’re facing, whatever your struggle, somehow, someway, there will be victory. Sometimes our human eyes and limited understanding struggle to see it because God’s ways are far above our own, but there will be victory.
A few years ago I hosted an adventure retreat on a ranch in Oklahoma. Opening night was a surprise adventure. We were all go ziplining … in the dark! Now, not everyone was as hyped about this as I was, so first we had a pep rally to set the mood and get us fired up. You know, sometimes courage has to be stirred, and I was the stick to stir it up. Here I was with my face painted like an NFL football player, decked out in camouflage. The back of my shirt read “BUT DID YOU DIE? No … then it was an adventure.”
I spoke about chances and opportunities. I talked about fear and courage. I taught about the game of life and the dangerous sidelines. I told them about the battle required for the life they were created for. Then the music started playing. Our battle cry. It goes like this:
I believe (repeat)
I believe that (repeat)
I believe that we will win (repeat)
The voices of over 100 women roared “I believe that we will win” as we huddled in close, jumping in unison and pumping our fists.
Oh can’t you just feel the energy and excitement? Can’t you feel the power and passion? Can’t you just feel the warmth running right down your leg as you jump and shout?
Oh yes, we are women who have given birth to babies and in the excitement of it all, I had forgotten my bladder ain’t what it used to be. I legit peed myself in all the excitement, and I looked around to find I wasn’t the only one who had paused in mid jump to cross my legs to regain composure.
We walked out to that telephone pole that stretched high into the pitch dark of the night, and we each climbed that pole. One by one, we disappeared into the darkness as we climbed above the trees to a tiny platform. Then, with no lights and no knowledge of what was below or what was ahead, we jumped.
It was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. And anytime you come to the end of the night wearing camouflage, with your face painted and pants smelling a little bit like urine, you know you just had yourself a victory.
You and I are in a battle. Every day we are fighting. We’re fighting to live the life God has created us for and we’re fighting against the enemy who’s only goal is to steal, kill and destroy everything Jesus died to give us. But you and I are champions. We are more than conquerors. And understand when you are MORE THAN A CONQUEROR this means you have a habit of winning. You show up and win over and over again. You win when no one thought you would win. You win when everyone else counted you out. You win when everything was stacked against you. You win when you get knocked down because you simply won’t stay down.
I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!
Get an image of this sister, because this is who God made you to be. This is MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. A champion. You were created to be a champion in this life. Whatever battle you’re up against, may I remind you that God is for you, not against you. He has made a way for your victory.
Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord himself will fight for you, just stay calm.”
Who needs that reminder this morning? Everything in you wants to freak the freak out right now. But God is saying, stay calm, I’m fighting for you. God is with you. You are not alone in this.
Who doesn’t feel quite like a champion? Who feels more like a loser … or even more so like a quitter. Understand, that is NOT who you were created to be. You’re so much better than this.
You have more in you. The reason you feel bad is because the potential within you has gone unused and you know it. That doesn’t feel good and it’s not supposed to. Let that discomfort move you to action.
The life you were created for is BIG and beautiful and it requires your fight. You can’t sit this one out. You can’t keep delaying your action. WILL YOU FIGHT TODAY? WILL YOU FIGHT FOR THE LIFE YOU WANT? WILL YOU FIGHT TO BECOME EXACTLY WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE?
We have been equipped for the battle, so suit up my friend, THE ENEMY IS ON ATTACK.
And of course he’s on attack – he only attacks that which he is threatened by. The attack you’re under right now only reveals your value. You have something precious and it’s worth fighting for. Your marriage, your health, your family, your career, your dream, your goals – they will all come under attack.
Ephesians 6: 10-11 “God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.”
God is strong. We don’t have a wimpy God. He’s not powerless over any situation in your life. He’s not stuck. He’s fully capable of moving any mountain or parting any sea.
And you are created in his image, in his likeness. God wants you to be strong too. You were never intended to live this life powerless. You are not incapable! You are not broken and unworthy. If you’re stuck, you have chosen to be stuck. You have focused on perfecting the next 10 steps and been frozen in overwhelm, instead of just taking the step that’s right in front of you. You have been offered strength for today, will you take it? Will you use it?
You want it, go get it.
You believe in it, fight for it.
You love it, protect it.
Our God is BIG, and he is BIG in you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Just how perfect do you have to be before God walks with you and guides you? How much more cleaning up do you have to do before Jesus wants to hang out with you? What would need to change in your life to get God to listen to you. Gosh, and then imagine how much more you would need to do to get God to not only listen to you, but answer you.
How many times have you tried to get it all together in the past with no success? You’re trying to get all your ducks in a row and girl, your ducks are on a rave. You always seem to be a minute too late and a dollar too short. You are notoriously a mess.
Well let me tell you something, Jesus likes to hang out with people like you!
Luke 15:1-2 “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!”
Back then tax collectors were the scum of the earth. They were greedy, untruthful men that everybody hated. But then there were these other notorious sinners. Not just sinners, but notorious sinners. They were KNOWN for being a sinner. Everybody knew these guys were messed up basically. People who didn’t hide their problems real well and everyone was aware of their struggle. And these were the people Jesus was drawn to. These were the people Jesus chose to hang out with and sit down at a table with.
These are the people that needed Jesus.
Are you someone who needs Jesus? Are you a notorious sinner? We typically fall in one of two categories … either knowing we’re a notorious sinner, or feeling like we always have to share space with notorious sinners who just can’t seem to get it right.
So to the first group – those who know you’re really not getting this thing all right.
Are you notorious for starting and never finishing?
Notorious for running late?
Notorious for over sleeping?
Notorious for being lazy?
Notorious for talking big and not showing up?
Notorious for being in the middle of the drama?
Notorious for stretching the truth?
Notorious for big excuses?
Notorious for playing little?
Notorious for speaking before you think?
Great. Jesus wants to sit down at your table with you. He shows up where he is needed. That little bit of “notorious” in you is like a magnet to Jesus. I don’t know how long you’ve been trying to fix this bad habit or character flaw of yours, but Jesus is not ashamed of you. He’s not turning his back on you. He’s not shaking his head in disgust that once again you’ve failed. He’s not waiting until you clean yourself up before he has a relationship with you. No, he’s drawing in closer to help you.
Where is your notorious mess? Where is your impossible? Where is your continual struggle with yourself?
Introduce your notorious to your Jesus.
Here’s what I really love about Jesus, he can see right through our layers of mistakes and missteps and see the person God created us to be. He sees the REAL YOU. The you that’s been stuck inside, and here he comes to set you free.
You are loved wildly by your creator and his son who died to save you. There’s nothing you have done and nothing you could do to change that fact. Nothing. And there’s nothing too big, too hard, too shameful or too far gone for him to radically change in your life BEGINNING TODAY.
You don’t have to wait until you’ve got a handle on your bad habit or cleaned yourself up for Jesus to show up. He’s drawn to your imperfection. He’s drawn to your struggle. He can’t stop thinking about YOU. And no matter what the rest of the world says about you, he wants to pull up a chair and sit right next to you. YOU ARE THE ONE HE WANTS.
And to the second group. Those of us who us who for some reason feel like we have our life more together, as if our works are better, as if our crap doesn’t stink. Still notorious. Notorious of being judgmental. Notorious for being self-righteous. Oh wait, we’re no better than anyone else. Girl, your sin stinks too.
Just because you can finish what you start, just because you wake up on time, just because your pants zip … you’re still a notorious mess in areas of your life. May we remember the people we are judging and talking bad about are the very people Jesus is drawing in close to. We better check ourselves.
Those people you think you’re better than … uhhhh yeah, well Jesus is standing right beside them. I don’t think you want to throw around those judgments and insults when he is by their side. Nope, I’m pretty sure we’re going to want to show up with some love knowing Jesus is standing up for them.
Isn’t it funny, we’re either in group 1 beating ourselves up or we’re in group 2 beating someone else up. And somedays we switch groups, depending on the previous days failures and successes.
Understand if you could have gotten this thing right on your own, you wouldn’t have needed a savior. Understand your entire life is simply a journey to becoming more of who you were created to be, and today you get to mindfully practice patience with your own journey and patience with the journey of others.
Jesus isn’t running away from anyone’s sin, he’s running right for it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today, lets talk about something all the ladies want to talk about. Eyelashes. Yes, those big beautiful lashes we all want.
Fake eyelashes are my one guilty pleasure. I straight up love me some big long lashes. They’re all the rage. Hey for a few hundred bucks you can go get you some lash extensions applied that will last a few weeks – or you can be like me and spend a whopping 3 bucks on the Salon Perfect or KISS brand at the local WalMart and practice becoming a master at gluing them on.
I’ve had 15 years of practice so I nearly have an unfair advantage. You see, I started wearing fake lashes when no one else knew they still existed in stores, probably still hanging there from the 60’s when American women were last obsessed with lashes.
Hang with me – I’m going somewhere here folks.
It was like my 2nd day of wearing lashes and a beautiful young girl in my office looked me in the eyes and said “wow … are those YOUR lashes?”
Obvious answer – no. However my answer was – yes. Shamefully I said yes. Then our conversation turned into “what brand of mascara do you use and can I come over sometime so you can show me how to do that?”
I avoided her from that day on. No joke.
Why did I do that? I had literally just faced a spiritual battle. I knew the truth was better, but I just wanted for a moment to take credit for something that wasn’t mine. I straight up lied. No beating around the bush about it. I claimed those lashes to be homegrown when they were as fake as the $3 bill that bought them.
James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”
Every ounce of goodness in our lives is from the storehouse of Heaven, given to us as a gift by our loving Creator. The question is, are we giving him the credit he deserves?
Life is always going to give us an opportunity to take credit for things we have no business taking credit for. The applause and the compliments are almost addicting. The spotlight feels good. We all crave to be recognized. But are we keeping the glory for ourselves, or are we turning the spotlight right back to God where it belongs?
What have you been taking credit for with your puffed up ego, that had really NOTHING to do with you, and everything to do with a loving, merciful, generous, relentless God who chased you down and blessed you?
Answer … everything. Like literally everything! It wasn’t you, Sis, it was God!
The average person in the world earns $2 per day. TWO DOLLARS. It’s amazing to me how quickly we can blow $2 and the average person had to put in a hard days labor (I’m talking labor like you and I have never experienced before) for the same $2 we loosely spend on a chapstick we’ll lose tomorrow.
So here we are with our money and our luxuries and our 1st world problems and we think it’s all because we’re good people. It’s because we are deserving somehow? It’s because we earned it. Give me the spotlight and let me show you how good I am and how deserving I am of all this goodness.
Pshhhhhhh – girl listen to me. None of the glory goes to us. Just as those weren’t my lashes and it was all a result of a $3 box of pixy wings affixed perfectly to my eyelids, all the goodness in our life is simply a result of God’s grace and mercy. Every good and perfect gift is from above, NOT FROM YOU.
Every success in our lives is all a result of God. I mean sure you worked – you put in some good effort. But don’t forget it was God that gave you the ability and the opportunity that TRULY made it happen. The credit goes to him. Make your life a stage which gives God the spotlight.
Let me tell you something, that spotlight is dangerous and intoxicating. Look at our celebrities today. How hard is it to live a good life when that spotlight shines so brightly on you and everyone knows your name? We think that’s what we want, but I honestly wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. Spotlights bring out the haters. Spotlights highlight our flaws. Spotlights fluff our ego, then our ego chokes us out. All because the spotlight was never meant for us. It’s God’s. Only God’s.
Love God so big and so out loud that your gratitude for all he has done in your life acts as a magnet to others. Pull them in to know your God by giving him the credit. It really wasn’t you. It was God.
In Philippians chapter 3 Paul encourages us to stop bragging about ourselves and start praising God. I love how he puts together this impressive list of all his accomplishment and then he says they’re like “dung” – you know dung, manure, crap, a big pile of du-du – compared to what Christ is in his life.
And that is us too. I don’t know how awesome your accomplishments are – perhaps your list of successes will be mighty long this month, and I’m so proud of you – but please please remember this – God is the foundation of all those things. All good and perfect things are from above. Give him credit. The opportunities came because of Him. The connections were orchestrated by him. The strength is because of Him. The ability because of Him. Every ounce of your value, worth, talent and treasure are because of Him. Your time … that is Him. It starts with Him and it ends with Him.
Taking the credit for all the good things in your life like you’re all that and a bag of chips is like me claiming those eyelashes were mine.
Give glory to God for every good and perfect thing in your life today. All of it. Recognize his fingerprints are all over your life. It’s really not about you … it’s about him, because he’s a good good Father, and you’re his beloved daughter. Make this day of your life a stage which gives God the spotlight.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Where are my people that like to shoot it straight? Don’t beat around the bush, don’t give me fluff, just tell it like it is? Well I hope you’re listening this morning, because today’s devotional is for you. We’re reading in Matthew 22 and Jesus is being trapped with a trick question by people who wanted to make things more difficult. The truth is “difficult” serves some people. Some people make a living by making simple things really difficult. And some people make their lives miserable by making everything more difficult than it really needs to be. So an expert in religious law (enter my own gagging motion here) lays out his snarky question to Jesus “Teacher, tell us, which is the most important commandment in the law?”
And Jesus’ reply in verse 37 & 38 – “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Well that’s not what they wanted to hear. And the truth is, that’s hard for us to hear today. Honestly it would be a whole lot easier to have a list of specifics like “wake up at 5 am – make your bed – and keep your toilets sparkling clean at all times.” But this whole “love God with your everything and love others as much as you love your own self” – oh dang, that’s hard.
But Jesus’ reply is still true today, here’s the line up for this Monday. If you want to do this day right, LOVE GOD AND LOVE PEOPLE.
This is the most important thing. Love God and love people.
And here’s where we’ve potentially gone wrong. We’ve covered up the 2 most important things with all the details and routines. We’re just going through the motions and we’ve lost our heart to love. Maybe you’re even listening to this right now more out of obligation than out of an act of love for God. Are you seeking to check that “devotional” box on your daily checklist, or are you here to draw close to your creator and love him more?
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of our routines and habits and make everything seem like an obligation – ALL WHILE WE ARE LOSING THE HEART OF IT.
God doesn’t need your devotional time. He wants your heart your soul and your mind. ALL OF IT. He wants all of it, all of you. Why? Because he ultimately wants what’s best for you and he knows YOU NEED HIM. Why do you need him? Because you were created to need him. You can never get this thing called life right without him. Maybe you’ve been trying to do this without him … and you wonder why it’s not working. It never will. The relationship you’ve been trying to fix won’t work without him. The business you’ve been trying to start, grow or save won’t work without him. The goal won’t work without him. The dream, the hope, the change won’t work without him. Exhaust yourself trying, but you’ll see it’s true.
Revelations 2:4 says
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
Remember when you were once hungry for God? When you would sit down and get lost in your Bible? When you would pour out your heart in prayer? Have you forgotten how you used to love Him? How you used to worship? Remember back when you weren’t so DISTRACTED. Ahhhh, yes, that’s a big word. Distracted. Are you so distracted that you’re unable to love the way you used to?
Now let’s talk about our love for others. Do you remember a time when you used to do things for people from a loving genuine heart? When your yes was truly yes and you didn’t regret it 5 minutes later? Remember when you didn’t dread doing those loving deeds and acts? And now, it’s all a big chore.
You have to cook for them.
You have to clean for them.
You have to wait on them.
And wives, you have to uhmmm with him.
Oh it once was all an act of love, now the routine and habit of it all has grown old and we’re no longer acting in love, we’re acting in obligation.
STOP THAT. Stop it right now. Snap out of your routines and sticky details that turn everything into an obligation. You don’t have time to waste here sister. You can’t live today as if it’s an obligation. This is an opportunity. This is a gift. Let’s get it right starting now.
Love God, love people. Come back to your first love. I remember 25 years ago being a newlywed and feeling the excitement of getting to wash my husbands clothes. It was pure joy. I want to wash his clothes like that today. I remember the sheer excitement of hearing our son’s voice on the phone the first time he called home from the Army. If he calls today, I want to answer like that. I remember when I used to open my bible to a random page and consume every word with such hunger. I remember when I used to pray daily on my knees, not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I want to do that today.
Let us come back to the heart of it – Love God, Love People. Let us not get lost in the routines and habits of it all. Let us not act out of obligation of all we HAVE to do, but a deep sense of gratitude for what we GET to do.
This is the most important thing you can do today. Get it right and everything else seems to fall in place. Get it wrong and welcome to another day of missing the mark. Love God, love people.
It makes me think of the lyrics of one of my favorite Hillsong worship songs titled “So Will I”. It says:
I can see Your heart
Eight billion different ways
Every precious one
A child You died to save
If You gave Your life to love them so will I
Jesus gave his life to love the people around you today. Don’t you think you can just love them? You don’t have to give them a dollar. All you have to do is love them. Jesus died to save them. Now you love them. Love them with your whole heart. Love them by seeing the good in them. Love them by seeing God’s fingerprints all over them.
And remember, it always starts at home. Not because you have to, but because you get to. Not out of obligation and routine, but because it’s an HONOR to get to love because first God loved you.
Don’t make it more difficult than it really is. Today you love.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Ahhh, the struggle is real. Morning time can be tough. When that alarm rings and you know you have to get up… The day is starting and you’re already behind…
The general consensus among Americans is, most of us hate mornings. If we could skip the wee hours of the morning, we would. If we could sleep away a few more hours of the day, we would. If we could delay our start, we would. In fact, you were calculating the amount of sleep you would get last night when you went to bed and you had already determined it wouldn’t be enough … am I right?
The first hour of your day impacts all the hours to follow. For many of us, we’re losing before our feet even hit the floor. Why? Because we’re laying in bed not ready to receive the new day. We’re dreading the morning and we’re wasting this most precious time. And we’re forfeiting our strength without even knowing it!
Maybe you think I’m just saying this because I’m a morning person. Yes, I generally wake up farting rainbows, but do you know why? Because I grew up in a home where I was taught the rising sun is to be celebrated, not dreaded. Because as an adult I discovered something was waiting for me the moment I woke up. And something is waiting for you the moment you wake up too. And this something is more valuable than anything else you could ever receive. Unfortunately many are missing it.
What is it?
Mercy.
Lamentations 3: 22-23 says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
God’s mercy is new every morning. What is his mercy? His loving goodness, kindness and compassion. And when do you receive it new? Every morning.
This is worth waking up for my friends! The creator of the entire universe wanted to pour out his best on YOU this morning, regardless of how you did yesterday. Did you wake up excited to receive it? Did you wake up in anticipation of this goodness, kindness and compassion?
All good things come under attack. It’s the way of the world. You plant a beautiful garden and here come the weeds. Every morning you are offered the best of the best in the form of God’s mercy and as a result of this goodness coming your way, there’s a full on attack. The weeds come growing up around his love and kindness being offered as your alarm rings, ready to choke out every ounce of compassion you’re about to receive.
If the enemy can keep you in bed, he wins. If he can delay your feet hitting the ground, he has more time to grow his nasty weeds. And while you snooze and dread the beginning of your day, here’s what happens … God’s mercies are being traded for the enemy’s condemnation.
God offers you love and grace and compassion. He offers you energy and passion and purpose. But when you don’t wake up to receive it, you start trading all his goodness for the condemnation of the enemy. You feel defeated before you even get up. You dread the day. You are disappointed that once again you’re running behind, your morning has been ruined, and clearly there’s something seriously wrong with you because you just can’t seem to get up in the morning. That’s what condemnation sounds like. You’re broken. Everyone else can do this, but you can’t. You’re a disappointment. You’re wasting your life. This is condemnation and it only makes you feel worse, right. And that’s NOT from God.
Romans 8:1 says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” As a follower of Jesus, there is now no condemnation. What the enemy is trying to put on you is NOT yours to receive. Stop letting him win your mornings. Stop letting him steal your blessings. Every morning God is offering you his mercy (his loving goodness, kindness and compassion). Start receiving that and stop accepting the enemy’s condemnation that comes with dreading your morning and not getting up. God says “come on girl, wake up I’ve got something great for you!” The enemy says, “you’re not even good enough to wake up on time.”
Psalm 30:5 says “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Joy is here to greet you this morning. And you know what joy is? Joy is your STRENGTH. When you are lacking joy, you are weak. This is where we get overwhelmed and depressed. This is where life becomes dark, when we lose our joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says “This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
If joy is your strength, and joy comes in the morning … don’t you want to wake up and receive it?
Don’t you understand why there’s such a battle for your morning? Because this is where the power is my friend. When your feet hit the floor to receive your joy, your strength, and that mercy that is being offered for you each morning, the enemy knows HE JUST LOST. When you get up to receive and live, his condemnation and attack on your worth falls short. Laying in bed he can convince you of your worthlessness. He can whisper his lies in your ear and you will begin believing them. This is why most people hate morning time. Because there has been a battle and our laziness has been letting the enemy win. We’ve started to believe his condemning nonsense. We greet the day with dread and regret, surrendering to the loss.
And this stops now. No more letting the enemy take the most precious time of the day from us. No more allowing his presence in the morning when God’s mercies are poured out and strength is offered! God, please help us to wake up better! When you get up in the morning like you know you should, here come God’s mercies, his loving goodness, kindness and compassion to flood your heart, mind, body and soul.
Yes, bring it on God. We receive your mercies today. We find our joy this morning and we know our joy is our strength. This is a sacred day and we wake up to receive it, not because we have to, but because we GET to. We GET to live today! We GET to be surrounded by his creation today. We GET to experience life today. And it all started with the offer of a really beautiful morning! Aren’t you glad you got up for it?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How many times have we said, “If I only knew what God’s will was, I would do it!” We search and we wait for God’s will, promising we will be obedient if God will clearly tell us what his will is. What if I told you I know exactly what God’s will is for you today? What if I could direct you to a scripture that makes it so clear you can’t possibly miss it? Are you ready for this?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Did you get it? THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU, always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances.
Those three things are God’s will for you today, tomorrow and always. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “God’s will”, think of God’s sovereign plan for your life. God’s will is his ultimate desire for you. Most of us spend our entire lives wandering around, dabbling here and there, wondering what God’s will is. And what we find is this truth … God is so much more concerned with HOW you live than WHAT you do.
What if this entire time you’ve been praying about WHAT to do and God is saying ‘girl, it’s not what you do, it’s HOW you do it.” It’s not where you live, you can live anywhere. It’s how you live. It’s not where you work. God can bless you anywhere you work, it’s how you work. We get so caught up in the details of what … have we missed the importance of how? How are you living? How did you wake up this morning?
God is so so so good to us. He knows we are hardheaded. He knows we are distracted, always focusing on the wrong thing. And so he breaks it down for us. He gives us 3 simple ‘how to’s’ for us to follow today.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.
JOYFUL
Will you be joyful today? Quite simply, will you choose to be happy? Yes, I said choose because happiness is always a choice. Just as you choose what clothes to put on today, you can choose to be joyful. Imagine in your closet hangs 3 shirts. One is your joyful shirt. One is your worried shirt. And another is your grouchy shirt. Which one will you choose to put on?
Why would we ever intentionally put on our grouchy shirt and choose to go through our day agitated, irritated, disgrunteled and generally grouchy butt about life? While you put on that grouchy shirt, you mite as well go ahead and reach behind you and pull your panties up in a big ol’ wad and walk sideways too!
You tell me, “but Pamela I have so much to be worried about … today is a day I really need to wear my worried shirt.” Hmmmm … I wonder, does that really help anything? Has worrying about a single thing ever made it better? That track record sucks!
Scripture tells me that God’s will for you is to ALWAYS be joyful. I’m pretty sure always includes TODAY.
NEVER STOP PRAYING
So, you’re dealing with some less than perfect circumstances? Gotcha. Me too. And God’s will has that covered. His second instruction is to never stop praying. John 7:38 says that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ shall have living waters flowing through him. So imagine water flowing through your heart, mind, body and soul. Now imagine that living water flowing through you touching every burden, every worry and every depressing, hopeless thought you may have and allow that water to sweep them away. This is FLOWING WATER. It is MOVING. It is not stagnant. So imagine releasing your death grip on those burdens and worries and negative thoughts and watch them drift away in the flowing water of Jesus. Release them. It is God’s will for you. This is what prayer does. When you pray about something, you release it and let the living water carry it away. You don’t have to sit and drown in your worries. Pray about it and release it.
BE THANKFUL
And finally, be thankful in all circumstances. Easier said than done, right? Maybe you’re going through something right now that seems so incredibly impossible, so overwhelming difficult that you can’t possibly be thankful for it. So you carry around this guilt trip thinking how disappointed your God must be in you because you just can’t be thankful for this cancer diagnosis, you can’t be thankful for the pink slip that told you your husband’s job of 20 years just ended. You can’t be thankful for you child’s illness, or your pending divorce, or your family’s suffering. And you don’t have to be. God’s will is for you to be thankful IN all circumstances, not FOR all circumstances.
Some things you just can’t be thankful for. And that’s okay. You don’t have to be. However, IN all circumstances you can be thankful. It’s a perspective shift from ‘have to’ to ‘get to’. It’s an attitude of gratitude. It’s an intentional highlighting of any little thing that is good and right in a season of dark gray. Find something, anything, to be grateful for today, and dwell on that.
Does your family have food to eat today? Do you have a car to get to where you need to go? Do you have people who love you? Then be thankful.
This is God’s will for you always, and always includes TODAY. Always be joyful. Never stop praying and Be thankful in all circumstances.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today’s devotional is for the women who have been hurt. Those who woke up disappointed today. Those who feel overwhelmed. Those who are beginning to believe it’s too late and they’re loosing hope. For you, the one who is disheartened by the journey right now with not a lot left to give.
In Isaiah 61:3 God reminds you He will give a crown of beauty for ashes.
What are your ashes? Ashes are the evidence of a fire that destroyed. The remains of a dream that went up in flames. The remnants of a woman who is burned out. These are ashes.
We all have them. We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all messed up. We’ve all been scorched by the fires of life … but we don’t have to live as women who are just a pile of rubble after the destruction.
No, God promises beauty for ashes.
What does this mean? This means you can take your heaping pile of all you’ve ever given up on in life, all that seems too far gone and hopeless, all that appears to be ruined and EXCHANGE IT FOR BEAUTY. Something magnificent for something malfunctioning. Something beneficial for something broken. Something desirable for something destitute. Something worthy for something worthless.
Beauty for ashes.
A beautiful life for a burned out life. What a deal.
That’s like trading in your 20 year old junker Honda that barely runs for a brand spanking new Range Rover with after effects. If you heard that deal advertised on TV wouldn’t you drop everything you were doing and get yourself to the car dealership? Oh you bet you would. Trade out your old used up car for a beautiful new one.
And listen to me here, God is offering something worth so much more than a car. Imagine the adds, TODAY ONLY YOU CAN TRADE IN YOUR OLD DISAPPOINTMENTS AND FAILURES FOR A BRAND NEW EXCITING PURPOSE FILLED LIFE.
Wouldn’t you find a way to get yourself wherever you needed to be to redeem that offer? Will you today?
The offer is available to you right now. Beauty for ashes.
God does not leave your heartbreak unredeemed! He doesn’t leave your failure unforgiven. He doesn’t leave you! You, he’s coming back for you! You’re not being left behind. He’s coming back to take whatever you have left and create something beautiful, worthy, meaningful, and life changing with it.
Whatever your ashes are, God is offering you beauty in exchange today. But that means you have to GIVE UP the ashes. You have to give up being a victim. You can’t hold on to your ashes and carry them around for everyone to see. You have to make the EXCHANGE. Beauty for ashes. Turn over your heartache. Turn over your failure. Turn over your disappointment. Turn over your hurt. Release it. It no longer belongs to you. And you know what’s really powerful about this. When the pain no longer belongs to you, YOU NO LONGER BELONG TO THE PAIN. And with your release of the ashes, God gives you beauty.
He gives you purpose. He gives you a passion. He sets your feet on a path to use every ounce of struggle for good in this world.
Beauty for ashes. What a deal. Girl, you gotta get in on this. Make that exchange today. God, here’s my pile of ashes. I give them to you and I thank you for giving me beauty in exchange.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This storm you’re in right now … this mess, this stress, this uncertainty, this hardship … it’s causing you to see something. What are you seeing here?
Are you seeing all that is wrong? Are you seeing how unfair this is? Are you seeing the threats?
If you are, I bet you’re sinking, huh? You’re stressed. You’re confused. You’re overwhelmed. You’re scared.
But, my sister, if you look for something else, you will certainly find something else, and that something else will radically change how you go through this storm, as well as how you come out of it.
For the disciples, every storm they faced brought an encounter with Jesus. And the same is true for you and I. Our storms bring us to Jesus. I have to believe it’s why life is full of storms … God wants our lives full of Jesus.
And here’s what we must remember: In the middle of the storm, Jesus is doing amazing, miraculous, glorious things. If all you ever want is to get out of the storms of your life, you may just be missing what Jesus is doing in the middle of the storms. Right here, right now, today, in the face of all that is wrong, there is so much more that is so right. Jesus is working here. All you have to do is look for him.
One of my best friends is at home with her 50 year old husband who is on Hospice, likely living his final days of this life. They’re not fearful. They’re not overwhelmed. They’re not miserable. The storms are raging, but they have found peace, joy and immeasurable blessings going through it. Why? Their focus is on Jesus and all he is doing. It’s a choice each moment, and that choice has them walking in the miraculous provisions of Jesus.
For Peter, the storm brought an opportunity to step into the miraculous. It was an invitation to do the impossible. To walk on water. Yes, to stand on the waves that threatened. To rise above the storm and see that Jesus was always more powerful than the circumstances, and with him, he could be too.
Matthew 14: 24-33 “The disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,”Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
What was Jesus doing in the middle of the storm? He was walking on the waves. What’s he doing in the middle of your storm right now? No doubt, walking on the waves. The waves are the very thing that threaten you. It’s the lost job, the diagnosis, the failing marriage, the wayward child, the bad news. These are your waves. And Jesus walks on top of them.
What does he invite you to do? Walk on top of them too.
Not to be overwhelmed by them. Not to drown in the problems. Not to be consumed by dread, misery and sadness in this storm, but to rise above and walk on this.
Won’t you ask Jesus if you can walk on this with him? You’ve been asking if it will all just go away, but maybe instead what Jesus wants to show you is that the BIG Life he came to give you rises above these waves and proceeds even in the face of them. Maybe this isn’t about calming the storm, this is about you getting out of the boat with Jesus.
Why has our joy become so circumstantial? Why is our peace dependent upon calm seas and good weather? What, you can only be happy when everything is perfect? Dang, that must mean your happiness is saved for that 1 week of vacation, then it’s a huge disappointment when the family acts like jackwagons on that vacation and you still don’t get to be happy.
The problem is, we’re looking at the circumstances instead of Jesus! Here in these less than favorable circumstances that we just want to escape, Jesus is doing mind blowingly awesome things for us, and he’s inviting us to join him.
Imagine that moment, in the middle of the storm, when Jesus told Peter to come on out on the water with him, and in verse 29 it says, “So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.” In that moment, he was perfectly fine in the storm. In that moment, he was walking on the waves that had threatened him in the boat. In that moment, he was focused on Jesus.
But, what happened when he looked at the storm instead? Verse 30 says, “he was terrified and began to sink.”
The only thing that had changed was what he was looking at. Looking at Jesus, he was walking on the waves. Looking at the storm, he was sinking in the waves. Jesus didn’t begin to sink, Peter did. Jesus was still doing miraculous, awesome things and the opportunity for Peter to join him was still there. However, when he looked at the storm, he was overcome.
My sister, what are you looking at today? If you will look at Jesus instead of all that is wrong, you will find he is doing something amazing right here and he’s inviting you to be part of it. But if you continue to dwell on the problem, you will continue to be terrified and you will get absolutely nowhere, as you sink in your problems.
Doing impossible things with Jesus requires two things: Keep your focus on him, and go in radical obedience.
Being overwhelmed in your problems and living in fear requires one thing: Focus on your storms.
We have a bad habit of thinking about, talking about, and posting about our storms. We have become habitual complainers and mega whiners. And so we sink. So we are scared. So we are stuck. So we are oblivious to the fact that Jesus is walking on top of all of this, and the invitation is there for us to do the same.
No, we don’t need the storm to go away, we need to throw our legs over the side of our boat and walk on the water to Jesus.
It’s time to get out of your comfort zone.
It’s time to focus on Jesus.
It’s time to stop complaining.
It’s time to harness your thoughts and make them obedient.
It’s time to get over your excuses.
It’s time to go afraid.
It’s time to overcome your waves.
Jesus is doing something absolutely marvelous for you, despite this storm. But if all you do is wish the storm away, and hunker down to just try and survive it, you will miss all he is doing for you and your opportunity to join him.
If the winds and the waves of your storm have stolen your attention, willfully turn your eyes back toward Jesus. Look for what he’s doing even while these things are going wrong. The simple act of looking at Jesus as you go through this will radically change your experience. He will bring you peace. He will show you joy. He will strengthen you. He will supernaturally guide you.
Yes, sometimes Jesus calms the storm, but sometimes he wants to calm his girl instead and invite her to walk on the waves with him.
Be aware of your focus today. Are you looking at your waves, or are you looking at the master of the waves? Are you looking at your problems, or are you looking at Jesus who is above your problems with a good plan for your life?
If you’re sinking, call out to Jesus, and he will immediately rescue you. Guaranteed. Every time. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve failed in this boat ride and been overwhelmed by the same storm. Call to him. Focus on him. Notice all he is doing even in this storm, and you will be strengthened to walk on these waves.
Jesus is more powerful than your circumstances. With your focus on him and your radical obedience to his call out of your boat, you can be more powerful than these circumstances too!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You were created to be an overcomer. This means you have the ability to get OVER anything that may COME your way. Get it – Overcomer – Get OVER anything that may COME your way. You have been given a specific set of skills and experiences that have strengthened you for your journey.
You are STRONG. Have you forgotten this?
But this morning, I also want to point out something you’re likely fully aware of. You have weaknesses. We all have strengths, but we also have weaknesses. We don’t need to shy away from our weaknesses, cover them up or wish they weren’t there. Our weaknesses are crucial to our journey.
Listen to me here sister, this might be worth writing down: A weakness is not a weakness when God fills that gap with his strength.
When are we the weakest? When we are suffering.
I’m talking about suffering when a relationship is falling apart.
Suffering when sickness has hit our home.
When there’s no more money and the bill collectors won’t quit calling.
When we’ve lost someone we love.
In those times of suffering our weakness is magnified.
Maybe that’s you right now. You are suffering and therefore you are weak.
I want to speak to you this morning my sister … God’s power is made perfect in your weakness. When you are weak, then you are strong.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 God has a personal and direct message for you: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In response, you can say the same thing as Paul: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When I am weak, THEN I AM STRONG. Overcomer.
I’ve heard it said this way – We often treat suffering like a game of dodgeball. When anything hard comes at us, we jump out of the way. We duck, dive, and hide. We spend our whole lives trying to avoid anything painful or hard.
But there’s a better kind of life—a deeper, more fulfilling kind of life—a life that isn’t about avoiding pain. Around here we like to call it BIG Life.
This BIG Life is about finding God faithful and sufficient in the midst of whatever trials or storms He allows. There’s something about our weakness that opens the flow of God’s strength.
Your weakness in this hardship has opened the flow of God’s strength.
In the midst of a trial, there’s a power coming into your life that you’ve never experienced before, because you never needed it so desperately before. Only when you’re personally weak can you experience this supernatural strength.
When you see a hard thing coming your way, stop trying to dodge it and maybe try a different reaction: I may not want this, I certainly didn’t choose it, but I can accept it and be content even now. I know God’s grace is sufficient to get me through it. I’m going to see the power of Christ in my life in an incredible way. I’m weak, but He’s strong.
You likely sang similar words as a little girl. Jesus loves me this I know – For the bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak, but HE IS STRONG.
God never allows a thorn without providing sufficient grace and strength in our weaknesses. Sufficient grace is not just enough to survive, but enough so that we can have supernatural joy in the midst of anything He allows us to go through. That’s strength.
Today you will see the power of Christ in your life in an incredible way because God is drawn to your weakness and his strength is displayed.
An overcomer is not without weaknesses. An overcomer gets knocked down too, but an overcomer keeps getting back up!
An overcomer regains strength from their weakness they keep getting better.
YOU are an overcomer. Your weakness serves as an opportunity for God’s strength to flow through your life. Your suffering is God’s que to step in and supply everything you need to overcome.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Through mentoring thousands of women, it seems there’s a common thread among us … we all want to know our purpose. We’re searching for that deeper meaning. WHY DID GOD CREATE YOU? WHAT SPECIFIC WORK DOES HE HAVE FOR YOU TO DO? Some people have clearly discovered their purpose and you see them living it out so perfectly. Dang, ever wonder how it happened? Want it to happen for you?
Today, I’ll show you how! This is going to blow your mind, make sure you’re ready for it. The hidden secret for discovering and fulfilling your purpose is found in Genesis 1:29: “Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth.”
Boom! Blew your mind, right? Not really? OK, give me a minute.
The secret is the SEED. God created one time and he never had to create again. Every living thing has been given a seed to produce again. God didn’t have to keep making oak trees, the seed for the next oak tree was in the first one. Nor did God have to keep creating people. The seed for the next generation was in the one before. All big things began with a small seed already in them.
You were a seed that formed within your mother while she was still in her mother’s womb! Yes, the egg that God would use to create the one and only YOU was formed 2 generations before you! You began microscopically small. But no matter how small, you were still there.
The potential would grow!
And here it is, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it ….
That big purpose that you’re searching for in your life, the answer to what you were created for and what you’re supposed to be doing STARTS WITH A SEED.
A seed of purpose. God already put it in you. It’s already there! The purpose you’re searching for is already in you!
But that seed of purpose doesn’t look like you thought it would. Think about it, why would it? You’re dealing with a purpose seed right now, the start of something bigger.
You’re expecting it to look like what it will one day become, but it doesn’t! The oak tree seed doesn’t look like an itty bitty tiny oak tree now does it? No, an acorn doesn’t look like what it will become. Nor does an apple seed look like an ity bitty tiny apple. Wouldn’t that be cute if it did.? But it doesn’t. The seed looks insignificant. It doesn’t look like what it will grow to be. But don’t miss it.
And so it is with the seed of your purpose.
Just imagine with me for a moment your specific purpose in life is to build an orphanage. That’s a noble purpose. But what does the SEED of that purpose look like? Does it look like an itty bitty orphanage? Nope.
Let me tell you what the seed looks like … it looks like getting up early today, 20 years before the orphanage is ever built. It looks like making your bed today. It looks like giving your best effort in the job you’re currently in just answering phones and filing papers.
That’s what a purpose seed looks like.
And God wants to know, will you be faithful with this little bit today? Will you be faithful with waking up on time? Will you be faithful with making your bed? Will you be faithful with this seemingly insignificant job? Will you be faithful with this seed because before I grow it into something big, I need to know if you’ll be faithful with little.
Are you really ready for bigger things? Were you faithful with your purpose seeds yesterday?
Every hour of your day has a purpose. An intended use for that 60 minutes. There is something you are supposed to be doing. Are you doing it well? Are you fully there for that hour of purpose? Are you giving it your best effort? Or are you just kinda there? Kinda faithful.
Today is nothing but a series of 60 minute purposes. Consider each 60 minutes a little purpose seed. Will you be faithful with it? If you are, it will grow. Your faithfulness will be noted, and more will be given.
What’s your purpose during breakfast time? What’s your purpose during work? Are you actually there, fully, fulfilling your intended use during those 60 minutes?
Will you fulfill your purpose for even 60 minutes?
You are being tested in the little purpose.
And you may be saying to me, “Pamela, I don’t want to mess with the little stuff. I want to know what the big purpose of my life is. I want to know what big thing I’m supposed to be doing. I don’t want to mess with this little stuff.”
So, you’re ready to move on to the big stuff, but have you really been faithful with the little stuff?
Every living thing has the seed within it. The seed for your big life purpose is the small 60 minute purpose that appears as simple as sitting down with your family without your cell phone, looking them in the eye, and carrying on a conversation. That is your seed.
The seed for your big life purpose is already in you in the form of your 60 minute purpose. If you’re not willing to fulfill your little purpose for one hour, what makes you think you would ever fulfill your big life purpose?
God knows better. He’s testing you. He’s not going to throw you into your big life purpose until you can nail a 60 minute purpose.
Maybe you’re like me and you have failed at that test, a lot. Well my sweet little acorn, you seed of possibility and great potential, today you try again. Remember, all big things start small. This is why a goal of making your bed or drinking water today is huge. It’s huge! It’s a seed!
So brush off the guilt of yesterday. I don’t want to hear about all you didn’t do yesterday or all you can’t do today. Fresh start right here, right now. Plant your seed of purpose 60 minutes at a time. Prove yourself faithful with one hour of life purpose, then bigger plans of purpose will grow. Pass the test today. Plant your purpose seeds.
Yes, cleaning your house is a purpose seed. Yes, creating a peaceful and joyful environment for your family is a purpose seed. Yes, earning that paycheck and paying those bills is a purpose seed. And these all lead to a bigger purpose.
Are you willing to start small? Will you be faithful with your seed today, or will you sit with unsewn seeds in your hand dreaming of a bigger harvest of purpose?
You’re sitting there thinking, “God, show me my big life purpose. Show me, I will do it!” and God is saying, “Girl! You won’t fulfill your purpose for 60 minutes! You’re not doing the small things. You’re not planting the seeds I have given you, I know you’re not going to take care of your big purpose.”
I think a little light bulb just went off. Think back to those people so beautifully fulfilling their life purpose. I dare you to ask them where they started! I bet they had a totally different job that looks nothing like what they grew into. I bet they had a whole lot of days of proving themselves faithful with little. I bet they mastered getting up and making their bed. What you see in them today is a result of purpose seeds that were well sown, that grew and flourished and became all they were intended to be.
You want that in your life? Now you know exactly what to do. You don’t have to sit and wonder any longer, wishing you knew what to do to fulfill your purpose. It’s right in front of you. Be faithful with your seeds, you have no idea what they can become!
All big things start small and today we will pass the test. Today we will plant our purpose seeds knowing they will bring a bigger purpose harvest. We will plant those seeds today, we will be faithful with a 60 minute purpose. Then God can look at us and say, “That girl right there, she’s ready to step into her bigger purpose because she’s taking care of her seeds of purpose.”
Continually ask yourself, “what is the purpose of this 60 minutes? What do I need to be doing?” Then make a commitment to be faithful to that 60 minute purpose. And plant that seed well!
Told you I’d blow your mind today!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you been exhausting yourself trying to do what you were never meant to do alone? Have you been showing up in your own power and might, and wondering why you always come up short? Girl, have you been trying to do what only God can do? Have you slipped into your super woman suit, trying to do all the things for all the people, and failing miserably?
Take off the cape, Sis. That was never yours to wear.
I have a friend who’s about 10 steps ahead of me on her journey with God. Her faith is inspiring and God literally shows off through her acts of radical obedience. Recently she had asked me to pray over a situation with her. I responded with, “Yes, I will pray. Tell me what else I can do.” Her response was short and it was powerful, and it totally blew me away. She said, “God will do it.”
Oh, GOD will do it. Not Pamela. It’s not Pamela’s wise words that will help the situation. It’s not Pamela arriving on the scene to push on the mountain and make it move. Pamela needs to get over herself and recognize, GOD WILL DO IT.
Something totally unexpected happened in that moment. I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I felt pressure released. A burden was replaced by a blessed assurance that my job was to talk to God about it, God would do what only God can do.
Come on, I can’t be the only one who immediately assumes they’re supposed to fix everyone and everything. I can’t be the only one who thinks every problem is my responsibility to get in the middle of with some sort of solution.
I’m beginning to realize that all this time I’ve placed entirely too much value on what I have to offer in my works. And in the process, I’ve assumed burdens that were never mine to carry. I’ve taken on missions that were not my own. I’ve tried to fix what I could never fix. This isn’t about me, and it’s not about you. It’s about our God being mighty and sovereign, with all the power in the world to do exactly what needs to be done.
You don’t need to fix anyone. Instead, the best thing you can do is point them to the one who fixed you.
If someone needs saving, you are not suited for that job. That’s a job for Jesus. Your job is to point them towards Him.
You are not dismissed from being his hands and feet when he prompts you, however you are dismissed from thinking this has absolutely anything to do with you. Some of us are walking around with a Savior Complex, thinking we have to save everyone. And guess what … we are exhausted. We’re like the little girl trying to walk in her mama’s high heels that are 7 sizes too big. You’re not getting anywhere very fast, now are you? Girl, you’re going to hurt yourself. Step out of the shoes that are WAY TOO BIG FOR YOU.
What is the situation you’ve been trying to insert yourself into as the answer? YOU’RE NOT. You are not the answer. You are not the solution. You are not the savior here. God will do this. If he invites you to partner with him, then yippeeeee, but remember, it’s still not your show.
Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.”
Well that’s pretty clear now isn’t it? GOD WILL DO IT. What’s your role in this? Commit your way to him and trust him. What’s his role? HE WILL DO THE DOING! He will make happen whatever needs to happen. He will move the mountains. He will change people. He will heal what is broken. He will make a way. Not you.
The Message Translation of this scripture says, “Open up before God, keep nothing back; he’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
You know the parts of your life that you’ve been holding back? The parts you’ve been trying to do all on your own? The parts where your pride and your control are held tightly? The part where you have these big lofty dreams and ideas that constantly discourage you because they’re not happening. Yeah … that’s the exact thing keeping God from doing what needs to be done here. Girl, get out of the way!
When our way is committed to God, with each step, we are made right with God. We walk in supernatural alignment with the good plans of our Heavenly Father, leading to destinations we don’t even know about yet. He is doing it, we’re just choosing to stay committed to him.
Will you commit to God? Will you lift your foot in faith and trust him to guide your next step? Will you respond to his promptings with radical obedience, always remembering it’s not you who will be doing big and powerful things, it’s God. He does the doing. Sometimes we’re so blessed to be a vessel for what he is doing, but may we always remember the vessel is empty and useless without the substance inside.
Here’s the thing. God doesn’t need another pretty vessel sitting on a shelf empty. We’ve somehow made our entire existence about our appearance, when I assure you, God wants to use you whether you look good in your stretchy pants or not!
But remember, when God chooses to use you, it was NEVER about your talent, your looks, or your goodness. It is always and only about you being an available vessel for his power. GOD WILL DO IT, NOT YOU.
Yesterday, I mentioned a book I read over 10 years ago called “Heaven Is For Real”. Interestingly enough, now I realize I really never read the entire book, I sped read through as much of it as I could back then standing in a Target. What I did read has forever impacted me. Yesterday I came to realize there was so much more for me to read about this 4 year old’s account of going to Heaven, then returning to tell about it.
Leslie listened to the devotional, she got the book immediately and started reading. Then, she sent me screen shots of a few pages. What I read once again blew my mind. The little boy shared how he saw Jesus shooting down power to his Daddy. His Daddy was a preacher who continually prayed before speaking, saying, “God, if you don’t help this morning, this message is going to fail.” Sounds simple, but Jesus’ response was a shot of power and this little boy saw it! That power being shot down is the Holy Spirit. Now, think about that for a second.
Jesus shoots down power through his Holy Spirit to enable us. It’s not us, it’s HIS POWER.
Have we been taking on the responsibility and pressure thinking it’s us that has to show up and do all these things? Have we become puffed up in our own pride and position, and in the process layered on pressure and weight that is literally killing us?
Girl, drop it. This isn’t about you. God’s going to do what only God can do. And if he wants you to do something with him, he’s going to supernaturally shoot down some power to you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I know you’ve asked God before, and you’re still waiting, but go ahead and ask again. I know you’ve prayed before and you feel like your prayer was unanswered, pray again. I know you’re growing discouraged. I know you feel like this is never going to change and it’s never going to happen. The answer may have been no before. It may have been wait. Or it may have been silent and left you confused. But today, God has prompted me to tell you, ASK AGAIN.
This morning I was led to Luke 18. Jesus was teaching his disciples, telling them stories they could understand. First, a story of a widow who continually asked a judge to be fair to her and give her justice against her enemies. Jesus said this judge neither feared God nor cared about people. Again and again, the widow would ask the judge for justice. Time and time again, the judge would ignore her. But Jesus says eventually the judge, although he didn’t care about this woman or anyone else, grew so tired of her incessant asking, that he eventually gives in. Verse 5 the judge says, “this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!”
Now the teaching from Jesus so that we can understand. Verse 6-8 “Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”
Jesus is telling us to always pray and never give up. Maybe you prayed before, but now you’ve given up. Maybe you used to ask, but you grew tired of asking, and you sit in defeat and disappointment. Maybe out of self-protection you don’t talk to God about this anymore. But hear Jesus loud and clear. “God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night.”
Keep asking. Keep praying. Keep coming back and talking to God about this situation over and over again.
Many years ago I read the book “Heaven Is For Real”, before they made the movie. There are a few things I remember most about the account of a 4 year old little boy who died, went to heaven, then came back to share the most amazing details a 4 year old couldn’t possibly make up. I believe it with my whole heart.
He talked about meeting his sibling. Yes, the baby he didn’t even know his mother had lost, yet he met her in Heaven. All those lives gone before they even began, they’re lived fully in Heaven. He talked about the animals in Heaven, which sure makes this dog loving mama’s heart happy. And he talked about his conversation with Jesus where Jesus said the little boy’s daddy just wouldn’t stop bombarding the throne of heaven with his request to bring his son back. So, Jesus was giving him back.
Are you really bombarding the throne of Heaven with your requests, or are you whispering a shallow and distant passing request not really expecting much. Girl, you have the ear of God Almighty. The creator of the Universe is listening to you. What do you want to talk to him about? And what will you keep coming back to talk to him about again and again?
Remember, always pray and never give up. You’re giving up too easily. You’re treating prayer like a one and done. Pray again. Ask again. Don’t you stop bringing this to God.
When I pray about something, I say God is going to know all about it because I’m just not going to stop talking to him in detail about my request. If I’m praying for you, God is going to know your name. He’s going to be like, “here comes my girl Pamela again to talk to me about Bill and Diane and their business.” Yip, it’s me again, God. Let’s do talk about this again!” God knows I’m here again at his throne with my requests for Nicky and Stacey, for Olivia and Lori, for Gail and Heather. He knows I’m coming in again to talk to him about those marriages that are struggling and those kids that have gone astray. I’m just not going to quit. Why? Because Jesus told me to keep praying and don’t give up.
Hey, if God answers my request for you because I’m driving him crazy, cool. If Jesus wasn’t serious about us bombarding the throne with our requests, then he wouldn’t have told us this story of the widow and the judge. I’m getting my butt back to the throne today, how about you?
Luke chapter 18 ends with the detailed account of Jesus responding to a cry others tried to hush. Verses 35-43, “As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”
And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.”
If someone has told you to quit asking, you just ask again. If someone has shamed you for seeking healing, boldly seek again today. Hey, nobody puts Baby in the corner, and nobody tells me I can’t ask God again.
Your cries bring Jesus close. Now as he draws near today in response to your cries, he is asking, “what do you want me to do for you?” Be ready to tell him. Tell him exactly what you want. Tell him again and again. With boldness, you approach that throne.
Remember, Jesus can do for you in an instant what you could never do in a thousand lifetimes. It doesn’t have to make sense. I doesn’t have to even be possible. With man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible.
Ask again. Ask continually. Bombard the throne of Heaven with your requests, and keep asking.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When we’re going through the storm, it’s easy to forget that God is up to something. When our good plans are falling apart and nothing else seems to be coming together, it’s easy to forget that God is up to something. When it’s bad news, when we’re wandering through the darkness, when we’re overwhelmed with hurt or loss or sadness, it’s easy to forget that God is up to something.
So, wherever you are and whatever you’re going through, maybe what you most need is a little reminder that, Sis, God is up to something for you. He’s working behind the scenes in the details you don’t yet know about. He’s aligning the right connections and the right circumstances, all in the right timing, to bring you to a place where you step into all he has been working on for you.
I’ve been praying over a family who lost their job, and as a result had to sell their large family home. In the process of looking for a cheaper home to rent within their new tightened budget, they encountered one closed door after another. They would find a home, but it would be gone. They would find another home, and the owner wouldn’t accept their dogs. They would then find another home, and at the last minute it wouldn’t work out either. Time was running out with nowhere for them to go. This morning I woke up to a text that said “God provided us a rental home that fits us all! We are sooooo blessed!”
Isn’t that interesting. They’ve lost their job and were forced into selling their home. That’s not a good situation. Yet, they are celebrating and recognizing how blessed they are because after all the nos, they finally have their yes. All this time, God was up to something for them. Before, were they waking up in their large home with their comfortable job feeling this blessed? Probably not. It was all they’ve gone through that makes them realize how God was working for them.
And all that you are going through now is leading you to a place where you will look around and realize how God has been working for you. Your time is coming when you too will say, “God has done it, and I am soooooo blessed.”
I often think about Jochebed. Maybe that’s a woman’s name you don’t know, but I bet you know her story. This is the woman who was desperate to save her baby from Pharaoh’s decree to kill all the baby boys, so she hid him for 3 months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she placed him in a basket made of papyrus, and set him to float down the Nile river.
Imagine how hard this would be. Imagine the fear of hiding a baby when the king has issued a decree that all baby boys were to be drown in the river. While you’re hiding this baby, you know the dangers of being caught. Your entire family would be killed. Now imagine the baby growing too big to hide, and you’re faced with the only option of floating him down a river and hoping someone finds and saves him. Jochebed had to let go and trust God.
So do you. You have to let go and trust God. When you’ve done all you can do, there’s only one thing left to do, let go. Will you trust God enough to provide? Will you trust God enough to do what only he can do? Will you trust God enough to believe he is making a way even when you can’t see it?
This baby boy floating down the river in a basket made of papyus is Moses. God had great plans for Moses. Pharoah’s plan to kill all the baby boys would not stop God’s great plans. In fact, it would perfectly position Moses right in Pharoah’s house to do God’s great work. We know all this now because we know the end of the story. But living in the middle of the story, you just know as a mother you’ve put your 3 month old baby in a basket floating down a river and you can’t save him.
Baby Moses’ sister, Miriam, watches as he floats down the river to where the King’s daughter was taking a bath. When she sees the baby, she rescues him from the river. Now this is my favorite part of the story that just show’s God’s goodness in the details of a massive mess.
Exodus 2: 7-9 “Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.”
So, get this, Jochebed’s baby wasn’t only saved, but she was PAID to bring the baby back home with her, no longer in hiding, deemed completely safe, to care for him. Only God can do that. Only God can show up in the middle of an impossible situation and not only make a way through it, but turn it for your good.
God had great plans for Moses. He was the one who he would place within the palace to then set his people free. He would rise to become a mighty leader of millions of people. But first, he was a helpless baby floating down a river in a basket because his Mama let go and trusted God.
All this time, God was up to something. He was up to something when Pharaoh tried to kill all the newborn baby boys. He was up to something when Pharaoh then tried to drown all the boys who had survived his original attempt to kill them at birth. He was up to something when Jochebed had no other option left than to put her baby in a basket in the river. He was up to something when the Pharoah’s daughter found the baby. He was up to something when the baby’s mother was then paid to bring him back home and care for him. He was always up to something.
A plan of provision. A plan of freedom. A plan of protection.
And you can trust, no matter how bad things look right now, God has a good plan for you.
I have to think sometimes God allows things to come down to the wire, down to the last minute, down to the very last option, and then he opens the floodgates on the goodness he always had aligned. Not that God is into being dramatic (or maybe he is … look at his creation, it’s pretty darn dramatic), but more so for us. For us to fully realize only God could have done this for us.
Only God could have brought you to that house. Only God could have made that connection that has brought you back to life again. Only God could have aligned every little detail that saved you and brought you here today. Only God could have done that.
And when we’ve gone through something so totally hopeless, and so totally impossible, then we make it through it and look back to see God’s fingerprints all along, we are left KNOWING God was always up to something for us.
Will you trust God enough to let go today? Let go of the worry. Let go of the stress. Let go of the overwhelm. Let go of the details. Let go of the control. And trust he’s been up to something for you. The day will come when you see all he has aligned in great providence to bring you to a place greater than you could have imagined.
This will be a place of deeper trust than you’ve ever had before, because you’ve personally experienced God’s provision.
This will be a place of a deeper connection with God, because you’ve personally experienced his protection.
This will be a place of a deeper love of God, because you’ve personally experienced his peace when it made no sense to have peace.
God is up to something. When it looks like it will never work out … When it feels like this will never get better … When it seems like there is no possible way … God is up to something, and you can trust what he is doing here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When is the last time you screwed up and fell short? No one likes to admit it, but we’ve all been there, and we’re not talking majorly past tense. I failed, and y’all it was super recent.
God gave me a tremendous gift in this regrettable failure of mine, he allowed me to watch the unfolding affects as if from a distance. Almost like an out of body experience, I watched myself in response to my own recognized shortcomings. Now, I understand the tactics of the enemy to defeat us even better. I see it. I felt it. And God showed me exactly how to overcome it.
So, if you’re carrying around a failure you’ve been trying to hide, but it’s been eating you up inside, this one is for you, Sis!
The details of my failure are not necessarily important, but it’s much the same as yours. You do the thing you don’t want to do, and minutes later you wish you could go back and undo it, but you can’t. You’re left to face the fact that once again, you didn’t do what you know you were supposed to do and you regret it. And now, you’re so sorry.
We’ve all felt it. In fact, Paul certainly felt it and wrote about it in Romans 7:15, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.”
That’s regret. Regret over what we did, what we said, how we behaved, how we reacted. I don’t understand why I do these things, and I bet you don’t understand why you do either. Dang, I hate it, don’t you?
So, here I was hating myself for my failure, and I saw the domino affect within me. I shrunk back in shame. I replayed the event over and over in my head, each time with greater guilt. And right there, I began dismissing my calling to be more because I felt less.
Sound familiar? Anyone else caught in this same trap? You’ve been called to be so much more, but you’re dismissing that call because you too feel less. I get it. But God says something different.
Step 1 is to confess and ask for forgiveness. I hit my knees. I told God exactly what I had done, although he already knew. I genuinely asked for forgiveness.
Then, let me tell you exactly what happened. I’m going to be completely honest with you. I laid down in bed and replayed the same event on a perpetual loop, sinking lower each time.
Is this what forgiveness looks like? Really, is what Jesus did for us not enough to cover our sin? What would be enough? Do we want Jesus to crawl back up on that cross and hang there again?
My Sister, what Jesus did for us IS ENOUGH. WE ARE COVERED. The moment we ask for forgiveness, it is given freely and fully. There’s nothing you have ever done, or ever could do, that is not covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God, and all of us are offered complete forgiveness. Not a single one of us is disqualified.
So, what’s the problem here? Why are forgiven girls walking around burdened by guilt and covered in shame? Why can’t we stop the story from playing out in our head over and over again? Why can’t we just stop beating ourselves up and fully accept what Jesus has offered us? If we have confessed our sin and asked for forgiveness, why are we still struggling with it?
This is where I was. I could see it playing out. Fully forgiven, yet not free. Falling victim to the ploys of the enemy who loves to play in our sin. His tactics are always the same, screw up and beat up. You screw up, then he beats you up. Over and over again, he reminds you of your failure. Each time you replay the story, you sink lower and feel more defeated.
In my low, beat up defeat, this time I heard Jesus. He said to me, “My girl, this is over, let’s move on.”
I was sulking in condemnation. Condemnation says what you did was bad, so that makes you a bad person. Condemnation says you’re guilty and you deserve punishment. Condemnation says there’s a price to pay, but the problem is you can never quite fully pay it off. There’s always an indebtedness to your shortcoming held over your head.
But let me tell you what my Bible says about that. Romans 8: 1-2 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
The Spirit which now lives within us has freed us from the power of sin which once ruled us. I can overcome this. I can move forward. I can let this go, turn off the replay, stop the screw up and beat up cycle, and walk in forgiveness and wholeness.
I can. You can. Will you?
The enemy would love nothing more than for you to dismiss yourself from this offer. He would love for you to reason why you’re too far gone. He would love for you to stay stuck in regret and shame while forfeiting the good plans God still has for you. Is that what you’re going to do? Are you going to let the enemy do that to you? Will you let him win?
There is NO condemnation for those who belong to Jesus. Stop picking it up and putting it on your back. That’s not yours to carry.
What God does give his girls in conviction. Conviction is that little voice inside that says you can do better than this. Conviction says rise up and leave that behind you. Conviction says let’s make this right and move forward with our head held high in victory over the very thing the enemy tried to use against us.
How do we make it right? After we talk to God about it, we confess and apologize to anyone who may have been affected by our failure. We don’t hide it in dark places where the enemy can poke at us. We bring it out into the light where all the enemy was trying to do is revealed and rendered powerless.
Here’s what I found … the step of confessing to those I had hurt was awful one second, and beautiful the next. The moment you do, you release all ties the enemy held on you. The chains are broken. The darkness is gone. Guilt and shame have left the building. And now, full forgiveness sets in.
James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Well isn’t that the last thing the devil would want us to do? He would never want us to be healed. He would never want wonderful results in our lives. So he plays on guilt and shame and tells you your sin could never be revealed to another. But this keeps you stuck in your cycle of defeat and darkness.
Who can you talk to about this sin the enemy has been beating you up with? Who can pray with you so that you may be healed? Anyone who has faith in God has been declared righteous, and it is their earnest prayers that have this power!
I’m available. Seriously, message me. I’ll pray with you. Let’s get it out so the enemy can’t play in it for one more day. You are God’s girl, and God’s girls have no right to carry guilt and shame. What Jesus did on that cross is fully sufficient for every sin, every shortcoming, and every failure.
You’ve been sorry long enough, let’s move on to healing now!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How hard is it for you to get up when your alarm rings in the morning? How many times do you hit the snooze button? Have you noticed how accustom you have grown to an ignored alarm, that you no longer even wake up to it? Seriously, you can sleep right through your blaring alarm because you’ve trained your mind and body to dismiss it.
You don’t hear it. You’re not moved by it. You don’t respond to it.
Why? Because over time, you’ve ignored that alarm and avoided it, so it no longer moves you into immediate action.
Anyone see where I’m going with this?
God has given you his Holy Spirit within to guide you. It is not God’s desire for you to wander around aimlessly and perpetually confused. He’s not playing some sort of guessing game where he knows everything and you’re left to just worry and wonder. His Spirit prompts you like an alarm, but if you’ve been dismissing those promptings, you’ve likely stopped even noticing them.
Honey, God’s been trying to wake you up and divinely guide you to walk in his great purposes, but you’ve been hitting the snooze button. After you hit that snooze button on his promptings for so long, you stop even thinking about taking action. You’re perpetually dismissing the alarm that says, “wake up and do this”, then you wonder why you no longer feel led by God at all.
You’re still being led, it’s just you’ve gotten into the bad habit of dismissing his leading.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve discovered I can’t be trusted with “later.” I’ll do that later. I’ll make time later. I’ll get going on that later. NO I WON’T. Me and later mix like water and oil. I have a proven track record that shows if I push what I’m being told to do now into later, it won’t be done.
Are you the same? Can you be trusted with “later”, or do your good intentions slowly dwindle into inaction? You do understand inaction is disobedience, right? When God prompts us to do something, and we hit the snooze button on it, delaying our action, we are stepping into the dangerous grounds of “later” which soon turn into disobedience.
Stop dismissing what God is telling you to do. He is guiding you. He is leading you. The problem is, we’re turning off the alarm.
Romans 8:14 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
Let me flip that. Are you a child of God? Did God create you? Do you acknowledge him as your Heavenly Father? Yes? Then YOU ARE LED BY HIS SPIRIT. That’s plain and simple. He is speaking to you. He is calling you. He is guiding you. He is leading you. Constantly and continually.
The alarm has been ringing. Maybe you haven’t been getting up. Maybe you’ve been hitting snooze on his promptings. And maybe you’ve hit snooze so many times, it’s become an automatic subconscious response to dismiss the alarm without you even being aware. You think God isn’t speaking to you, but he is. You’ve just gotten used to ignoring it so you no longer hear it.
I spent this past weekend at our BIG Life Mission Retreat. There, I was surrounded by impossible things being made possible. Totally unrealistic things becoming reality. Children with such traumatic pasts that they had been thrown away and never expected to be capable of leading whole lives, walking in full restoration, being made totally new, and stepping into greater purposes than ever imagined. Girls rescued from unimaginable situations, coming to us and asking if they could pray for us. Yes, pray for us … the women who came to help them, they turned and helped us.
Why? Because God was ringing their alarm, and these girls are learning to respond to the alarm and be radically obedient instead of hitting the snooze button.
Can we do the same? What would happen if we did? What would happen if we took the next step when God says go? What would happen if we reached out when God stirred us? What would happen if we showed up feeling totally unequipped and incapable, but we believed in a greater power working within us?
Let me tell you what would happen … Impossible things. Unrealistic things. Things no one thought possible.
The mission we partnered with is 99+1. It’s a humble family who have taken Jesus seriously when he said in Matthew 18:14 “It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”
They don’t have the money or the means to accept every broken child whom foster care has failed. It’s totally unrealistic for them to take on the 18 year olds who have aged out of foster care and have no where to go. It’s the most ridiculous thing for them to think they could possibly have a huge beautiful facility that gives these precious souls not only a place to call home, but to have the most gorgeous coffee shop to work at and gain valuable skills for their future.
None of that is even slightly realistic. But it’s exactly what we are witnessing unfold. God rang the alarm and all he needed was for his children to wake up and answer in faith. Every time God has said, “do it”, they have done it, and the impossible has unfolded. Every time God has said, “yes”, they have believed and it has happened.
It doesn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be another bed available in their home. There shouldn’t be enough money, time, or help to pull off such a huge project. There shouldn’t be such a huge unfolding of God’s power in the middle of absolutely Nowhere, Oklahoma, but there is! Why? Because God’s people have gotten up and responded to his Spirit when it rings. And God’s Spirit isn’t limited by any law.
Galatians 5:18 “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
We’ve created all these laws which say if you reach this point, you’re too far gone. We have rules that tell us this could never happen because it’s way over your head and out of your reach. We have guidelines which tell us we can go so far, but only this far, but then we stop. So, our laws, rules and guidelines of realistic expectations limit what can and can’t happen.
BUT WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW! We are led by the Spirit of God Almighty, and that Spirit doesn’t play little! That Spirit isn’t limited by limited resources. That Spirit isn’t confined by stories of the past. That Spirit isn’t restrained by what is realistic.
If you want in on the big, impossible things God is doing, start by saying yes to the little promptings today that you’ve been dismissing. If God says, “message this person”, then girl, message that person. If God says, “take this next step”, immediately lift up your foot in faith.
Remember, you likely can’t be trusted with later. Later is your snooze button. Later has taught you to dismiss the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Later is cheating you out of opportunities aligned by your gracious Creator who has nothing but good plans for your life.
If you’re no longer hearing the alarm after years of ignoring it, then ask God to give you another chance today. Ask him to prompt you today, then you be rip roaring ready to do exactly what he directs you to do.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Who woke up today carrying a heavy load of uncertainty? Who is walking into work today unsettled? Who is at home today concerned over something specific? For some it’s something small, and for some it’s life-altering. God’s word instructs us very clearly on what to do with these worries, both big and small.
1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Imagine being able to say with confidence today, “I’m just giving this to God, because he really cares about me.” Woah, what would that do in your life?
Your anxiety is the very thing causing you unease or worry. It’s not yours to hold onto. Imagine this as a game of hot potato between you and God. Stop holding onto it. Pass it. Instead we sit there examining the worry, fretting over ever detail, posting about it, talking about it all while the one thing we’re supposed to be doing is casting it on God. CAST IT ON HIM.
To cast means to throw. Throw those feelings of hurt on him. Throw those feelings of nervousness on him. Throw those feelings of hopelessness on him. Frustration, overwhelm, uncertainty, confusion, hey it’s hot potato here sister, throw it!
But there’s one really important step we sometimes forget in “casting it on him”. We forget that means we actually have to let it go.
You can’t cast without loosing your grip. You can’t cast without giving up ownership.
Think about this. You could be the best baseball pitcher in the world, and your ball could go nowhere. You could wind that ball up. I mean wind your arm up and hike your leg. Wind it up, wind it up, wind it up, and at just the right point and babam baby, with all your might swing your arm, but if you don’t actually let go of that ball, you will dislocate your dang shoulder. I mean you will seriously injure yourself if you don’t let it go.
Did you here me? You are going to seriously injure yourself if you don’t let this go!
So you’ve got this problem. Whew it’s been worrying you. It’s been keeping you up at night. It’s been so heavy it takes your breath away sometimes. Your energy has been zapped by the weight of these feelings. CAST IT ON HIM. Loosen your grip. Your problem can no longer be your identity. You must be willing to move on in your life without this. Are you really ready to give up worrying about it?
Some people are and some people aren’t. If you’re ready, God is ready. Cast all your anxiety on him because HE CARES FOR YOU.
Hebrews 4:15 – “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”
God is touched by the FEELINGS of my problem. The devil tells me God doesn’t care. He says I’m alone. He says something is wrong with me for feeling this way. But let me tell you the truth, NO ONE CARES ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL MORE THAN GOD DOES.
The God who runs the whole universe watches your face. In Genesis the Lord said to Cain, “why has your countenance fallen?” In other words, why is your face sad. Girl, you think God doesn’t hear your cries? He sees your tears. You don’t even have to be crying, he sees the look of worry and sadness on your face. And get this, HE CARES.
Why does the enemy work so hard on us trying to convince us God doesn’t care about our feelings? Here’s why … when you stop believing God cares, you give up on your faith. You can’t continue to have faith in a God who doesn’t give a flying flip about you. So of course the enemy of your life tries to convince you God would never actually care about you. But girlfriend, he is wrong! God cares about you. He cares about what you’re going through. He cares about how it makes you feel. He cares about how it’s hurting you to hold on to it. Hear him say today, “My girl, give this to me. Cast it on me. Let it go.”
Nothing is too big to bring to God. And nothing is too small. Cast ALL your cares. All of them.
What happens when we try to worry our way through life? What happens when we tuck it all inside and carry the weight on our own? One of two things. We either have a complete breakdown, or we just go numb.
Have you stopped living the BIG Life you were created for because you’ve been hurt before and you don’t want to be disappointed again? You don’t get your hopes up because that hurt isn’t worth it. So you go through life numb in robot mode. You shut off everything to manage the pain. No pain gets in, but listen to me, no pleasure gets in either. Are you just a shell of what you were supposed to be.
Today, cast ALL YOUR CARES ON HIM. God, I give this to you. I release my grip. This will not become my identity. This problem does not define my life, my value or worth. I am a treasured child of the almighty.
Now listen up, this isn’t a promise that God will fix everything that worries you.
I may have written a script of how I believe it should all work out, but God is not obligated to follow my script. However what this is, is a promise directly to you that God will receive your worries and he will care about them. He will carry the load for you. And you can fully trust that he will handle it in the way that is best.
This is a dance of faith, God is the lead. It won’t always go your way, but you can trust God to be moved by his care for you personally.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Somewhere in your life fear is holding you back. There’s your fear of what may never happen for you, and then there’s your fear of what could happen to you, so basically there’s fear around everything. Where does that fear come from, what is it doing to you, and how do you overcome it?
First, where does fear come from? Well, fear doesn’t come from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
So, if fear doesn’t come from God, who does it come from? Satan gets a whole lot of credit, no doubt. But I also want to honestly address our own culpability in the fear factor. Don’t we allow our thoughts to run wild? Don’t we play pitiful and wallow? Don’t we make things worse than they are within our own head, then create chaos in our lives as a result?
2 Corinthians 10: 5 “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” What happens if you don’t take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to the truth of Jesus? Oh, let me tell you, Sis … your thoughts end up creating a prison for you, holding you hostage in a life of fear and overwhelm.
You know who delights in that whole crap fest created by your fearful thoughts? SATAN!
Fear is in fact one of the enemy’s finest tactics to keep you from reaching your full potential. Fear cripples us in inaction and keeps us stuck in our head. After listening to that voice of fear for so long we become hell bent against our own selves, sabotaging ourselves, getting in our own way, setting up road blocks to keep us from the very things God has written our name on.
AND WE’RE THE ONES DOING IT. Have you ever listened to yourself literally talking yourself down from action? It’s ridiculous, and yet every single one of us have done it and may still be doing it. You could rise up and do exactly what needs to be done with the supernatural strength God has given you, but you don’t. Why? Because fear has created the soundtrack playing in your head and you’re completely defeated.
You no longer have to be a slave to fear. You can overcome this, and here’s how: Use what God has given you.
Did you know God has already equipped you with every single thing you need to overcome your fear and live in confidence and peace today? Remember that scripture says God didn’t give you a spirit of fear. Nope, that fear you have comes from the enemy, but God gave you three things … power, love and self-discipline. You already have power. You already have love. And you already have self-discipline. They’re inside of you, given to you by your creator. You’re not lacking any of these things, but perhaps fear has been overriding them.
The enemy’s offer of fear attacks the very things God has equipped you with. Think about it, God gives you power so the enemy plants seeds of fear in you to make you FEEL powerless. It’s fear that holds you back from taking action and exercising your God given power, so you get stuck and then you stay stuck, living a life far short of what’s truly available to you. Not only available to you, but specially designed for you. How heartbreaking would it be to come to the end of this life and realize how much bigger and better the life you were designed for was than the life you lived, and it was all because you let the enemy get in your head with his offer of fear instead of waking up and putting your feet on the floor in power and taking a stand.
Within you is enough love to change your world. Your love can cause you to do radical things. A mother’s love can lift a car off her child. You say you would be willing to die for your family, then girl, will you LIVE for them? Will you live big for them, showing them how to overcome fear? Love can give you the strength to do that. I’m telling you love can move mountains. But most days we’re stuck in fear instead of living in full love. We withhold our love in fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of failure, and so our world goes on hungry for the very thing only we can give … but we’re too afraid to give it. So the enemy wins. Your love that can change lives and impact this world is stuck in a jail of fear.
And finally make no mistake about it, you do have self-discipline. You do have power over the choices you make. You’re not a bad robot set to make all the wrong decisions. You can follow through with your commitments. You can make the tough choices now for the long term benefit. You can do hard things. Yes you can darn it, quit selling yourself short.
You have self-disciple because God gave it to you. The only problem is, you may have been listening to the spirit of fear (which remember didn’t come from God) telling you that you’re weak, you’re broken, there’s something wrong with you, everyone else can do this but for some reason you just can’t. That’s crap. Seriously, call it what it really is. That’s crap. Crappy fear will ruin your life.
Memorize this scripture today and make it personal. God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God. I am filled with power. I am overflowing with love. And I am harnessing my self-discipline.
Every time you feel fear creeping in trying to talk you out of doing the things you said you would do, trying to get you to settle for less than you really want, trying to hold you back from living the life you were created for, trying to back you in a corner and sideline you from rising up, you address that fear direct.
Fear, I know where you came from and I refuse you today. I’m not your slave any longer. I am a child of God with power, love and self-discipline.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God isn’t looking for the strongest, the smartest, the most experienced, or the most qualified. None of the things we place such importance on are on God’s list of expectations of us. God asks for one thing from us … believe. Simply believe he will do what he says he will do. Believe he can do it through you and he can do it for you.
We are so quick to dismiss ourselves. We’re so accustom to playing little and sitting it out. Experience has shown us if we will just sit and wait, someone else will step up and do it for us. But really, is that what God created you for? Did he create you to be the girl who never does anything hard? Did he create you to be the girl who watches others do what you should be doing? I think not!
Your Creator expects you to believe his power is enough to overcome every single inadequacy you may have. Your Creator expects you to show up like you’re chosen, and count on divine providence to make things happen as you go. This whole laying low, hiding in dark corners, and playing little crap has got to stop.
Your muscles are atrophying because you’re not using them. And let me tell you something, your faith is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. But lack of use causes it to wither and deteriorate. If you haven’t been showing up in the middle of circumstances that are beyond your own ability and putting yourself out there in the face of potential failure, then you’ve started to believe you never could. Your focus has become set on all you can’t do, rather than what God COULD do through you.
What could God do through you? Oh girl, you have no idea! But don’t you want to know!
I totally want to know what God could do through an ordinary girl like me. I want to know what my life could become with a disciplined surrender to his promptings. Notice I said “disciplined surrender” to his promptings. I’ve discovered this journey of being led by the Holy Spirit is a daily act of discipline. It means I get up when I don’t want to get up. It means I show up no matter what. It means I believe there’s something greater guiding me than my feelings in the moment. It means I start small and humble and refuse to give up in the struggle, because eventually God will grow it to something greater. But he doesn’t grow great things out of our nothing. He doesn’t show up and use magic in our lives.
Is that what you’ve been counting on? Magic. God, just make it happen. Do something big, while I do nothing. Nope. God uses seeds. Your disciplined surrender every day is a seed. If you don’t plant it by showing up when you don’t feel like showing up, then guess what … you forfeit the blessing of seeing what God could have done with your little. You dismiss yourself from growth. So, God will grow someone else. God will use someone else’s seed of disciplined surrender to create what you’ve been dreaming of, and you’ll sit there and watch it happen wondering why it couldn’t be you.
Well, honey, it couldn’t be you because you weren’t willing to believe to the point of action.
Yes, that’s what we’re talking about today. Belief in God that makes us move. Believing so much that we can’t sit in inaction. Believing God is doing something so good, no one could make you sleep the day away. Believing God is guiding you so powerfully, that nothing could hold you back from taking the next step.
Would God really choose someone like you for that? You bet your butt he would. You’re perfect for this!
The Lord chose Gideon as his mighty warrior to rescue his people. But there was one little problem, Gideon was a very unlikely candidate for a warrior position. No one else would have chosen Gideon, but God did. And you need to know why. You need to know why God chose someone totally unlikely for great things, because you’ve been focusing on how unlikely you are while God has been trying to tell you YOU ARE CHOSEN.
Judges 6: 11-16 “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,mighty warrior.”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
Why would God choose the least person out of a family in the weakest clan to rise up as a warrior? Oh honey, don’t you remember what Jesus said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My power is made perfect in your weakness.” Gideon being a total unlikely warrior was God’s divine opportunity to show his power.
So, Sister, all the reasons why you can’t … all the reasons why you’re not good enough … all the reasons why you dismiss yourself … those are the exact reasons God has chosen you. YOU ARE THE ONE HE WANTS because his power is made absolutely perfect in you. You can’t do this on your own, and you’re not supposed to. But you are supposed to do this with his power!
Gideon began following God’s promptings with disciplined surrender. He did things that were hard for him to do. He did things that made absolutely no sense to him. He did things that would cause others to question. And with each act of disciplined surrender, God’s power was made perfect within him.
This is how the least person in a family of the weakest clan became a mighty warrior. He actually BELIEVED what God said about him. And he believed it so much, he took action.
And this is exactly where you are today. You’re at this place where God is speaking to you. He is telling you you are his beloved and chosen girl. He is telling you he created you for a purpose and he has great plans for you. He is telling you the deepest desires of your heart have been put there by him, written into your soul by your creator, as a guide to your destiny. Will you BELIEVE IT?
Will you believe this could be true for you?
Will you believe your weakness makes you a perfect candidate for God’s power?
Will you believe it so much that you stop dismissing yourself?
Will you believe it so much that you greet the feelings that tell you you don’t want to, and show up with disciplined surrender anyway?
Will you believe it in the face of your most recent set back?
Will you believe it when it looks totally unlikely?
Will you believe it when you’re tired?
Will you believe it when it doesn’t make sense?
Will you believe it to the point of action?
God has aligned things for you that your mind simply cannot even begin to fathom right now. It’s crazy perfect how God’s plans for your life will fulfill every dream you’ve ever had and bring purpose to every struggle you’ve ever lived through. Yip, God meant it when he said he will give you the desires of your heart. He meant it when he said he would take everything the enemy ever meant for harm and use it for good.
Now, you get to choose whether you believe it.
And if you choose to believe it, something will start shifting within you. That belief will stir up power and courage and strength you never knew possible. The warrior stuff inside of you will start showing up. And every day, through disciplined surrender pushing you through all the things you don’t feel like doing, you will discover you really are the one God has chosen!
Your job today is to start believing it.
My whole world changed when I spent more time believing I could be the one God spoke through than dismissing myself from the calling.
No more dismissing yourself. God is calling you. He’s calling you out of the corner where you’ve been hiding. Out of the rut where you’ve been stuck. Out of the comfort you’ve been clinging to. Out of the excuses you’ve been using. Believe it and see where your feet are guided next!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you have a choice to make, but you don’t know what the right choice is? Have you been delayed, waiting for the clear answer, afraid to get it wrong? When you make a choice, you stand a chance of being wrong, and who likes being wrong? I’ve never met a single person who enjoys being wrong. Because of our fear of being wrong, we’re often stuck in indecision. We typically DO know what we want in life, we really do, but actually going for what we want is scary because it could go wrong.
Who am I talking to today? Who’s sitting in indecision today, hiding behind a pile of choices because it’s safe to stay there?
The truth is, this is an area of great frustration and confusion for many. MAKING A CHOICE is hard to do. And because you fear making the wrong choice, you avoid choosing and thus you stay STUCK. Is it better to be stuck than to be wrong?
God isn’t always clear with his direction. I’ve mistaken my fleshy desires for his divine guidance and it’s taken me down the wrong path. How about you? I’ve cleaned up plenty of messes following wrong choices. But wow did I learn a lot in the process. Looking back, I ask if it would have been better to do nothing? Would it have been better to sit and wonder for a few more years? How many opportunities would I have missed as I waited for that clear sign?
My daughters would have surely spent several more years in the orphanage as I waited to know FOR SURE we were supposed to adopt them. I would still be pursing a career that sucked the life out of me as I waited to know for sure we could make it without a guaranteed paycheck and insurance. I would still be living in a town I didn’t want to live in, filling a big house with all the things, as I waited to see if we could really travel full time. I would still be stewing over how to make that first retreat work, instead of stepping into retreat 60 something this week. This podcast would still be a thought, because ya’ll I so wasn’t certain God was really directing this.
I bet the same is true for you. You would probably still be waiting to have that first baby, unsure if you were really ready to raise a tiny human being, huh? That career move was risky, but it worked out didn’t it? It’s all working out, even when it was uncertain. Even when you didn’t know what you were doing. Even when you never felt ready. But that first step in faith has brought you further than you ever imagined.
There were things you were seeking God for, and you never did get that crystal clear answer, but you showed up and did your best instead of sitting in the corner … and aren’t you glad you did? Aren’t you glad you tried?
I believe God has called us to be bold women willing to make choices and risk being WRONG.
Question – can God handle our wrong choices? Oh you bet your sweet little butt he can.
He is constantly moving among us to work all things together for good … even our bad moves and wrong turns. I mean if he can put 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body and create a totally unique, one of a kind set of fingerprints for you, don’t you think he can realign opportunities you may have missed and adjust for your misteps?
Isn’t God that big? Isn’t he that powerful? Stop putting him in a box assuming your uncertainty has confused or limited him. God is not limited. God is not stuck. God is 100% certain of the good plans he has for your life and he knows there’s a million diffferent ways he can get you to those good plans, so he allows you to choose along the way. And yes, even choose wrong sometimes.
Psalms 23:3 tells me “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
He guides ME. Say that with me. HE GUIDES ME. HE GUIDES ME. HE GUIDES ME.
Do you believe that? God is guiding you.
Are you calling on God for his guidance? Are you seeking his will? GREAT. Then don’t be so darn afraid to make a choice. If you are genuinely seeking him and your heart’s desire is his will above your own, then trust that he will hold true to his word and he will guide you along the right path.
However, if you’re not seeking God, you’re likely to get yourself into so many more messes than necessary. If you’re impulsive and led by desires of your flesh over desires of the Spirit within you, get ready for some ditches and trenches. Deep in those ditches and there in those trenches you will undoubtedly learn it would have been far better to pray about it before you jumped into it. Honey, God will still meet you there.
Should you wander off on the wrong path and hang a left when you should have made a right, your God can make a NEW PATH for you. Sometimes we’re just on the scenic route to our destination and God can deal with that. Who is pretty sure they’re currently on the scenic route to their purpose in life because it’s taking longer than you ever imagined? Ahhhhh, me too. Seems I may have taken a few wrong turns along the way and God is just encouraging me to enjoy the backroads as he leads me somewhere beautiful. You too?
I often pray for doors of opportunity to be opened, but even more often I pray for doors to be closed if they’re the wrong doors. I ask for God to lock ‘em up, dead bolt them, seal ‘em tight if I’m not supposed to go through them because I know this much after 47 years of life … if it’s not what God wants for my life, I really don’t want it either. That’s a powerful prayer. God, if it’s not what you want, I DON’T WANT IT EITHER. Lord, if you’re in it, I want it. If you’re not, I don’t.
That all sounds good, doesn’t it. I bet you can agree with me so far. But what does that really look like in real life? What do locked doors look like? It looks like everything falling apart right in front of your eyes. It looks like a continual stream of NO’s and ‘sorry you’re too late’. It looks like your position will no longer be available, the pregnancy failed, the contract fell through, she said no, it didn’t work out, and you knew you shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up. And wow do we ever get frustrated and lose hope quickly. Take a step back and realize maybe this isn’t bad luck … maybe you’re not being punished … maybe, just maybe what’s really happening is God’s promised guidance along the right path, locking doors to keep you out of the wrong ones.
GOD GUIDES ME. He is guiding you, honey.
I can look back over the past years of my life and see clearly all the closed doors I prayed for. My Facebook memories have a way of reminding me of all the big ideas I had that fell flat and the hopeful situations that never quite panned out. And you know what that was? Upon first glace it looks like disappointment. It looks like setback. But the truth is, that was God faithfully guiding my family.
But it kinda sucks when you’re going through it.
And it sucks so bad most of us just decide to never make a move or dare to change. We won’t try the new flavor because what if it’s wrong and what if it’s a major disappointment. We won’t make a choice and say what we really want because what if it doesn’t work out? GOD WANTS YOU TO SEEK HIM FIRST, THEN TRUST HIM ENOUGH TO GET OUT THERE AND GO FOR IT. And keep trusting him when the doors slam in your face.
And remember this, he is powerful enough, and loving enough, to right your wrongs when you mess up along the way. He can turn all things to good – even your mistakes. Sometimes learning what you don’t like and what you don’t want is crazy valuable. God can use that.
Don’t be stuck in indecision within an endless series of ‘what if’s’ – get out there and live. God is guiding you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you have something in your life that you continually battle, yet can’t seem to overcome completely? Something that constantly creeps back in and pesters you? Sometimes you think you get rid of it, then here it comes again. Maybe it’s a bad habit or addiction. Maybe it’s a choice you keep making that you genuinely don’t want to make, yet you do it over and over again. You just can’t seem to rid yourself of this.
Understand, this is an area of your life where Satan has a foothold on you.
What is a foothold? I want you to think of it like this, if you’re trying to get away from me by running down the hall and escaping into a room, you would want to close the door to keep me out, right? But if when you’re closing the door on me, I put my foot in the door, you can’t close the door and I now have access whether you want me to or not. My foot is holding the door open. I have a foothold on you.
Now imagine Satan, your enemy from the pits of hell who wants nothing more than to kill, steal and destroy every ounce of goodness in your life, has a foothold on you. His foot is holding the door open, and no matter how hard you push, you can’t close the door. He has access to your life, and he torments you.
God wants to reveal to us how we have allowed a foothold in areas of our lives that give the devil access to torment us. God will help us close this door and overcome that which we cannot overcome on our own.
Scripture tells us about this foothold in Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Unresolved anger creates this foothold for the devil which he uses as leverage against you. Now, maybe you don’t feel like an angry person, but anger is simply an unforgiveness for an offense against you. It shows up as bitterness, negative thoughts, jealousy, replayed scenarios in your head, and positioning yourself as a victim. And maybe you have every right in the world to feel the way you do. But understand, justified feelings still offer a foothold to the devil.
The devil would love nothing more than to get all up in your justified hurt. He relishes in the opportunity to play in your bitterness and keep you stuck there. He’s so comfortable in your past pain and keeps the door open to that pain hurting you again today.
Satan’s access through this foothold in your life shows up as the thing you just can’t stop doing. It shows up as the one thing you can’t seem to get control of, and that one thing is destroying your life. It shows up as that destructive behavior that creates shame and guilt and holds you back from living freely and fully. It’s the thing you don’t want to do, yet you’re pulled into doing it again.
My friends, that’s what our enemy does to us. That’s what happens when he has a foothold on us and we aren’t able to close the door to him. As long as that door is open, understand he will continue to stir up trouble, pester and torment you, and create continual havoc in your life.
Again, what is keeping that door open? Satan’s foothold! What has allowed his foothold on you? Anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness.
Where have you withheld forgiveness? Who has hurt you and as a result you’ve kept them locked away in a prison in your heart where they can’t be forgiven? What has hurt you, creating an open wound you don’t know how to deal with? Not dealing with it has created more chaos in your life than you realize. Avoiding this hurt has left open doors to demons who have stirred up bad habits and negative tendencies to forever restrain you from the full life Jesus came to give you.
We absolutely must decide this isn’t okay in our lives any longer. We must decide the enemy doesn’t get a single inch of our heart, our mind, or our soul. He doesn’t get to keep his foot in the door here! This foothold will be destroyed, and it will be destroyed now! We’re getting to the root of this problem, and we’re doing some healing work!
In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus teaches us the importance of forgiveness through a parable. The parable is of a king who forgave one of his servants of his large debt that he was unable to repay. That forgiven servant with unpaid debt had someone who owed him a small amount of money. When that small debt could not be repaid, he refused to offer the same forgiveness that had been given him by the king, and instead threw the one who owed him into prison. When the king found out about the one whom he had forgiven not being willing to forgive also, he had him throw into prison to be tortured.
Then, here comes the lesson from Jesus that absolutely stops us in our tracks. Verse 35, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
What does this mean? This means we will be tormented as long as we do not forgive. As long as we hold on to our bitterness and our hurt, the devil has his foot stuck in the door, allowing him access to torture us.
This is why we struggle with such negative talk and self hatred. We’ve given the devil a foothold through our unforgiveness of something in the past.
This is why we’ve been battling that same bad habit for all these years. The devil has a foothold and permission to torment us as long as we refuse to deal with that pain and hold on to that hurt.
Forgiveness. It’s something we have received with total and complete unmerited grace.
Forgiveness. It’s something we withhold believing an apology would be necessary first. It’s something we store away in untouchable places as we continue to be tortured by hurt that happened years ago. It’s something we hold over the head of those who hurt us, yet it only hurts us.
Recognize, your anger, bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness creates a foothold for the devil in YOUR LIFE. When you refuse to forgive, you lock yourself away in a prison of torment. Torment of ruining all the progress you made. Torment of going back to the same things you swore you would never do again. Torment of battling the same old crap you’ve been battling for so long.
And Jesus wants to set you free. He wants to help you slam the door in the enemy’s face and NEVER allow him access to your life again.
Will you begin today by asking God to show you what anger, resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness you hold against someone or something?
Then, as God starts revealing these things to you, stop justifying it and excusing it, and instead see what happens when you ask Jesus to help you forgive fully. For some of us, that’s a really tall order, and one we could never do on our own. But God can. God can guide you in forgiving.
What will happen is healing.
Healing like you’ve never experienced before.
Healing that takes the foot of the devil which has been holding open the door to the torment of his demons, and lifts it once and for all.
Healing that creates a lightness you didn’t even know was possible.
Healing that brings freedom you’ve never experienced before.
When the foothold is broken, healing begins. There’s been a foot in your door, and it’s time to get rid of it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What is that little voice that tells you you’re not good enough? Why are you continually held back by the fear of falling short or lacking what it takes? And why do you question if the REAL YOU would be liked?
You’re not alone if you feel this way and have this internal battle. It actually has a name; it’s called Imposter Syndrome. In short, you feel like an imposter. Like you’re pretending your way through life and one day your cover will be blown. Is that you? I ask because it sure used to be me every day. That little voice once ruled me.
Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern which causes you to doubt your skills, talents and accomplishments as a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.
Well let me tell you something … God knows your name, he knows your inner most details, he knows your past and he knows your potential, and he still chooses you. The REAL YOU is totally loved and that can’t be faked. God looks at you and says you are the perfect person for his good plans. You are exactly who he chooses to work with, in and through.
My favorite disciple in the Bible clearly struggled with Imposter Syndrome. Peter was adventurous and daring, yet he fought an internal battle which constantly told him he wasn’t good enough for what God was calling him to. In fact, in the beginning, his name wasn’t Peter, he was Simon.
The name Simon means listening. You know, like the game Simon Says is a listening game. Simon was always listening to the voices that told him he wasn’t good enough, but Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, which means Rock. He would use him as the firm foundation to build his Church. But first, Simon would have to understand he was worthy of God’s calling.
Luke 5: 2-11 “Jesus saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken.
Then Jesus said to Simon (who would later become Peter), “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”
Notice he said “go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man.” This was Simon’s declaration of “I’m not good enough.” But Jesus never flinched. He didn’t withdraw hearing of Simon’s shortcomings. Instead Jesus responded to him and said “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” This was Jesus’ way of saying, “Yip, I already know everything about you and you’re wrong about you. You are good enough because I’m making you good enough, and now we’re going to level up. You’re going to do even greater things with me.”
Sister, you are wrong about you.
When you say you’re not good enough, when you believe you’ve reached your peak and can go no further, when you believe you can never change, Jesus is saying YOU’RE WRONG. With him, you will level up. With him, you will do even greater things. With him you will discover who you really are and all you’re really capable of.
Matthew 16: 15 Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?”
vs 16 Simon says “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
vs 17-18 Jesus says “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! Now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church.”
His entire identity changed when he acknowledged who Jesus is. He overcame the lifelong voices that told him he wasn’t worthy and went on to do exactly what he was created to do in his lifetime.
AND SO CAN YOU.
You must first start with the truth of who Jesus is.
Who is Jesus to you? Then, what does he say about you?
Jesus is the perfect son of God. He sees and and knows all. He says you are valuable. He says you have been made new. He says you are fully equipped. He says you are chosen. He says you are ready.
This is your truth. Now, believe that truth and build on it.
Through Christ Jesus, you are more than enough. He has made you more than a conqueror, you are a champion. Nothing will be impossible when you’re showing up with God.
Will the voices go away? Nope, probably not.
But when you stop feeding the voices with your choices, they get weaker and you get stronger. When you hear that voice that tells you you’re a fake and the real you is weak, broken, stuck and incapable of change, you rise up and declare Jesus has made you to be more than a conqueror. The real you is God’s masterpiece and you are more than enough. You are here today fully equipped and lacking nothing, ready to live the life you were created for.
Now, listen to nothing else and move forward to become exactly who God says you will be.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
The life you’re living is the story which will outlive you. Each day of your life is a sentence. Each month a paragraph. Every year is a chapter.
I wonder how the story we’re living would compare to the one God had in mind for us? I wonder if it’s too late to change the story and get back in alignment with God’s best plan and ditch some of the crap story we’ve been writing on our own? Oh girl, I have a scripture for you!!!!!
Psalm 18: 20-24 MSG “God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I got my act together, He gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day i review the ways He works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.”
Your story changes when you fully open your heart to God. When you hold nothing back and invite God to rearrange, revamp, restore, renew, and rewrite any thing and all things.
But what we typically do is we wait until things fall completely apart and then we present this one area of our lives to God in desperation, holding everything else back.
When will we understand God isn’t interested in just giving you a great relationship with someone, he wants to fix your relationship with YOU too.
When will we realize God doesn’t want to make us skinny, he wants to make us healthy from the inside out. He wants to go to work on every part of you and restore you to exactly who he created you to be. And he can. Oh yes, he can. But he won’t without your invitation.
Will you open the book of your heart to his eyes? Meaning, will you fully surrender everything to him?
Will you stop pretending like you can hide those thoughts you’re having from God? Will you stop pretending like God doesn’t already know exactly how you’ve been feeling?
Where is your surrender in what you’ve been holding back? Why do we hold so tightly to control when life is spinning out of control? Why do we refuse to fall to our knees without being knocked there? Whew, we are some hard headed girls aren’t we? There’s an easier faster way my friend, surrender fully now.
Psalm 139: 23 & 24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
That’s a bold prayer asking God to search your heart and test you. Don’t pray it if you’re not ready. But this is the secret to the next level of living. This is the key to stepping into your destiny. The boldness to say, “Lord, if there’s anything I’m doing wrong, SHOW ME, I want to fix it.”
How many times are we so fixated on what the other person is doing wrong that we miss the fact we’ve royally screwed up too? God, show me where I am wrong too, I’m ready to change that.
How many times are we wallowing as the victim when we caused some of the pain too? God, show me where I need to get better. I’m ready to work.
How many times are we taking part in conversations that simply shouldn’t be had, saying things we know we shouldn’t be saying, but doing it any way? Oh God, convict me!
Will you pray that bold prayer and ask God to search you and point out anything that offends him? Will you ask him where you may be wrong so that you can change it?
What if your husband is doing a million things wrong, but God first wants you to go to work on what YOU are doing wrong? Ahhhh, don’t you just hate that, but I’ve found that’s exactly how God works!
What if she isn’t right, but neither are you and God’s starting with you?
What if your breakthrough to the next level is dependent on the one thing you’ve still been holding back from God? Are you willing to go first?
God, here’s my story, I fully surrender it to you. Rewrite the text to align with your best plans. Change anything within me that is falling short of the potential you placed within me.
Are you ready for God to search you? Are you ready for God to rewrite the text of your life and give you one heck of a story? It starts here. Lord, here’s my heart … I give it to you fully. Change anything that needs to be changed. I hold nothing back.
In my life I’ve found God simply wasn’t interested in changing anyone around me until I was first willing to change. I have delayed progress because I fought that change in me. Maybe you’ve been doing the same in an area of your life. You’re begging for God to help, but what have you been holding back?
Surrender it all now. Your attitude. Your plans. Your ways. Your timeline. Your conversations. Your perspective.
Lord, here I am. Search me. Know my heart. Test me. Point out anything that isn’t right in me and give me the courage and strength to change it. Rewrite my story!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I heard it today while walking on Sunset Beach in Hawaii. A mother turns to her young son and says, “Stop, no and don’t.” The way those words flowed so freely from her mouth told me this is something she says often. “Stop, no and don’t.”
It’s a triple shut down. I can just imagine the defeat this young boy must feel. Like he can’t do anything right. Like nothing is available to him. Like everything is off limits. Stop, no and don’t.
Sometimes life feels this way. I wonder why? Why do we stop what we started? Why do we always assume the answer is no? Why don’t we try? Why are we numb to life and playing little? Why do we live in assumed defeat when victory is undeniably ours through Jesus.
My Spirit jumped hearing that mother’s words on the beach. In that moment, God asked me to tell his girls something different. Different than the “stop, no and don’t” you’ve been hearing, you’ve been believing, and you’ve been saying.
I grew up thinking a life lived for God would be a whole lot of “Stop, no and don’t.” Maybe you did too. Maybe that’s what kept you from pursuing a relationship with your Creator, because you didn’t want more rules to hold you back. But here’s what I’ve discovered over the past 30 years of getting to know Jesus, he’s a whole lot more “Go, yes and let’s do it” than we’ve ever given him credit for.
Seriously, look at the life of Jesus here on Earth. Was he a “no” man? Did he take pleasure in being a joy kill? Did he show up on the scene and shut down the happiness? Did he hold people back and put them in little boxes? No. Never. I can’t find a single example of Jesus assigning us to a boring and limited existence.
His invitation was to a life bigger and better than our mind could possibly imagine. His mission was to give us life, and life to the full. Full lives are not consumed with “Stop, no and don’t.”
Full lives are driven by a holy “Go, yes and let’s do it!”
All Jesus requires of you is a “Yes, Lord!” Yes, I’ll go wherever you lead. Yes, I’ll go all in on the things you say yes to. Yes, I’ll partner with you in living the purposes you lead me to.
Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 4:19, ““Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
It was a “Go, yes and let’s do it” from Jesus. And one by one, as the fishermen left their boats and their nets and said, “Yes, Lord”, they were supernaturally guided on their journey. They stepped into a purpose greater than they could imagine. Their lives mattered, and they still matter today!
What could Jesus do with our “Yes, Lord?” What greater purpose could he guide us to? What “Go, yes and let’s do it” has he divinely aligned for you, simply awaiting your faith filled first step?
God told Noah to build a big butt boat to prepare for torrential downpours when the Earth had likely never even seen rain before. He gave him very specific instructions for the boat’s construction. He told him to gather 2 of every animal, along with his family, and get in the boat. NONE OF THAT MADE A LICK OF SENSE.
But God said, “Noah, go, yes and let’s do it.” Genesis 6:22 says “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” That’s a “Yes, Lord.”
And just as God had told Noah, the whole earth flooded and the only surviving life would be in the boat Noah built in faith.
What could God do with our faith in the face of a prompting that makes absolutely no sense? How could he use us? Who could he save through our willingness to respond with an unshakable yes?
The fishermen Jesus invited to follow him were ordinary men. Noah was an ordinary man with an ordinary family. Mary, the mother of Jesus was an ordinary young girl. It was their “Yes, Lord” that changed everything.
Where is God saying “Go, yes and let’s do it” in your life? What is he inviting you into? What good plans has he prepared for you, but the only way you will ever get to see them unfold is to step into them now where it still doesn’t make sense.
Will you trust God’s “go”?
Will you stop doubting God’s “yes”?
And will you partner with God’s “let’s do it”?
Your “Yes, Lord” is all that is needed here. You don’t need to understand how it will all work out. You don’t need to feel equipped or qualified for the journey. You don’t need to have special talents or superstar qualities. That’s all God’s job.
It’s God’s job to understand how it will work out.
It’s God’s job to do the equipping.
It’s God’s job to be the star of the show and do big things.
We’re here as available vessels for him to do impossible works through in any way he wants.
We’re here to give him credit and praise.
We’re here to go where he says to go.
We’re here to believe everything he has said yes to.
We’re here to partner with him in the work he wants to do and stop limiting ourselves.
To the little boy on the beach today who was told, “Stop, no and don’t”, I pray he hears his Creator saying, “Go, yes and let’s do it!” I pray he doesn’t view life as a big disappointment of all he can’t do. I pray he doesn’t allow defeat to take over his zest for life and assign him a settled position falling short of the full life Jesus wants to give him.
And my sister, I pray the same for you.
Your Creator says, “Go, yes, and let’s do it!”
Won’t you dare to respond in excitement and faith, reaching beyond your own limitations, and say “Yes, Lord!
Yes, I will go.
Yes, I will believe everything you have for me.
Yes, I will partner with you and do impossible things through your Spirit at work within me!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever been on a boat in a stormy sea? Have you ever seen waves so big they can swallow your boat? Have you ever felt the panic of beginning to sink?
I haven’t, and I must say, I’m quite grateful. I love living through an adventure to get to the other side with a good story, but that’s one I prefer to just read about.
The disciples had this real life experience, and Mark tells us in great detail of the desperation he felt while thinking this was the storm they wouldn’t survive. And what’s crazy is, this is the storm Jesus led them into. It was Jesus’ idea to get in the boat and head in this direction!
Mark 4: 35-37 “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind. But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.”
Fierce storms, high waves breaking into your boat, and water filling the only thing that’s keeping you afloat, is NOT a favorable situation. And maybe that’s the way life feels right now. You’re struggling to make ends meet, and now another thing breaks needing repairs. How will you pay for that? Your marriage has been on the rocks, now you’re dealing with sickness too. You’ve been battling feelings of depression and anxiety, now there are more messes and stresses coming your way, just when you feel you’re already at your breaking point. How much more can you take?
These are the storms of life. These are the waves that come crashing into our boat. These are the winds that blow and the waters that threaten. And we ALL go through them. We all deal with our crossing to the other side that goes all wrong.
Why does Jesus allow this? Heck, not only allow it, but actually lead us into it? Jesus knew of the storm the disciples would encounter on the boat that night, and he knew of the storms you would encounter too. Yet, he still allowed you to be right here in this boat to meet the waves.
Where is Jesus when life grows out of control? Where is Jesus when you feel like you’re sinking? Where is Jesus when it’s all just too much and you don’t know how to save yourself?
Verse 38, “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.”
As the waves are breaking over the boat and water is filling the hull, Jesus is peacefully asleep. There wasn’t an ounce of freak out going on for Jesus. There was no worry, no stress. He was resting in complete assurance.
And, Sis, Jesus is here going through this with you, and he’s absolutely NOT flipping out. He’s not worried how this is going to work out. He’s not upset over these hard times. He’s not stressed over what just happened, or anxious about what will happen next. It’s not because he doesn’t know. Oh, he knows. And it’s not because he doesn’t care. Oh, he cares. It’s because of this one thing, through it all, he’s in total and complete control.
Verse 38-41, “The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Jesus questions why we’re freaking out in the storms of life. After all he has brought us through before, do we still have no faith? After all he has done, do we still question his power? Do we still dismiss ourselves from his love and care? Do we still doubt his control over every detail of our lives?
If the winds obey Jesus, so does the housing market, the job market, and the dating market. If the waves obey Jesus, so do the doctor’s reports, the pregnancy results, and the recession. He holds the control, and just like the TV can be turned off or on with one button, Jesus can control everything, turning it on or turning it off with minimal effort.
How did Jesus stop the wild storm? He simply said, “Silence! Be still!”, and boom, the wind suddenly stopped and there was a great calm. Looking back, has God ever suddenly stopped the very thing that was threatening you? He has, hasn’t he? It was awful one moment, then it was completely gone the next. It was overwhelming, then it was over. It was way too much, then it was suddenly nothing at all. Recognize who did that. That was Jesus!
Jesus calms storms. Jesus changes circumstances in an instant. Jesus brings peace where chaos has threatened. He holds that power.
This isn’t too hard for him. Everything is possible in the hands of our God. But sometimes those storms you don’t want and the waves that scare you silly are part of the ride in learning to trust him.
How would you know that baby is a miracle if you didn’t wait so long for her? How would you know that job was aligned in the realms of heaven just for you, if you wouldn’t have first had a series of jobs that were totally out of alignment? How would you know God is the ultimate provider if you wouldn’t have hit rock bottom first?
You see there’s only one way the disciples came to know that the wind and waves obey him, they had to be in the middle of the uncontrollable storms with a sinking boat. Jesus allowed it to prove his power and strengthen their faith. Jesus could sleep through the storm because he was in charge of it.
Jesus is in charge of what you’re going through too, Sis. As big and scary as it may be, Jesus is in charge. As hard and uncertain as it may feel, Jesus has control. You do not.
You’re not in charge. You don’t have control. You’re going to wear yourself out trying to act like you do. Here’s the one thing you can do in this storm … choose where you look.
You can look at those waves crashing over you, or you can look at Jesus. You can look at the water filling the boat, or you can look at Jesus. I’m not saying to be oblivious to the mess and ignore the problem. Sometimes you gotta pick up an oar and row. Sometimes you gotta grab a bucket and start bailing out some water. Sometimes you gotta cut out the extras and log yourself out of the Amazon. Sometimes you gotta update your resume and go door to door. Sometimes you gotta be honest, take responsibility, and make some necessary changes.
But always, always, always, keep looking at Jesus. Keep looking to him for peace. Keep finding assurance in his control over your circumstances. Keep seeking his guidance through your storm. He’s here, and he’s not freaking out. Yes he’s near and yes he cares. He’s taking a little nap in this hot mess of yours because he knows everything obeys his command, and this serves a greater purpose in the process.
Remember how God has gotten you through before, and know he will do it again. Again and again and again, he will be in your boat, riding the waves, with complete authority over everything that comes your way.
And there’s nothing wrong with waking up Jesus and asking if he could help you with these waves. Go ahead and wake him up, but tell him first you have faith in him no matter what!
Hey Jesus, would you wake up and be near me in this storm? I would really like for it to go away. Would you stop the wind? Would you calm the waves? And if now isn’t the time to calm this storm, will you help calm your girl, because I really don’t want to freak out. I know you’re in control. I trust you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Easter is officially over, now what?
What happened after Jesus rose from the grave, and what should we be doing now after the celebration of Easter?
I find it interesting that we rarely talk about all Jesus did after coming out of that tomb. Why is that? We can’t leave Jesus on a cross, we can’t leave him in a tomb, we must allow him to fill the space he has earned the right to inhabit. Today, we talk about that space!
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, he spent 40 days walking among his believers, teaching, healing, and doing miraculous works no one could deny. Thousands of people came to believe in Jesus during those days. Even those who were part of wrongly convicting and crucifying Jesus were given the opportunity to see him alive again, witness his miracles, and even receive his forgiveness and total redemption over their lives. The apostle John ends his writings about all Jesus did in these 40 days after his resurrection with this statement in John 21:25, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
But even with all these miracles that couldn’t be contained in all the books in the world happening with Jesus back with them, he said it was best for him to leave. How could it be better than Jesus teaching and healing? How could it be better than Jesus walking with them and making himself known? One thing, and only this one thing … The Holy Spirit empowering us to do these things and even greater things!
Jesus says in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”
But what’s so good about Jesus going to be with the Father instead of staying here with us?
John 16:7 “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
The Advocate Jesus speaks of is the Hebrew word parakletos. Para means close beside and kaleo means to make a call. Put together, parakletos is an advocate who makes the right decision because he is close to the situation. WHAT? This is Jesus’ parting gift to us! Because Jesus leaves us to return to the Father, we receive one who is so close to us always that we are divinely guided with the right decisions!
John 14:26 “But the Adovcate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Yes, Easter is over, but girls, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit because Jesus has returned to the side of our Heavenly Father, and placed the third part of the trinity, the Holy Spirit, within us! How is it possible we are walking around as followers of Christ and recipients of this incredible gift, totally missing the power we have inside of us?
The Holy Spirit teaches us all things, meaning we don’t have to walk around in this life confused, overwhelmed, or unsettled. He is close to us and close to the situation, so he can perfectly guide us in making the right decisions. You don’t know what to do from here? You don’t know if you should stay or if you should go? You don’t know what’s best? You don’t know which way to turn? You don’t have to know, you just have to consult the Holy Spirit, then follow his promptings!
There’s one thing greater than understanding … trusting. Trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Trusting the empowering of the Holy Spirit that if you will just show up, he will work in you to do impossible things. Trusting if you will open your mouth, he will supernaturally guide your words. If you will lift your foot, he will guide your next step.
But here’s the thing … if you won’t lift your foot, you’ll never receive his guidance for your next step. If you aren’t willing to open your mouth, you will never fully understand what he could speak through you. If you aren’t willing to show up, you have already dismissed yourself from being smack dab in the middle of impossible things unfolding for you and through you.
I don’t understand how Jesus dying on a cross, rising up from the dead to walk the earth for 40 days, then ascending to Heaven so he could give us the Holy Spirit to live within us, could possibly be real in my life right now, but I’ve decided trusting it is more important than understanding it.
I don’t understand how the Holy Spirit guides me as I write a devotional to share with you, but I know he does the moment I start studying and writing. But if I don’t study and write, then I am not guided.
Now, tell me, what are you doing today because the Holy Spirit empowers you? Are you confidently making choices? Are you boldly taking next steps? Are you using what seems too little to do things that are way too big for you alone? Honey, if you’re not, you’re totally missing out!
Jesus promised something bigger in you to do even greater things that he did. And if the things he did just in his 40 days after the cross and the tomb were so big that they couldn’t be contained in all the books in the world, then I’m pretty sure that means we should be doing a whole lot of awesome things with every single day of our lives as we carry the Holy Spirit inside of us.
Remember, this Holy Spirit is an advocate who makes the right decision because he is close to the situation. Today, at this very moment, you and I are divinely guided with the right decisions!
That doubt you feel is not from God. That wavering back and forth, stirred up with uncertainty and anxiety is not from God. God’s Spirit within you is certain. God’s Spirit within you is mighty. God’s Spirit within you sees it all, knows it all, and holds all power. It is the defeated enemy who is locked away in Hell who taunts you with uncertainty and anxiety. It is Satan and his demons who whisper fear filled what-ifs.
Who will you listen to? The Spirit of God which Jesus died to give you, or the defeated enemy who only wishes to confuse you? Will you try to understand God’s Spirit and get wrapped up in the things which your human mind can never comprehend, or will you simply decide to TRUST God’s Spirit and walk in divine guidance?
I’m stepping forward in joy and confidence, because I know every single time I lift my foot in faith, God’s Spirit living within me perfectly guides my lifted foot in the right direction. And you can do the same.
This is Jesus’ parting gift to us. Make sure you receive it and use it! And the great news is, you don’t have to understand it to start trusting it and using it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Good Friday, the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. The personal sacrifice of One for all. For me. For you.
On this day we remember Jesus carrying that cross for us. We remember him willfully stretching out his arms as they nailed him to that cross, signifying “this much.” This is how important you are. This is how loved you are. This much, with arms wide open. And we remember his excruciating death, the pain inflicted, the burdens carried, the weight of it all which took his final breath.
What an incredibly sad day. The day the world fell dark and our Jesus was crucified for being nothing other than holy, righteous, miraculous and pure.
And yet, we call it Good Friday.
The worst day in history when evil prevailed and the son of God was unjustly put to death between two thieves. It was bad. Painful. Dark. Terrifying. Unfair. And yet it was Good.
It was the ultimate good.
It was the good the world could not see which God had planned. The good which would not be revealed without the bad. The good which would allow the worst to first unfold. The good which would require some time. (Maybe there’s some good in the works in your life, but right now it looks bad. Take notice of how God works.)
Let’s read the story of this day:
Mark 15: 22-39 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
**Do you know why the offering of this wine mixed with myrrh is important? Why such a specific, seemingly unimportant detail to be included in the record when Jesus refused it? It’s important because this mix was a drug which dulled the senses. An offering to the one facing an agonizing death by crucifixion, making it more bearable. But Jesus refused. He refused ease from the suffering. He wanted a clear mind while he hung on the cross. Why? So he could think of me and you. So he could give wholly of himself, enduring it to the full for us.
24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
***Could he have come down at that moment? Could he have called down an Army of angels from heaven to avenge him and destroy his accusers? Absolutely. It was all within his power, but it wasn’t within his purpose. His purpose was to pay the ultimate price for us. And because of that purpose, he endured. Because of that purpose, he took the insults, he took the pain and he took the punishment, so that we wouldn’t have to.
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
***I always found Jesus’ final words confusing and burdensome. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Every translation of the bible reads the same. There is no alternate meaning here or way to read it. Jesus is saying God has turned his back on him in these final moments. Why?
When Jesus hangs on the cross, despised, suffering, and dying, he has upon himself the entirety of all sin. My sin, your sin, and every sin all of creation had ever, and would ever, commit was all on him. God cannot look upon sin, so he turns his back and withdraws his favor.
The words Jesus spoke were a direct reference to Psalm 22. He was quoting the writings of David word for word “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The people hearing these words would have known the rest of the story, the rest of the writing. Jesus was referring to this because it begins with the hardship of reality, it turns to praise of the Almighty, and then the guarantee of God’s victory.
So Jesus is referencing Psalm 22 which begins with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and ends with “Future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!”
Jesus was remembering the truth of God’s word. He was choosing to endure this reality because of the promise of what will come. Yes, despair in death, but hope for deliverance. Jesus was placing his full trust in the Father.
Those hurling insults and shaking their heads at Jesus recognized this scriptural reference. They knew Jesus was saying, GOD HAS DONE IT!!!!!
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
***The full picture of what has been done here is in that one verse “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Understand in the temple there was a curtain separating the place where the presence of God dwelt and where others could enter. The curtain kept people out of this sacred place. It was a seperation between the holiness of God and us.
This curtain was somewhere between 45 and 60 feet long and 4 inches thick. It being torn from top to bottom could have only been done by God. Why was it torn when Jesus took his final breath? Because God had made a way, through Jesus, for us to enter into his presence. No more sacrifices. No more rituals. No more of only the high priest only being able to enter once a year. Now, with the sacrifice of Jesus, the curtain was torn, meaning WE CAN ENTER.
We can come face to face with God. We have been deemed as worthy to stand in his presence. I don’t have to wait for anyone to speak to God on my behalf, Jesus has already spoken for me and I can boldly approach the throne. I’m no longer seen with the stain of my sin, I’m completely covered in the blood of Jesus. God doesn’t have to turn from me, because he turned from his son Jesus on that cross and it was done once and for all. For me, and for you, so that we can have this relationship with our creator.
So, the worst day ever wasn’t the worst day ever after all. It was all part of a bigger plan no one else could see. A plan better than any could have imagined. A plan for all eternity to be ours. But first, it had to be bad. And then we had to wait. Wait for days as Jesus was in the tomb. Wait for something miraculous. But first, it was bad.
I think of the seemingly worst, hardest day of my life so far. Days when God could have done the miraculous in that moment and saved my Daddy, saved my best friend, protected our family, stopped the life altering bad decision of one I love so much, shielded us from that hardship. He could have stopped all of it. He could have saved our family of the agony. But he didn’t. He let it all unfold, moment by moment, ending with loss and grief.
And all this time, there was a bigger plan at work. A bigger, better plan that I cannot see, but I can trust.
Here we are today, each of us in our own hardship and uncertainty. Some with loved ones lost or in the hospital. Some with jobs lost and income gone. Some with more chaos than they can bare. And some with heavy burdens to carry that will only get heavier for a while longer.
And in this perfect season of Easter, we are reminded, some things are hard for a greater purpose. Some things are bad, real bad now, but they’re for a greater good than we can imagine.
God knows exactly what he’s doing here. God is working in the wait. He is working in the seemingly worst possible scenario, and he is working for GOOD. Oh what God is doing in your story. We trust, like Jesus did, the hardship of reality as it turns to praise of the Almighty, and then the guarantee of God’s victory, just like Psalm 22 which Jesus was quoting on the cross.
The story is still unfolding.
Your story is unfolding.
We do not know what God is doing because we have not seen his master plan. So here’s what we can do … we too can reference Psalm 22, just as Jesus did in the middle of the pain.
We can acknowledge the hardship, we can remember God’s faithfulness and we can count on his victory.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
19 But you, Lord …
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me …
21 Rescue me …
22 I will declare your name to my people;
… I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
… honor him!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him …
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring …
He has done it!
This is what Jesus knew on the cross. He knew the victory coming. He knew God had a view of the bigger picture and a plan of goodness. And hasn’t God done it?
And isn’t he doing it again here? Isn’t he at work in this wait? Isn’t he working in the darkness and unseen? Won’t he bring victory here?
If you need a song today, put “See a Victory” by Elevation Worship on repeat. God takes what the enemy meant for evil and he turns it for good. You will see a victory.
There’s a bigger picture than we can see. There’s a greater plan at work. God knows exactly what he is doing in the hardest of times and he has proven it will all be redeemed.
What happened 3 days later? Jesus rose from that tomb with victory in his hands and death was forever defeated … for me and for you.
And then it was GOOD!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Imagine words or deeds you can’t take back, and those becoming the defining moments for your legacy. A failure. A disgrace. A mistake.
This was Peter. He’s the one who denied Jesus. The one always remembered for his failure. The one who, for his own benefit, denied he ever knew Jesus, and never got an opportunity to fix his mistake before Jesus went to the cross and died.
Luke 22: 32-34 Jesus said “Simon (who’s name is also Peter), Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
And of course, what happens next are the 3 encounters where Peter was questioned if he was with Jesus, and he denied ever knowing him. Denial. Denial. Denial. Then, he hears the rooster crow. Epic failure. Shameful. Peter had just done the very thing he swore he would never do.
Have you ever done the thing you said you would never do? Have you ever been so disgusted with your own self and hate the choices you made? What do you do after that?
Peter then stood at a distance and watched Jesus, his dear friend who he had spent every day with for the past 3.5 years, the one he had witnessed do impossible miracles, the one he had walked on water with, now hang on the cross and die. Imagine how Peter must have felt standing there. He knew the last thing Jesus had seen of him was his denial. He knew how wrong he was and how it could never be undone.
But have you ever noticed what Jesus said to Peter before he foretold of his failure? Jesus said he has specifically prayed for him. Prayed that his faith would not fail. And because Jesus had prayed for him, he would turn back, and when he did, he was to strengthen his brothers.
You see, Jesus not only knew in advance that Peter would fail and deny him, but he had already planned for Peter’s return. He had already aligned a great purpose and mission for him, even after his epic failure.
My sister, you must know that Jesus has always planned for your return too! He’s not shaken by your failure. He’s not surprised by your wandering years. He’s not overwhelmed by your doubting, your denying, or your disbelief. He’s always been planning for your return to his purposes.
Satan was asking to sift Jesus’ followers like wheat. Sifting wheat breaks it down and makes it fall apart so it can be separated. So, for Satan to sift someone, it means he wanted to totally break them down, and shake them until they fall apart. This was Satan’s plan for the disciples after Jesus’ crucifixion. They were to lose all hope, stop all progress, and dwell in total defeat. But Jesus had already prayed against Satan’s plans and even specifically prayed that Peter would return after his failure and rise up as a leader.
You can be sure Satan has been asking to sift you like wheat. To take every failure and rub it in your face until you fall apart. To overwhelm you with defeat until you break down. But Jesus says, “No, I’ve already prepared for when my girl comes back to me!”
No matter how long you’ve been away from God’s good plans for your life, or how far off track you’ve wandered, Jesus still wants you back for his purposes to be fulfilled concerning you. Those purposes are to be covered by his mercy and grace, living as a shining example of a life redeemed by his sacrifice.
After Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter must have been replaying his final words. He must have heard that rooster crow over and over again in his head. And every single morning, in his village, a rooster would crow. And every single morning he would beat himself up again, asking how could he have denied his Jesus?
Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in a tomb. There was nothing left to do, so the disciples all returned to their lives and began working again. The fishermen began fishing again. And that’s where we find Peter on the day Jesus comes walking up on the shore after his death.
John 21: 3-8 “ Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” the other disciples said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat …”
There’s only one who jumps out of the boat and swims to shore to get to Jesus first. That was Peter! Yes, the one who denied him was the one who swam back to him. Remember what Jesus had prayed? He had prayed that after his failure, then he would turn back and strengthen the others.
How did Jesus receive him when he turned back? With open arms and a big breakfast! And Sis, that is his plan with you too! No matter what you have done. No matter where you have gone. No matter how long it has taken you. All he wants is for you to turn back to him and receive his divine provisions as he has aligned.
The enemy’s plans to sift you like wheat, tear you down and make you fall apart, will NOT be successful. Your faith will bring you back to Jesus who has always been waiting for you and planning to use you for great things!
Peter became the rock which Jesus built his Church on. Yes, the one who failed Jesus. The one who did the exact thing he said he would never do, and he did it 3 times! This is who Jesus used. It’s who he always planned to use, with full awareness of his failures.
And Jesus wants to use you. Even with your mistakes and failures. Even with all the things you wish you could go back and undo. With the time you wish you could get back. The paths you wish you wouldn’t have wandered down. The mistakes you wish you would have never made. Jesus knows it all and still welcomes your return with wide open arms and nothing but good plans for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What does the cross symbolize to you? That’s Jesus, right? God’s redemption on display as Jesus stretched out his arms and died for you and I. The cross represents the most important and valuable thing that has ever been done for us. So, we wear a cross around our neck. We hang a cross on our wall. We post a cross in sacred places. Our cross represents faith, it represents salvation, it represents hope.
But did you know the cross was originally anything but a symbol of hope. A cross was a disgrace. It was the punishment for a criminal to hang in shame for the public to see. A cross was a reminder of guilt. A representation of cruelty in response to wrongdoing. Crucifixions happened along the main road of a town so that it was a public spectacle. People would gather to watch the sinner die a cruel and agonizing death as payment for their transgression. A cross meant the deserving of a shameful end.
Luke 23: 32-33 “Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with Jesus. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.”
Crucifixion on a cross was painful on purpose. It was a total humiliation of hanging in shame, powerless to help yourself. This is what a cross was. This is what Jesus was nailed to, between two criminals facing their public punishment. And the location was called The Skull. Think for a minute how scary that is. Haunting. The Skull. It was a mountain shaped like a skeleton. A place countless others had been lead to their agonizing death, hanging on a cross.
Do you honestly think a single person would then want to put a cross around their neck as a reminder of punishment? No one hung a cross in their home, because that cross was a threat of punishment if they messed up, they too would end up hanging there, dying in shame for all to see.
But Jesus changed all of that. Because of Jesus’ death on a cross, what was once shameful and embarrassing, is now our symbol of greatest hope. The cross means we are forgiven. The cross means we are covered. The cross means we have a future that is far greater than our minds can possibly imagine. The cross means we are chosen. The cross is our sweet Jesus giving every single thing for us. The cross means we are redeemed.
And that place where Jesus hung on the cross, The Skull. That now reminds us Jesus has declared reign of your skull, meaning your mind and your thoughts. He has not only staked his claim on your soul’s salvation, but he has bought the rights to your mental health! Oh girl, maybe you need to remember that! Jesus has claimed your mental health! His blood was shed on that cross at The Skull, paying the price for your mind to be set free! Declare that and receive it!
Redemption. That’s what Jesus does. He takes what was once full of shame and disgrace, and he turns it into hope and power. And just as he turned the symbol of the cross into something radically different, he takes what has created shame within us and he turns it into hope. He takes what once disgraced us and he fills it with power to do mighty things for his glory.
You know who I most love to hang out with? The person who knows how big their sin was. The person who hit rock bottom and had absolutely nothing left, until Jesus picked them up. This is the person who beautifully represents redemption. A person who God can use to reach the hardest of people in the darkest of places. A person whose cracks allow the light of Jesus to shine through so perfectly.
Now, with the shame of their past stripped from them, and the grace of God covering them, their life is a radically different symbol than it used to be. Just like the cross that was once a symbol of guilt and shame, and now because of Jesus it is a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice which fills us with hope, the same is true of a life redeemed by Jesus.
We no longer represent our past sin. We no longer bare the reminders of our failures and shortcomings. We aren’t condemned. We aren’t hanging in punishment for all to see. We don’t have to walk in guilt or shame. Jesus has changed all of that. Now, we are the most beautiful picture of redemption. A life changed.
A cross is no longer the end, it is the beginning. It is our intersection with God’s redeeming love that turns our mess into his message. A message of forgiveness. A message of healing. A message of purpose. And that message is what we’re here to live.
God has brought us here to show others what a difference he makes. How he changes everything. How not a single soul is too far gone. Not a single addiction is out of his reach. Not a single mistake is greater than his grace. How nothing will be wasted and all will be used for good in the hands of God.
If God could use the symbol of a shameful and cruel cross to become a symbol of eternal hope and security, I’m pretty darn sure he can use all of my shame and all of my guilt for something useful. And he can use yours too. He can use your past for a purpose. He can use your hurt for greater healing. He can use your past sin to set others free now.
Jesus changes everything! There’s no shame in needing him to change some things for you. Receive everything he has for you here and allow your life to look totally different through his power! Jesus forever changed the cross, and he will forever change anything shameful in your life, if you let him!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God’s plans for you are good. His promises are steady and true. His intentions are to bless you. Yes, even with what you are going through, he will bless you. Even in this uncertainty, God is sure.
Knowing this, you can continue. You can keep moving forward. You can keep showing up. You can keep being faithful no matter what may come next, because you know God has declared his will for you is good, your future is held, and your destiny is promised.
Hebrews 6:12 “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”
Have we become spiritually dull? Checked out, going through the motions, and generally unimpressed by the sheer miracle of life? Oh, what kind of example have we become when we’ve given up? Who would possibly want to know our Jesus when our lives are so darn dull?
No, our lives are full of hope because of God’s promises to us, and we’re 100% counting on God to do everything he promised. That’s how we get through the hardest of times, and that’s how we are used as a vibrant example of God’s faithfulness. God doesn’t need one more representation of a dull life painting a picture of boring days ruled by chores and tasks. God wants his girls shining bright for him, living BIG, overflowing with his love and power, living with unshakable faith and great endurance. Girls who don’t give up. Girls who don’t back down. Girls who stay the course. Girls who are committed. Girls who don’t check out.
We are called to be those girls!
The MSG translation says we are the ones who “get everything promised to them.”
What does it look like to get everything God has promised? Let’s read the next verse. Hebrews 6: 13-15 MSG “When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it all the way, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, “I promise that I’ll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!” Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him.”
God wants to give us everything. He wants to not only bless us, but bless and bless and bless. Oh, that’s a triple blessing! To walk in that level of blessing, we must be like Abraham and stick it out. When we refuse to give up and refuse to run from the hard things, then we too will get everything God has promised.
What would your life look like if God could bless and bless and bless? That is his desire. He’s been revealing his power to you. He’s been calling you closer. He’s been growing and strengthening you through every struggle and hardship. And every time you don’t give up, you face the hard things, and you stand in faith, you get more of what God has promised you.
A triple blessing on your life. Digging deeper into a triple blessing in scripture, I found a blessing the Lord specifically gave to Moses for his people. Numbers 6: 24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Now, Sister, that’s God’s plan to bless and bless and bless. You are totally and completely covered by Him. You receive his protection, his guidance, his grace, his favor, and his peace.
“The Lord bless you and keep you.” The Hebrew word for bless is barak, which means God’s presence in a close relationship with his people. God is not only WITH YOU, but he is personally invested in you. The Hebrew word for keep is shamar, which means to guard, protect, and take care of.
God has promised to be with you and divinely protect you. You are not helpless and you are not alone, ever. This is God’s promise and he cannot break his promise.
“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” The Hebrew word for face is panim, and it reflects not only God’s presence, but God’s power. God’s power is shining on you, strengthening you to do impossible things. If you’re looking for a reason to keep going, there it is … God’s power is shining on you! And in all his miraculous power, he is so gracious with you. He is kind, he is patient, and he is compassionate.
“The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” God looks upon you with favor. Yes, you are his favorite girl. You are his chosen one, the one he has set apart, and positioned here for a time such as this. You are covered in favor. When the world says it could never work out for you, God says he never needed the world to co-sign his miraculous works in your life. He can and will do impossible things through his favor. And this gives you peace. A calm in the storm. A blessed assurance that God is in complete control and he sits high upon a throne in Heaven with full awareness of every detail and a plan to work everything concerning you together for good. Oh yes, he knows and he’s working for you. That’s peace. Indescribable, unspeakable, peace.
God wants to bless and bless and bless you. A triple blessing. Like Abraham, if we will just stick it out, we will get everything promised to us.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Is there an area of your life where you were once doing so good, now you find yourself on the struggle bus and unsure how to get off it?
Why do we do that? We do good, we get better, we grow … then we stop.
That’s exactly what we do. We just stop.
We create a good morning routine. We start our day praying on our knees. We are hungry for God’s word. We feel God’s holy presence all around us and we naturally respond to his promptings. We worship him. We praise him. We pray about everything and we are thankful to him for all things. And it grows and builds, and gets better and better … UNTIL WE DON’T.
We don’t make time any more. We don’t put Him first. We don’t feel close. We don’t feel his promptings. Then we don’t grow. It doesn’t build and it’s no longer getting better, it’s getting worse. And it’s all because somewhere along the way, we stopped.
I do it too. I hate it, but I do it.
Is there anything you have stopped and you’re trying to find your way back?
Maybe it was Spring Break and a week of vacation without your normal routines that made you stop. Maybe it was one missed day, and that missed day somehow turned into a missed week. Here’s the problem with missed days and missed weeks … they create ruts. Ruts create big holes where we get stuck. And when we’re stuck in a rut that became a hole, we like to pull a rock over our head and hide in our shame. All while we wonder how we got here and why we feel so yucky about it.
All we did was stop. So that means all we need to do to come back is to start again.
Yes, my sister, that good habit and routine that had you growing closer to God and walking on the path to becoming more like the woman you’re created to be, just come on back to it now!
The enemy loves that rock you hide under sometimes. He delights in the hole you’re stuck in and the shame you feel there. He’s trying everything to keep you there so you sink lower and lower, and further and further from the life Jesus came to give you. Satan will whisper his lies from the pits of hell that tell you you’re a big disappointment and unworthy of more. He will tell you God doesn’t want you back because of all the times you’ve started and stopped, and failed miserably to stay close, but there’s not an ounce of truth in that.
GOD WANTS YOU BACK!
He wants you back in the rhythms that bring you to life. He wants you back in the routines that bring you closer to him. He wants you back in the habits that grow your faith and open your eyes to his involvement in the details all around you.
That little voice that tells you you can’t come back … that’s not God. That’s the enemy who wants to keep you stuck and distant, hiding in shame. You can come back now!
Jesus is the good shepherd, and you know what shepherds do? They go find the lost sheep. The one who has wandered. The one who was doing good, then just stopped. The one who got stuck somewhere along the way and can’t seem to find their way back. Yip, that’s who Jesus comes looking for!
Luke 15: 4-7 MSG, Jesus taught “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.”
So, you’re one of the girls who gets a little lost sometimes? One that wanders a bit? One that falls out of those good habits, creates a rut, that rut becomes a hole, and there you are stuck in a hole hiding under your rock of shame? You’re one of those too? One wondering why in the world you stopped doing the things that were working so good for you. Well, you are I are the celebrated ones! Jesus rejoices over us, my sister.
We need a rescue, and Jesus has come back to get us!
And what is he saying to you today? He’s saying, “simply come back and return to doing the things I showed you before.”
We don’t need to make this harder on ourselves. Regretting the time we have spent away doesn’t change anything. Just come back now.
If God showed you how to be in his presence before, then get yourself back there.
If God showed you how to study his word before, then just start doing that again.
If God prompted you to pray on your knees, listen to Christian music, turn off the TV, drop social media, or clear the first 20 minutes of your morning for him, but somewhere along the way you stopped, just come on back to that now. Come back to seeking him. Come back to talking to him about everything. Come back to worshiping him. Come back to putting him first. Come back to Church. Come back to responding to his promptings.
When you come back, remember you will not be met with judgment or disappointment. That’s what the enemy has been trying to feed you to make you hide in that hole in your shame. Coming back to the things God has shown you before will result in absolute celebration!
I want you to imagine now that God is leaning over the rails of Heaven, watching you and shouting, “She’s listening! She’s coming back! My girl is coming back! This is her time! Angels, get ready, we’ve got big things to prepare for her now that she’s coming back!”
Jesus came to get you today and lead you back to a life close to him. Back to that daily routine that makes you feel so strong and confident and grounded in God’s word. Back to that routine that allows you to flow in the unforced rhythms were God guides you so perfectly.
You and I are living the rescued life. Rescued again and again. And Jesus never passes up the opportunity to come rescue us and bring us back to him. Here he is taking away your rock of shame you’ve tried to hide under, pulling you up out of that hole, getting you out of that rut, and inviting you back to the things he has shown you before.
Back to a daily connection with him. Back to growing closer to him. Back to learning more about him. Back to talking to him and hearing him. Back to seeking him and finding him. Back to asking and receiving. Back to knocking and having the door opened.
What is God calling you back to now? Will you just start again right where you are, in a totally imperfect and humble way? God will honor that!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
From where you stand today, you cannot see what God has already done in preparation of your next step. You have no idea of the miracles in motion at this very moment on your behalf. But you can move forward in absolute confidence knowing that God is working specifically for you and he has aligned every detail perfectly.
God not only works here and now, but God works upstream. He works in advance. He works in the things that have yet to come your way. He works so far ahead of you that you cannot possibly fathom his goodness until you’re straight up walking in it.
My sister, when you think God isn’t working, take the next step he is guiding you to and see for yourself how he has in fact been working perfectly.
Have you ever prayed over the house you were to move to next, then have the perfect house come on the market and it becomes yours? Think about all God did before you ever laid eyes on that house to make possible for you. He first had to create an opportunity for the previous owner to move. He promoted them, prompted them, or positioned them to leave so that house would become available for you. All of this happened prior to your need and maybe even before your prayer.
Have you ever had the perfect position come available in your career, and you were somehow aligned to step into it? What you didn’t know is while you were feeling unhappy and discontent where you were before, God was moving some other precious soul onto their next position to open it up for you. You didn’t know it, but God was working far ahead of you.
It’s been happening for you all this time, and you likely don’t recognize it. God, working upstream for you. God, far ahead of you shifting things into alignment for the moment you arrive to an opportunity that will be just perfect for you. Not because you are perfect, but because He is perfect, and he simply loves you beyond belief!
Your perfection is not required to walk in the divine providence of God, just your wonder and awe in the process, as his beloved girl.
I recently heard a sermon from Elevation Church on the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. It’s a story we downsize as ordinary, but this was no ordinary crossing. This was huge. This was a miracle. And this was pre-planned by God for perfect timing. Studying this familiar miracle with fresh eyes has me seeing the hand of God on a whole new level.
Let’s first read the story together. Joshua 3: 5-17 “Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam, while the water flowing down to the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.”
The Jordan river was a deep and swift river, much greater than it is today. It was especially wild at this time because scripture specifically says it was at flood stage. This was not the optimal time to be stepping your feet into this river. You would be quickly swept away. This is a river that is 50 to 200 feet deep, measuring anywhere from 1/4 to 2 miles wide. These are treacherous, powerful waters.
Yet, when the priests stepped their feet into the water as God had instructed, the waters from upstream stopped flowing. Again, scripture is very specific telling us exactly where the waters stopped and built up. It was in the town of Adam. Adam is 20 miles upstream of Jericho. So, think about it, for the waters to stop when the priests stepped in, God had to have already stopped the waters 20 miles upstream at just the perfect time for the flow to be cleared in that precise moment.
When they arrived at the river, the waters were flooding. However, when they stepped their feet into the water in faith, evidence of what God had already done on their behalf upstream became evident.
The fastest flowing river in the world is the Amazon. It flows at 7 miles per hour. I don’t know how fast the Jordan was flowing, but assuming it could compare to the Amazon River, for the water to stop flowing 20 miles down stream, God would have had to stop the flow at least 3 hours before they ever took their step of faith.
What has God already done 20 miles upstream for you? What has he prepared well in advance of your faithful next step? What impossible crossing has he made totally possible for you, that is just outside of your awareness because he is working upstream in the things that have yet to reach you?
Think about that!
I often share the story of God answering this girl’s very first prayer at the age of 15. My prayer was selfishly for God to bring new boys to our little country school. When I prayed that prayer, I had no way of knowing he had already put into motion the move of a family from Dallas, Texas to Ava, Missouri, and that family included a 17 year old cute boy who would forever change my world. Funny thing is, God was working in crisis and chaos to make that move happen. A boy hanging out with the wrong crowd in Dallas, a family who was desperate for a new start, and a grandpa who had tragically past away leaving a small inheritance to make a move to the country possible. All while I was hoping for a new boy to come to our school.
That’s God’s upstream work that I still walk in the graces of over 30 years later!
You too have a story of how God was working upstream in ways you never imagined, to bring you exactly what you needed when you need it.
And my sister, remember this, if he’s done it once, he can do it again.
Lay down your burdens, your worry and your stress. Release your grip on all you’ve been trying to so desperately to control. God is 20 miles upstream and in complete control of the flow of everything that comes your way. Your job is to take the next step in faith, pause when he leads you to pause, and recognize his presence all around you.
Your perfection is not required to walk in the divine providence of God, just your wonder and awe in the process, as his beloved girl.
Take a deep breath and know, God is already working on this for you and he’s bringing you exactly what you need! Step in and see what he has already done for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Through the Holy Spirit of God, power is available to you and I. Power to do what we alone are not strong enough to do. Power to go far beyond our own limits. Power to know that which we cannot possibly know otherwise.
God’s desire is not for us to struggle our way through this life. If it were, why would Jesus have said in Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” God’s desire is to supernaturally empower us to be at the right place at the right time, to divinely work within us his will.
Are you powered by the Holy Spirit, or are you overwhelmed by a long list of all you have to do but don’t want to do? Has life become nothing more than a dreaded check list rather than the full life Jesus said he came to give you? Honey, we have to change that starting today! And we can. God is showing us how and it’s actually so simple. It’s as simple as declaring his power over your life, and as you declare it, you will be strengthened by it.
The book of Proverbs includes 19 verses on the power of our tongue, meaning the words we speak.
Chapter 18, verse 21: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”
Chapter 21, verse 23: “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”
The book of Psalm is also filled with prayers over our words and the power they have in our lives.
Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Have you been declaring the power of the Holy Spirit over your life, or have you been complaining? Your tongue scoops up everything it speaks of. You’re either scooping up defeat, or your scooping up victory. Scooping up strength, or scooping up weakness. Scooping up anxiety, or scooping up excitement.
So, sister, let me put it this way, if you don’t like what you’ve been scooping up in your life, change what you’re saying. Your tongue has been digging for evidence to support the very words you speak.
Yesterday I told you about that mountaintop worship experience I had on Diamond Head Crater in Oahu with my BIG Life sisters singing “Oceans”. Today, I want to tell you about an encounter I had on the way up the mountain.
There were actually several encounters that stood out, and if you were with me, you’re likely thinking I’m going to tell the story of the encounter that led to excessive gagging. Nope, I’m going to spare everyone from the story of the young man who was clearly having the worst hike of his life as he left a brown trail of his Pepto Bismol moment all through the tunnel and down the stairs. Bless his heart, as bad as it was for us, I know it must have been immeasurably worse for him.
Instead, I want to talk about the encounter with an 88 year old man wearing an “Over the Hill” hat. He was strong and fit, and walking with tremendous purpose as he greeted us with joy. I quickly found he was eager to tell me he hiked this mountain most every morning at sunrise and he had done it over 7,000 times! Do the math, that is every day for over 19 years. Impressed by his age and his accomplishments, I said, “Wow, you have been blessed by God!” His response still has be thinking. He said, “I’m blessed by him every single day. I’m powered by the Holy Spirit.” And with that, he sped down the next set of steps to continue his familiar descent on another days climb.
Every day, this man wakes up knowing he is powered by the Holy Spirit. Imagine the strength and energy his words scoop up! Imagine the evidence his tongue brings back for his review. Evidence of all he is empowered to do. All his blessings. All his opportunities. All the goodness God has aligned for him. His tongue scoops it up and brings it back to him as evidence.
What if we simply started declaring we are powered by the Holy Spirit? When we are facing a hard day, another climb, a set back or struggle, instead of complaining and sending out a negative tongue to scoop up evidence of our hardship, we send out a positive tongue to scoop up evidence of power!
Romans 15:13 in the Passion Translation reads “May God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!
The power of the Holy Spirit surrounds your life with super abundance through the power of your tongue! Speak of God’s Spirit empowering you. Speak of God’s goodness in your life. Speak of God’s faithfulness. Speak of his mercy and grace that has redeemed you. Speak of his undeniable miracles again and again. And each time you do, you scoop up evidence that makes you radiate with hope. This is how you overflow with uncontainable joy and perfect peace … you send your tongue on a mission to scoop up evidence of his Spirit empowering you!
Every morning, I repeat my personal mantra. “Today is a divine invitation to abundant resources. Energy, joy and ridiculous blessings are aligned for me to receive and give. This girl has been filled to be spilled. It’s all available and it’s all been made possible, so heck yeah, I’m going for it. My BIG Life cannot be contained. It will wildly and outrageously overflow!” And guess what evidence my tongue scoops up for me daily? Evidence of energy. Evidence of joy. Evidence of blessings. Evidence of all that is now being made possible. It has made a radical difference in my life. I no longer scoop up evidence of being tired or frustrated. I don’t bring back proof of discouragement, worry or stress. Want to know why? Simply because my tongue isn’t digging for it! There is power in my tongue and I will ensure it seeks the power God has offered me!
If you need a daily mantra, borrow mine! Seriously, try it!
God has given me a vision of the big yellow tractor with a long arm and scoop that acts as a claw. It hinges, extends and digs, then returns. This is our tongue. It goes out digging and it brings back what it finds.
Send your tongue on a mission today to dig for evidence of God’s Spirit supernaturally empowering you. Speak it!
I am powered by the Holy Spirit. I’m not overwhelmed. I’m not stuck. I’m filled to overflowing and I live in super-abundance! I can climb mountains I never imagined climbing. I can go distances I have never gone before. I can rise above challenges that once held me back.
How? By the power of the Holy Spirit. And when I speak it, I bring back evidence of it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you ever find yourself listening to a song you’ve heard a hundred times before, yet somehow it hits you different? I happened to me twice this past weekend while at the BIG Life Hawaii Retreat.
I drove the Red Roxy Jeep which was a non-stop dance party everywhere we went. With the top off, the windows down, the music turned all the way up, and an occasional dancer hanging out the top, we were overflowing with joy riding all around the island of Oahu. At one point, everyone in the jeep shared their wedding song. Some of us have been married nearly 30 years and hadn’t heard the song since.
My wedding song was the 1994 “I Swear” by John Michael Montgomery. As an 18 year old girl in love, I sang every word, but I surely couldn’t have understood the words. Now, those words hit different. The line “And when there’s silver in your hair, you won’t have to ask if I still care. ‘Casue as time turns the page, my love won’t age at all.” And now, all these years of marriage later, there’s silver in our hair and I understand more how time turns the page, but love doesn’t age. I look at that hubby of mine with his silver beard, and my love for him is so much deeper than it ever could have been as teenagers getting married in our little country church.
The words of that song hit different with experience.
Now, the second song that hit different this weekend. It’s one we’ve all known since 2013. A song we each seem to have a personal connection and story with. Hillsong’s “Oceans”. I bet you too have a memory tied to this song and every time you hear it, it takes you right back. I’ve written so many devotionals on the words “You call me out upon the waters. The great unknown, where feet may fail. And there I find you in the mystery, in oceans deep, my faith will stand.”
What does this song mean to you? When did you hear it at just the right time? What deep waters did it carry you through?
I remember it playing in my best friend Catina’s hospital room and at her funeral. I remember turning it on for my Daddy in the final hours of his life when the veil between heaven and earth grew so thin and he saw Jesus. And now, I add to the precious and priceless moments I sang this song, in a mountaintop worship experience.
On Sunday morning, we left our retreat house here on the North Shores of Oahu at 4:30 am, and drove to Waikiki to climb the world famous Diamond Head Crater. We climbed as the sun peaked up over the ocean and sent it’s rays of lights through the clouds and across the waters. Then, when all 13 of us were standing on the very top, we sang that familiar song, “Oceans”.
Our voices were loud and powerful and our worship could be heard over the entire mountain. And then the words hit me different. Words I have sang hundreds of times before, but now with time and experience, they mean so much more.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
What are the borders on your trust? Where have you drawn lines that say you will trust God with this, but not that? What have you unknowingly set as off limits, declaring as impossible in your own life?
Now, the Spirit of God is leading you to those lines and calling you beyond them. He’s prompting you to walk on waters you have been too afraid to step into. He’s guiding you to an encounter with him that is outside of your borders, into the unknown, the deep, and the uncontrollable.
Do those words hit you different now? Different because over the years of singing this song, you have experienced hardship and trials, loss and struggles, and through it all, God has proven himself faithful. He has shown you how he will turn what the enemy intended for harm into good. He will use your experiences to impact and save lives.
Yes, those words hit different now.
Over the past 10 years with this song, we have seen God’s faithfulness, now the borders on our trust must come down. We must go beyond our limits and willingly step into the impossible with our mighty and powerful God.
All these experiences have made our faith stronger. God has been building us to take us deeper. Now, my sister, let’s not stay in the shallows. Let’s tear down any final borders on our trust and go all-in with God. We’re back to that radical obedience we’ve been talking about all month. Back to responding to every prompting of God without reasoning or understanding.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
This is the journey God has been taking you and I on. A journey of trusting with ALL our heart. This is a trust that has no borders or boundaries. A life that has no off-limits signs to God.
If I’m being 100% honest, I find myself holding back a few of the most precious areas of my life. I’m afraid if I fully surrender that which I hold most dear, God will come in and mess it up. God will ruin it. Take it away from me.
And really, that’s totally ridiculous.
Do you too struggle with this? Even on a subconscious level, we create borders on our trust and put up our off-limits signs. And when we do, we aren’t really protecting that area of our life as we think we are, we are limiting it.
God has good plans for you that you simply can’t imagine. He has immeasurably more specifically for you, but you miss the immeasurably more when you allow these borders on your trust. It’s easy for us to say we trust God with everything, while we continually try to maintain control and contort things to fit into our plans.
But God has been working on you, hasn’t he? He’s invested so much into you to show you he can be fully trusted without your understanding. Now, he’s calling you to the next level of faith where your trust has no borders, where you will walk upon the waters where he may call you. Where he takes you deeper than you’ve ever been before, and your faith becomes stronger.
So, here’s the exercise for today: Make a list of any challenges you’re currently facing. Any unknown situations. Any uncertain next steps. List them, then beside each one, write the name of Jesus. Yes, Jesus for your struggling marriage. Jesus for your wayward child. Jesus for your uncertain future. Jesus for your finances. Jesus for your move. Jesus for your battle. Jesus for your addiction. Jesus for your heartache. Now, begin to praise God, focusing on Jesus and declaring the power of his name over your situation.
This is trust without borders. This is walking upon the waters, wherever he has called you. This is God taking you deeper than your feet have ever wandered, where your faith is being made stronger, in the presence of your savior. This is trusting the Lord with your whole heart instead of trusting your own understanding. And this is where only God can make your paths straight and lead you to greater things.
May absolutely NOTHING in your life be left behind the off-limits signs. May everything be fully placed in the capable and loving hands of God, and may you know you can trust in him completely with this and everything else!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You have been chosen, hand selected, set apart by the almighty God to do his work. God had his eye on you this entire time, preparing you for a time such as this. A time for you to be who he created you to be. A time for his power and his love to work through you.
Will you rise to the challenge? Will you believe he has chosen you, and will you dare to take the next bold step on your journey knowing he will equip you as you go?
In the first 4 chapters of Exodus we read the beginning story of a man named Moses. This was the man chosen by God to lead an entire nation of people to freedom. A man whom God chose to do miracles through, which we still talk about today. Remember the parting of the red sea, yeah … God did that through Moses.
It’s easy for us to hear about this chosen man and believe he really must have been something special. He must have been so favored, so richly blessed, so talented, to have been chosen for a task such as this. But in reality, Moses was anything but confident. He didn’t know what God had placed within him … and maybe you don’t either. You’re just waking up and going through your days totally unaware of the setup God has been working on for you and in you.
How quickly we dismiss ourselves from being the person God would choose to do something through. We slip back, we hunker down, we play little, assuming God could never do something big through us.
He’ll choose someone born into a more prominent family. He’ll choose someone who doesn’t have the past I have. Someone who hasn’t screwed up as much as me. Someone who has confidence and courage. Someone who doesn’t look like me. Surely there’s someone much more talented than me, and that’s who God will use to do his work and make a difference in this world.
But that’s not how our God works at all.
No, God comes into the most humble of beginnings, the most unlikely of families, cuts through every shortcoming, overcomes every mistake and failure and says YOU ARE THE ONE I HAVE CHOSEN.
Why have you dismissed yourself from the calling of God? There’s nothing in your family history, nothing in your past, not a single shortcoming which you worry about, that has dismissed you from a mighty purpose set apart by God.
YOU ARE NOT A LESS THAN. BECAUSE OF JESUS YOU ARE A MORE THAN … MORE THAN ENOUGH!
Yes, I’m speaking to you single mama struggling to make ends meet.
Yes, I’m speaking to you, sister overwhelmed in depression.
Yes, I’m speaking to you, college drop out beating yourself up over that mistake.
Yes, I’m speaking to you, failed business owner regretting ever trying.
Yes, I’m speaking directly to you … you have not been dismissed from the calling of God.
He knows your name and he has chosen YOU. Oh how you are treasured. Oh how you are loved. And oh how you are the perfect vessel for God’s power!
Moses was born into chaos. A hidden pregnancy, an illegal baby put into a basket to float away on the river, then found and adopted by a young Egyptian woman who loved him. He grew up under disguise, unable to reveal who he really was, because who he really was, was an Israelite. Moses was a “less than” among the “better thans”.
Have you ever felt like that? Like you’re somehow less than everyone else and you have to pretend to be somebody you’re not to be accepted. You carry this deep dark secret, fearful if others really knew who you were, they wouldn’t like you.
May I remind you God knows exactly who you are, he knows every detail about you and he still chooses YOU. It’s not about who you are … it’s about who HE IS, and who he is making you through his power at work within you.
But what if you’ve failed? I mean really, really screwed up. Can God use a screw up?
Moses made a big mistake. He killed a man out of anger, then he hid what he had done by burying the body in the sand. But he didn’t get away with it. Rumor started to spread of what Moses had done, so he ran to the wilderness and hid. Ashamed of what he had done, knowing it was wrong, he couldn’t go back. All this time, God had his eye on Moses. Read his story and see how God provided for him at every turn, even in the wilderness, even after he had done so wrong. God didn’t give up on Moses. He was using everything in his life for a purpose … the purpose of bringing him closer to being the person he created him to be.
We assume the process of becoming who we were created to be will look more like success. We’ll rise up, we’ll get the promotion, we’ll be highly favored and richly blessed. We’ll be recognized and praised. Oh, perhaps for a select few it happens that way. But most of us are like Moses. God works through chaos and failure to forge us into the full potential of who he had in mind when he created us.
We assume because we have failed we are disqualified. Nope, because you have failed, God has rescued you. And if God has rescued you, it’s for a purpose.
Think about that … what have you been rescued from? Where did God come get you? What has he pulled you out of? An unfathomable childhood? A relationship you should have never been in? An addiction? Woah, the work he has done to save you.
Or maybe you’re more like me and you feel God didn’t really have to come rescue you from much of anything. Life hasn’t been that hard. Wow, we have no idea what God saved us from that never even touched us! Threats he thwarted before we were harmed. We owe him everything!
Now, don’t let his efforts be wasted. He wants to do something in your life and THROUGH your life.
Moses ran away from his problems and created a new life for himself. But God called him to the fire. Literally, he called him to the fire. God appeared to Moses in a flaming bush and spoke.
Exodus 3: 8 God said “I have come down to rescue the Israelites..”
Okay cool, God is going to do something! But how does God work? He works through us!
Verse 10: “So now, go. I am sending you.”
Oh snap! That’s how God works! God told him to go back to where he was from, back to where he had failed, back from where he had run, and set the Israelites free from slavery.
Are you searching for your purpose in life? Are you ready for your mission? Understand it comes through the fire. Are you waiting for God to do something? Remember, he works through you.
Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable. Don’t avoid the heat. Outside of the confines of your comfort zone is exactly where God is working. Very rarely has God ever come to my lazy boy recliner and spoken to me. But he’s spoken to me as I risk failure. He’s spoken to me as I take a step into the unknown. He’s spoken to me when I’m daring to do something I know I can’t do under my own power.
If you want your mission, stop playing it safe. Stop waiting for the comfortable, easier option to appear. Living the life you were created for isn’t going to be easy, it is going to be highly uncomfortable, and anything you’re currently lacking will be provided when you’re on your way.
There through the flames of the burning bush, God gave Moses instructions to go and speak to the Egyptians to set the Israelites free. But you see, God was asking Moses to do the one thing he felt inadequate to do. He asked him to speak.
Moses had a speech problem, he couldn’t speak well. And yet God is telling him to do the very thing he couldn’t do. Isn’t that the way God works? He doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. This is how His power shows true. You may not already already have what it will take, but that’s no excuse, God will provide it as you go. You’re delaying your journey, taking inventory of your shortcomings and God is saying GO, I WILL EQUIP YOU.
In that fire, God promises Moses he will work miracles and he will do what only he as God can do, all Moses has to do is go and be obedient. And the same is true for what God is wanting to do in your life and through your life. He has the miracles lined up, that’s not a problem. All you need to do is drop your excuses, stop feeling “less than”, that’s not serving you. Get over your past failures, God sure has. And understand that God will supply every single thing you will need to do exactly what he is calling you to do.
God called the man who couldn’t speak, the man who had created a real mess out of his life, the man who had always felt like a misfit and a less than, to save an entire nation of people, and walk through the parted seas on dry ground. That’s who God chose.
And he has chosen YOU to do something too. He’s equipping you for the journey.
This is how our amazing God works, and he is working in you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Whatever God orders, he pays for. Wherever he has a purpose, he has a plan, and provision for that plan. He sees the end from the beginning and the way has been made for all he desires.
What has he ordered in your life? What has he aligned for you? What did he specially design and equip you for? What seeds did he place within your heart as desires to lead you to fulfill the purpose he has for you?
Remember the scripture we often use to look at God as a genie in a bottle, Psalm 37:4 “God will give you the desires of your heart”, as if his only goal is to just make you happy. Nope, he’s not a genie in a bottle or a wish granter, he’s so much bigger. Don’t put God in that box or bottle. He can’t be contained there.
He is the AUTHOR of your desires. Below the surface level, superficial desires, is the core of what you love, what you’re passionate about, and all the authentic things that make your eyes light up with delight, stir your heart, and light a fire within your soul, those were given to you by God. He has given you the desires of your heart, not as a wish granted, but as a purpose planted.
Understanding who you are, how you’re wired, how you tick and what drives you, is better understanding what God has ordered for your life. It’s how he has paid for his order.
If he ordered a Big Mac, then he would have the 5 bucks to pay for it. Not only that, but he would have provided the two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun.
The point is, God not only pays for what he’s ordered, but he provides for it. You can trust whatever God desires for you in your life he has paid for and provided for. He has equipped you, prepared you and paved the way.
David was born a Shepard boy. The little brother to big brothers much greater than him. But God had ordered more. God’s purpose for David was to be a giant slayer, warrior and a mighty King.
While David was out in his father’s fields caring for the sheep, God had sent Samuel to find the next king of Israel. Samuel, under the direction of God, went to Jesse’s house, knowing he had many sons and one had been chosen. When he met the first son, standing tall and strong, he was sure he had found his guy. He looked like a leader. But God told Samuel “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
Okay, not it. Looked like it, but God said not it. Then he discovers Jesse has one more son, the youngest son, the shepherd boy. The least likely of all, yet God’s chosen. When Samuel saw David, God confirmed “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” (1 Samuel 16:12)
It doesn’t matter what the world sees, when God says you’re the one, YOU ARE THE ONE. When God says it’s time, IT IS TIME. When God says it will be done, NOTHING WILL STAND IN THE WAY.
All David’s life, God had been preparing him for a greater purpose. Training him to lead and guide. Equipping him with experience and strength. God had orders for David, and he was ready to pay for his order.
God has orders for you too my sister. He has a purpose for you. Right now, at this very moment, you are being equipped. You are being trained for your future position. You may not look like the most likely person, you may not feel like the best pick, but when God says you’re it, YOU ARE IT.
Here’s where we get stuck. We get focused on OUR purpose. What’s my purpose? Have I missed my purpose? How do I fulfill my purpose? God show me MY purpose. We become threatened by others who have clearly discovered their purpose, while we’re still searching for our own.
The problem is we’ve taken ownership and claimed purpose as our own, tying it to our identity, value and worth. When the truth is, it’s not about YOUR PURPOSE, it’s about GOD’S PURPOSE.
God, what is YOUR purpose? God, what do YOU want to do? God, what are YOUR plans?
When seeking God’s purpose over our own, there’s one important thing we must do: BE AVAILABLE.
Will you be available for God’s purpose?
That’s an easy yes, right? But what if God’s purpose looks nothing like you imagined? What if it shows up as a big inconvenience? What if God’s purpose first appears as the hardest thing you’ve ever faced in your entire life? Will you still be available?
David first faced the giant Goliath. An unlikely match that only God could have arranged. An order for David to rise up in the midst of the impossible. An order only God could pay for!
But, because God ordered it, it was paid for. David was equipped and with just 5 small smooth stones as his weapon, he took down the giant that held everyone else in fear.
All David did was show up and make himself available.
David wasn’t sitting questioning his purpose. Remember, that’s where we get stuck! Imagine if David would have been overwhelmed with concern over his purpose, dwelling on how taking care of sheep wasn’t fulfilling and seemed to be leading nowhere. He would have missed his big shot.
Big shots don’t necessarily appear as primed opportunities. They’re hidden in the midst of the ordinary and the ordinary is testing to see if you will be faithful. Or, they’re hidden in the thing everyone else fears and runs from, like Goliath.
But all God is asking of you is to be AVAILABLE.
Be available for what he has ordered. Be available for HIS PURPOSE. He will pay for it. He will provide. He will equip. And when he does, it will be more than enough!
The author of Psalm 37:4 “God will give you the desires of your heart”? That would be David. Yes, he knew God had surely given him the desires of his heart. All he had done was as a result of what God had first placed within him. It was God’s purpose! It was God’s order, and wow did God ever pay for that order in supernatural ways. He always does.
Let’s turn our focus away from ourselves here. It’s not about MY purpose, it’s about GOD’S PURPOSE. He has plans and he is equipping people to fulfill those plans. The ones he uses are the ones who are available.
David was simply available. His heart was right, even when the rest of him wasn’t.
What could God do with your life when your heart is right and you’re simply available? MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE.
May God’s purpose become bigger than your own. May you simply be available for anything God has ordered, trusting fully HE WILL PAY FOR WHAT HE ORDERS.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
In the book of Exodus God commands Moses to go to Egypt and rescue the Israelites. Moses was like “Okay God, but you know, like what should I say?” Basically Moses is saying, “Yo, I don’t want to look all crazy when I get there.” You know sometimes when you tell people GOD spoke to you, you look a little crazy. So Moses is looking for a sane, reasonable way to explain what he is about to do. And God said to Moses in Exodus 3: 14 – “I am who I am – so you should say “The I AM has sent me.”
Well that helps a lot.
God, is the I AM.
Jesus too referred to himself as the great I AM.
But what in the world does that mean? It just sounds like an incomplete sentence to me. Like a long pause. I am …. and it’s a cliff hanger as you’re waiting for the words to follow. So this morning, we will look at 5 “I am’s” in scripture that tell us exactly who our Mighty God and Sweet Jesus are, and who that makes us.
- I AM the bread of life. This means Jesus will sustain you. He will strengthen you. He will fill you. And I don’t know about you, but I straight up love bread. I’m still searching for the all carb diet. Bring on the bread – I like it all. Sweet bread, buttered bread, garlic bread, cinnamon bread. Bread sticks, bread rolls, sliced bread. Bread just makes everything better. And Jesus is reminding us HE is the bread of life. He wants to make your everything better, and he does!
- Jesus says “I am the door.” Jesus is the way out of the situation you’re in. He is your escape. You can try to beat down the walls, but all you need is the door. And he’s also your way in. He is the door in to the house of rest and refuge. This door says welcome. You belong here. You belong to me. Come inside.
- Jesus also says “I am the good Shepard.” Scripture uses the reference of a Shepard and his sheep many times. Let me tell you something about a Shepard, they live WITH their sheep. Now let me tell you something about sheep, they wander off constantly. Sheep are like me in the mall. They never know where they’re going and they can’t find their way back to where they came from. So the shepherd ever so patiently gathers his sheep, calls them to him, and when there is one who is lost, he searches for his sheep. That is our Jesus with us. Oh how we wander. We get ourselves into some messes don’t we? We fail and we get stuck, and here comes our great Shepard, time and time again, to pull us out and put our feet on the ground again. He will never leave us or forsake us.
- “I am the vine, you are the branches.” The vine is the source of life to the branches. The branches are connected to and dependent upon the vine. Without Jesus we will wither and die. Connected to him, we receive life. Connected to him, we bear fruit. Good things come in our life as a result of Him. Apart from him, we can do nothing. There is no fruit, no success, no breakthrough, no progress, no good things apart from God. Cut yourself off from God and try to do this thing on your own and you will just be a branch without a vine. A dying, brittle, unproductive, disconnected woman unable to produce anything in life. Uh, yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll stay connected to the Great I Am.
- Jesus said “I am the light of the world.” He is the light of YOUR world. You don’t have to live in darkness. Nor do you have to hide things in darkness. He is the light. He not only shows you the way, he MAKES the way. He is your guide.
Because he is the GREAT I AM. He is the light, he is the vine, he is the good Shepard, he is the door, he is the bread of life … because of who God is, I am…
Who are you because of God?
Could you say – Because of God I am saved. I am blessed. I am whole. I am new. I am confident. I am able. I am strong. I am loved. And like Moses, the great I am is speaking to you and sending you.
The great I am came so that you could be all of these things. Think about that today. Who are you because of the Great I am? Let your identity come from him. Let him redefine all that you are and let him guide all that you do. Get grounded in who you are through Christ Jesus.
He has created you.He has chosen you. His name is I Am. Not I Was. Not I Might Be. Not I May. No, I Am … the Great I Am.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You’ve likely heard of the fruits of the spirit. The 9 things that naturally come in our lives as a result of Jesus dwelling within us: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Today, I present the fruits of the spirit in a different way through the Message Translation of the Bible. Just a more modern wording for us to consider and apply.
Galatians 5: 22-23 “But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”
I don’t know about you, but I want ALL OF IT! Yes please, God. I need every bit of what you’re offering here in this scripture. How about you?
It’s like a buffet with all of the best things in life and God says “Girl, whatever you want, it’s all yours when you live my way.” Let me highlight a few of the offering’s on this magnificent all-you-can-eat buffet God has offered.
First, exuberance for life. Exuberance is being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness. What is all this energy and excitement over? Just LIFE. Life on this Thursday in the middle of March. I’m sure you’ve met one of those people who is just so darn happy to be alive, well, you can be one of those people! This is what God is offering you. Don’t you want it?
My sister, understand, this means God wants to make you a morning person! Impossible you say? NOTHING is impossible to our God. I’ve seen this happen in women’s lives. Former absolute HATERS of the sunrise now wake up an hour earlier just to get more out of life and savor their new favorite part of the day. You can be excited about waking up every day. You can be full of energy and cheerfulness. Yes, this means you can naturally be in a GOOD MOOD. A good mood can be your default. An exuberance for life is yours when you what …. when you live God’s way.
Another offering on the buffet of life set before you today is serenity. Sweet serenity, this means you can be calm. You can be filled with peace in a less than perfect situation. You don’t have to flip the heck out over anything. You don’t have to jump to worst case scenario. You don’t have to play out the 10 possible negative scenarios in your head to be prepared for what COULD happen. Nope, you can be completely calm. You can control your emotions and not be agitated, irritated or stressed out. Anxiety and depression are replaced by a reassuring sense of calm. Serenity is yours when you what … when you live God’s way.
This scripture also says we develop a willingness to stick with things. Well holy schamolly did you hear that girls? God is offering you willpower. He is offering you the ability to finish what you start. Who needs to grab ahold of that and run with it? Who will take a double helping of willpower today? How different would your world be this year if you could stick with things? Imagine the goals you could accomplish if you were a gal who naturally had a willingness to stick with things. Goal weight – check. Debt free – check. Beautifully clean house – check. Are you getting excited yet sister? A willingness to stick with things is yours when you what … when you live God’s way.
And finally I want to highlight one last gift God offers in this scripture. We find ourselves not needing to force our way in life. How many of you feel exhausted because you have to fight your way through every day? It’s all a battle just to survive. A battle just to get along. The only way you can move ahead is an all out fight and quite honestly you’re tired from the fight. Why can’t anything be easy? It’s a struggle to get up. It’s a struggle to stay married. It’s a struggle to parent your kids. It’s a struggle to get to work on time. Dang if we’re not just struggling our way through life and tired from the fight. Here God is saying, I have this gift for you – you don’t have to force your way in life anymore. This way is yours when you what … when you live God’s way.
Well goodness gracious, raise your hand if you need some of this. Exuberance for life. Serenity. Willingness to stick with things. No longer having to force our way in life. Did you know all your life this scripture has been waiting for you in your Bible. An offer for you. And it’s available today. You don’t have to force God’s hand in giving you that serenity. You don’t have to twist his arm to give you a willingness to stick with things. He’s not greedy with the gift of exuberance for life. And here’s how I know.
This verse says “He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard.” Fruit appears in an orchard naturally. Fruit isn’t forced. It’s the result of a fruit tree doing what a fruit tree is supposed to do. It produces fruit.
So what this scripture is saying is when we live God’s way, good qualities will come naturally to us. We won’t have to fake our way through life. It will simply be the result of living God’s way.
So I suppose the big question is, ARE YOU LIVING GOD’S WAY? What does that mean to you?
Today I invite you to let this question stay in the forefront of your mind. Let it be a prayer on your lips. God, will you show me how to live your way? The bible promises if you seek, you will find. This could be the most important thing you ever seek … How do YOU live God’s way? What is his way for YOU individually?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Are you currently facing something in your life that seems ridiculous? Ridiculously hard. Ridiculously impossible. Your solution will likely seem ridiculous as well. Perhaps what God is asking you to do will make NO SENSE. Will you be obedient and do it even when you don’t understand?
God may have been prompting you to do something, but because it doesn’t make sense to you, you’ve been dismissing it. You’re trying to understand it, when God simply wants you to trust it. You’re trying to reason with the ridiculous, when God wants you to run with the ridiculous.
Joshua chapter 6 tells us the story of the Battle of Jericho. (verses 2-5)
“But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho … You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
Let’s be real clear here… THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.
Joshua led an army of men. Can you imagine how foolish he looked gathering up his troops and saying, “Alrighty boys, here’s our battle plan. We’re going to take this city of Jericho that’s all walled up and impossible to get into by a brilliant plan. Listen up everybody, we’re going to march around the wall. And then, then we’re going to blow some horns and we’re going to yell like real loud with our big manly voices, and then … then those walls are gong to fall down and we’re going to walk right in.”
Talk about looking like a fool.
The city of Jericho was a total of about 6 acres. It was completely protected by a a stone wall 11 feet high and 14 feet wide. At its top was a smooth stone slope, angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, where it joined massive stone walls that towered even higher. It was virtually impossible to penetrate. No one was breaking through those walls. No one was climbing over those walls.
But Joshua had faith strong enough to look like a fool and believe that God would do the impossible if he didn’t give up.
What is your Jericho? What is it that you desperately want in life that seems to be walled up and absolutely untouchable? What are you about to give up on because it now seems ridiculous?
What if God has already given this to you? He’s already declared this will happen for you, but the way there is going to be ridiculous. It will not make sense to you. It will be unlike anything you could have come up with on your own. Others will not understand your journey.
Let me tell you something about the Jericho’s in your life … the process can make you crazy. What seems like should work, doesn’t work. What seems like a reasonable amount of time isn’t enough. And so we get frustrated and we give up. We give up on the dream. We give up on the goal. Because darn it, the walls are too high and too thick and it seems impossible.
Who am I talking to today? Who has been trying everything they know to do? Who’s frustrated over the process? Who’s looking at a huge stone wall in front of them, blocking them from moving forward?
Gather around, God has a message for you today. REMEMBER WHERE YOU’RE GOING. The very thing which you want. The thing you have prayed for. The thing you’re working so hard for … it’s just on the other side and all you have to do is keep the faith and keep marching.
You are right on the edge. It may only take one more push. One more step. You’re being positioned.
Don’t you dare give up now.
The process you go through to win your Jericho battle will seem ridiculous. Others will NOT understand your circling. But do not lose faith. Keep marching. March through the ridiculous.
Sometimes it doesn’t make sense so that you are forced to get out of your own head and get in your spirit. GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD, GET INTO YOUR SPIRIT. (It’s much like the Billy Ocean song ‘get outta my dreams, get into my car’ … but different.) God has something for you. He woke you up this morning and said KEEP MARCHING.
And our response needs to be, “God, we will be the women crazy enough to stick with it. We will keep marching until the walls come down.”
Now there’s one more important element of this story I want to point out. Joshua instructed his soldiers to march in silence in preparation for the 7th circle on the 7th day when they would shout. Why silence? BECAUSE THERE COULD BE NO COMPLAINING.
When one person starts complaining and whining “this doesn’t make sense. We marched yesterday. I don’t want to march again today. Nothing is happening. This is ridiculous. The walls aren’t moving.” That complaining acts as a poison to the whole army, frustration grows and everyone loses hope.
Have you been poisoning your family, your friends, your co-workers with the poison of complaining and whining as you march? Insist that stops today.
Be crazy enough to not only stick with it and keep marching … but be crazy enough to NOT COMPLAIN about it too!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever been truly hungry? I don’t mean “lunch was an hour late” hungry, I mean like day 8 of a 10 day juice cleanse hungry. Hungry like your belly button is gnawing on your back bone. When you’re truly hungy, you have an elevated sense of smell. This elevated sense of smell through hunger enables you to smell what’s cooking at the neighbor’s house 3 doors down. If you’re not hungry, you never even smell it. True hunger will rule your thoughts and drive your actions.
Hey sister, if you’re really hungry for the life God created you for, you won’t be able to sleep in day after day. Lazy days is an indication of a lack of hunger. If you’re really hungry to step into your full potential, you’ll step right out of your comfort zone and do whatever it takes.
The issue is a lack of hunger. Maybe you don’t really want it.
Now think about it … why wouldn’t you want the abundant goodness God has available specifically for your life? One of two reasons … One, you don’t believe it’s truly available to you. Or two, you’ve gorged yourself on the cheap imitations of a BIG life and you’re full. It’s like playing the video game of life versus really living life. Sometimes we settle for the video game because it’s “just enough” and we leave no room for real life.
Girl, are you hungry? Do you want it? Matthew 5:6 says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
There’s a condition to being filled. What’s the condition? A hunger for it. A hunger is a WANT, a deep DESIRE.
Who will be filled? Those who are HUNGRY. So here’s what you need to know today … if you don’t really WANT it, it’s really hard to GET it.
The question is, how bad do you want it? How hungry are you this morning?
God responds to your hunger.
Think of the crowd of thousands who had gathered to hear Jesus. They had sat for hours just trying to hear a single word. After being there so long, they grew faint from hunger. GOD SAW THEIR HUNGER AND RESPONDED. If they wouldn’t have been hungry, there would have been no need for God to fill.
You remember the miracle right? The only food in the crowd of thousands was the lunch of one boy. 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And God said I CAN WORK WITH THAT. In our eyes, it would never be enough. In God’s hands, it was MORE THAN ENOUGH. Jesus broke the bread and the disciples began feeding the crowd. After everyone had ate all they could eat, Jesus instructed them to gather the leftovers. They filled 12 baskets full of leftover bread.
Impossible.
Aren’t you glad you are loved by the God of the impossible?
And aren’t you glad he sees your hunger and responds to it?
So here’s the deal, put this in bold in your journal … You acting like you don’t need anything is stopping God’s miracles in your life.
Hey, you don’t have it all together. You don’t have all the answers. Your plan, no matter how long it took you to formulate it, write it and laminate it, is NOT sufficient. You can settle for a little, unfulfilling comfortable life, but if you want to live up to your potential of a great big, beautiful, overflowing life … sister YOU NEED GOD.
Are you hungry for Him? Do you thirst for his presence in your life? Are you desperate for his guidance and provision? Are you willing to admit your need for him to fill your empty spaces?
When you are WEAK, THEN HE IS STRONG.
Say this with me this morning, I NEED YOU GOD. I AM HUNGRY FOR THE LIFE YOU CREATED ME FOR. I AM SEEKING YOU.
And God responds. He is moved by your hunger. This is where God works, right in the middle of your need. Right in the middle of your insufficiency. Right in the middle of your surrender. Right in the middle of your desperation.
Now, don’t be fooled and believe God’s response looks something like a lottery ticket. Your broken down car likely won’t be magically replaced by a 2023 Honda Civic sitting in your garage this morning. Here’s morseo what it looks like … your broken down car starts today when you didn’t think it would, and it gets you where you need to go. Then it gets you back home. MY FRIENDS, THAT IS GOD. Some of you need to be praising Jesus just because your car didn’t break down today, because it probably should have!
Remember, when God fed the crowd of thousands, he didn’t magically plop an unlimited supply of Chic-Fil-A into everyone’s lap. Nope, he used what didn’t look like enough. He used what there was and made it more than enough.
Don’t miss your miracle. It’s disguised as hard work. It often looks insignificant. In our eyes it won’t be enough. In God’s hands it’s MORE THAN ENOUGH.
That’s how our God works.
He responds to your need. He wants to know if you’re HUNGRY. Just how bad do you want it today?
I NEED YOU GOD. I AM HUNGRY FOR THE LIFE YOU CREATED ME FOR. I AM SEEKING YOU.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Luke 13:10-13: “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”
Ya’ll this woman had been crippled for 18 years and with the touch of Jesus, she was immediately healed. WooooHoooo, that’s my Jesus right there. Boom! I will do the impossible for you! I will change in an instant what you could not change for 18 years! Now where is our focus on this story? The miracle right? We focus on the miracle.
But I want you to focus on something else. I’ll read the scripture again, let’s not focus on the miracle, let’s focus on what led to the miracle. If you need a miracle in your life, learn from this woman’s miracle and see exactly what brought her to it. Here it is, what will bring you to your miracle:
“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”
What led to the miracle? We all say her infirmity. Her problem. She was crippled for 18 years. But if that’s where our focus is, we’re missing the application for our life today. This isn’t about what’s wrong with you. This isn’t about what happened to you. This isn’t about your need. This isn’t about what you can’t do … this is about what you CAN do.
Here’s what we’ve been missing in this miraculous story of healing. This poor, crippled, bent over woman, GOT UP AND WENT that day. She showed up. In order for her to be at the synagogue where Jesus was teaching, she first had to get up and go there.
I bet she didn’t feel like getting up that day. I bet she was aching and hurting. I bet she was even embarrassed by her condition. BUT SHE GOT UP ANY WAY.
That’s exactly what we need to do. We can’t sit around waiting for Jesus to come knocking on our door with our miracle. You have a responsibility in your story. Your responsibility is to get up and position yourself. Do what you can with what you have right now. Stop focusing on what you can’t do, and girl, do what you can do.
This woman got up and went even when she didn’t feel like it. Even when it was HARD FOR HER. Even when it had been hard for her for 18 years! Ahhhhh, sister will you bring your 18 year hardship, your 18 year struggle to an encounter with Jesus? Or will you give up thinking your miracle will never come? Have you bought into the lie that it will always be this way? Hey, nothing ever stays the same, all things are forever changing, so why can’t you believe your hardship could change too? Oh it could! One encounter with Jesus could radically change your life but you must position yourself for the encounter.
But may I take you even deeper? Can I take you deeper this morning?
There’s one more thing we may be missing in this story. How did this crippled woman make herself get up and go even when she didn’t feel like it? How do you make yourself do what you know you need to do when you plain ol’ don’t feel like it?
Well, my friend TD Jakes pointed this out to me and I share it with you this morning. What you don’t see in this story is what made this woman get up and show up for her encounter with Jesus was she had been THINKING. Yes, she had been thinking. And it was her THOUGHTS that brought her to the synagogue that day where she met Jesus and she received her miracle.
WHAT YOU THINK DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Your thoughts are the seeds, your actions are the plants, and your results are the harvest. You get a harvest because you grew some plants and those plants first began as seed. Your results today are because of your actions. Your actions first began as thoughts.
Your thoughts today will grow something … will you be pleased with that harvest?
What if this woman would have THOUGHT she was too sick or tired to go to church that day? Ahhh, she would have missed her miracle.
I wonder how many times she had been to this place before? How many times had she gone bent over, then walked back home bent over? How many times had she struggled though her day and came to the end of the day no better, with no change? Likely a lot. Likely 18 years. If she would have been thinking “well, what’s the point of even going there today, it’s never done anything for me” what would have happened? NOTHING would have happened because she wouldn’t have even been in the position to encounter Jesus.
Does it feel like nothing is happening in your life? Nothing has ever changed and therefore nothing will ever change? That must have been how this woman felt too. But she had been thinking. She had been thinking, “I’m gonna get up and go even if I don’t feel like it. I’m gonna see what I can do. I’m gonna go even if people look at me. I’m gonna walk in there all crippled like even if people talk about me. I’m gonna get myself there. I’m gonna get up.”
And it was her THINKING that led to her ACTION. It was her ACTION that led to her ENCOUNTER. It was her encounter that led to her MIRACLE.
We all want the miracle. God please save my marriage. God please change my child. God please heal my body. God please bring that job. God please just hand deliver it all to me as I sit right here on my couch because I really don’t feel like getting up. God, you’re gonna have to bring it to me because I gave up on showing up.
Woman, STRAIGHTEN UP. You can’t get the miracle without the encounter. You can’t get the encounter without the action. And you’ll never take the action without first THINKING.
What are you thinking today?
Do your thoughts align with your doubts or your faith? Are you focused on what you CAN do or what you can’t do?
Straighten up. You’ve felt sorry for yourself too long. You’ve been letting people run over you too long. You’ve been wallowing in this too long. You’ve been worried about this too long. Straighten up. In the words of Jesus, “woman you are set free.”
Start thinking like it. Start talking like it. Start acting like it.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When did life become all about us? Really? How have we made this about ourselves?
Even when we arrive to this place of living with generosity and love, the truth is, it’s still about self because we hold back. We don’t fully dive in and do the things God has prompted us to do … why … because we fear what others may think of us. We fear looking foolish. We fear not fitting in. We fear failure. We fear judgment. It’s all so self-centered. We don’t do, because we’re so totally wrapped up in thinking it’s more about us than about God.
This week on Oahu, I’ve come face to face with the most humble man who is showing me how to simply get over myself. How to get out of my own head and into the will of God. How to overcome the little voice that tells me I can’t, and lean into the voice that says it’s bigger than me.
His name is Jim, and he’s the owner of a little coffee hut along the road on the way to the North Shore. His hut is nestled among the food trucks selling fresh scampi shrimp and pineapple smoothies, surrounded by honey bees, wild yellow canaries, and palm trees. He sells an iced coconut mocha that makes my taste buds sing.
On Jim’s little coffee stand is a purple wooden, hand painted sign that reads, “If Jesus Could Save a Wretch Like Me, He Can Save ANYONE!” He has full size bibles stacked on the counter, free to everyone.
A conversation unfolded with Jim, where I asked him to share his wretch story with me. He said, “My story is much the same as many others. I was living a selfish life, hurting everyone else along the way. I drank a lot of alcohol and created hurt everywhere I went.” He said, “Jesus had to leave the 99 to come look for me hard. I didn’t make it easy on him. But he still came.”
He told me he was given the gift of repentance. Woah … the gift of repentance. Did you know that’s a gift from God? Jim explained it like this … If you get pulled over for speeding, you apologize to the officer as he gives you a ticket and you promise you won’t do it again. The next day, you speed again, just hoping to get away with it. The gift of repentance is the difference between hoping to just get away with it again, and truly wanting something totally different.
The gift of repentance allows us to see the damage we are creating, and turns our hearts towards God and the souls all around us. The gift of repentance shows us life isn’t about us.
Repentance is a gift from your Heavenly Father who wants you to live in the fullness of life he created you for. When you receive and walk in the gift of repentance, your life becomes the most beautifully balanced and grounded example of humility and love.
Acts 11:18 “God has granted repentance that leads to life.” God GRANTED it meaning he gave it as a gift.
2 Timothy 2:25 “Hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” Again, God GRANTS repentance to radically change our lives.
Have you ever asked God for the gift of repentance? This gift will take you out of the traps of selfish living and lead you to live that open, expansive, and limitless life Jesus came to give you. A life out of your own head, and into the fullness of everything God invites you to partner with him in.
HONEY, IT’ REALLY NOT ABOUT YOU. GET OVER YOURSELF.
Jim told me once God hunted him down and gave him the gift of repentance, he wanted to make everything he did about God and not about him. But, what could he possibly do to make his simple life about God? How could he use his little coffee hut for God’s work? That’s when he felt a prompting to offer bibles for free.
So simple … and that little voice told him it was so silly. What would everyone think? Would he look foolish? Would he be considered weird? So, he hesitated, and once again, his desire to honor God was twisted into everything being more about him than about God. He felt embarrassed and ashamed, knowing who he used to be and questioning how God could ever use someone like him.
As humble as that sounds, it’s the same path of self-centered living. Me. It’s about me.
BUT, NO IT’S NOT.
So, in obedience, Jim put out the bibles, and he painted his sign, fully displaying his story and humbly pointing to a relentless God who rescued him and would do the same for absolutely anyone else!
With a tear in his eye, he shared with me how he still struggled to believe God could use him. How a painted sign could make a difference. How a free bible could really ever change a life. And then he said it again, “But it’s not about me. It’s about God, and he can do anything he wants to do.”
Since offering his little coffee hut business to God, he said he has been blessed beyond measure in ways he could have never imagined. Is he doing anything radically different? Nope, he’s just offering what he has to God and deciding every day the little voice that tries to make it about himself won’t win the battle.
How could God use you and I if we just got over ourselves? What if we stopped caring about what others thought about us, and more about how God wants to love through us? What if we stopped trying to put on a show, and used every part of our story to honor God in complete humility?
You see, Jim shares evangelism in a more beautiful and authentic way than I’ve ever seen. Is God using him? You bet he is! I didn’t need him to tell me about Jesus or give me a bible, but I need him to remind me it’s really not about me or what anyone else thinks about me! it’s not about what big things I can do, it’s about my willingness to do even the smallest things for God right where I am with exactly what I have.
Jim told me his greatest hope is to stand before Jesus at the end of his days, and hear Jesus say, “Jim, because of your life, this child is here too.” I have a feeling there will be more than one of God’s children there as a result of a wretch who knew he was a wretch, and humbly and fully accepted the gift of repentance, painted his little sign, shared his simple story, and offered free bibles.
Ask God for the gift of repentance. May he grant you the divine gifting of getting over yourself and never being the same again. May you offer what seems totally insignificant to you, and allow a great big, powerful God to use it in ways you will never know this side of eternity.
The enemy doesn’t get to play in that old shame and guilt anymore. Your story will be shared. And every time you share, may you remember more and more, it’s really not about you. It’s about God and the souls he has placed around you!
Here’s to my friend Jim, my fellow wretch who has been hunted down by Jesus and saved, an extra large iced coconut mocha, and another day of life covered by the gift of repentance, and a new found awareness that this isn’t about me at all.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Living under the direction of God’s mighty Spirit, and being guided by his divine promptings, creates a life of great adventure. With God, we have a boldness and confidence to take risks. With him, we experience freedom from the fear of others’ opinions and our unsure next steps.
Do you live in that faith place? The place where you are fully surrendered and totally dependent on God coming through for you. The place where you are out in the deeps, over your head, counting on a water walking Jesus to empower you to do things you’ve never been able to do before.
Anything less than this faith place, is a settled place falling short of the potential God designed you with. That settled place where things are more safe, more certain, and more comfortable, leaves you with that unimpressed feeling about life where you question if there’s more.
Is that how you feel? You’re wondering if there’s more to this life for you. Feeling empty and unfulfilled? YES THERE’S MORE! Immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine. And the only way you get to experience it is by the guidance of God’s Spirit which will always take you to uncomfortable places!
But, we’ve been tricked into believing comfort is king. Comfort is the destination we’re striving for. Comfort is a sign of arriving. But we’re confused about that destination. You’ve arrived alright, but what you don’t realize about this destination of comfort is you’ve arrived to a soul-sucking prison that has silenced the promptings of God’s Spirit. You’re not living a great adventure with your Creator in the great unknown, you’re freaking comfortable with a plan you think you’re in control of. It looks good on the outside, but dang does it suck on the inside.
Psalm 23: 5 “You prepare a feast before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows with blessings.”
We all want the feast, but we forfeit the feast because we’re running from the uncomfortable presence of our enemies. Every time you avoid discomfort, you forfeit your feast. God wants to fill your cup to overflowing. More joy than you could possibly imagine. More blessings than you could ever contain. So much purpose and passion that you spring up out of bed with energy! But, many times we’re not living in the overflow because we’ve avoided the presence of our enemies.
Your enemy represents the threat to your purpose. The threat to your comfort. The problem in your way. The battle you feel entirely too inadequate and unequipped to ever proceed in. The risk that’s too great.
Yeah, you have that threat in your life right now? The problem that’s stressing you out. The uncertainty that’s been stealing your peace. The struggle that you’re too ashamed to reveal to anyone. Well here’s what you need to know … it’s in the presence of that threat that God prepares a FEAST FOR YOU.
Stop running from this and see the overflowing abundance of provision God has for you here.
When has God given you permission to be miserable in this battle? When has he ever instructed you to dwell in overwhelm and play out the worst case scenarios in your head? When has he told you to give up? When has he told you to settle for familiar and go no further? Never. That’s not of God.
What is of God is a table with a feast prepared for you right in the middle of this. God’s provision in sweeter, more personal and direct ways that ever before. That’s what’s here for you. Go ahead and belly up to this table and receive what he has for you!
I’ve found joy in the presence of struggle. I’ve found peace in the middle of grief. I’ve found strength in the middle of battle. I’ve found excitement in the middle of total uncertainty. And once I decided to feast on what God was offering me even in the unfavorable circumstances, sure enough, my cup began to overflow in absolute abundance. Yes, an abundance of the priceless things only God can provide.
Imagine being led into a battle, heavy with your armor, growing weary from the fight, hungry and exhausted, and just as you come face to face with your enemies in the place you most didn’t want to be, you find a table with an absolute feast prepared for you. Do you sit in confidence and receive what has been provided for you here, or are you so consumed with the presence of your enemy that you pass the feast and run in avoidance? Do you hide in fear? Do you worry yourself sick? Do you wallow in overwhelm?
God says, pause in the presence of this threat and receive what I have for you here. Sit down in confidence and receive his provisions as the enemy stares you down.
What this once again tells me is misery is not God’s design for me. Regardless of the circumstances, he has provisions for me and I am totally and completely covered. I can dwell in peace. I can pause and receive his provisions. I can be confident in his providence over everything concerning me. The feast is here for me to enjoy even in the middle of the battle.
And when I accept the offering of the prepared table with a feast that includes joy and happiness, strength and peace, grace and mercy, and divinely directed next steps, then I am ready to face my enemies and be the warrior God declared I would be. This is how I become more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus! I receive provisions that don’t make sense in the face of things I would rather avoid. Those provisions then enable me to move forward instead of backing down.
This is that faith place. The place we are meant to be in. The place that’s out in the deep, over our heads, totally dependent on a water walking Jesus to show us the way and lead us on a life of adventure.
Welcome to you faith place. There’s a feast prepared here for you, and that feast is not found in the absence of your enemies, it’s found in their presence. God has an overflowing abundance for you here. Receive it with confidence!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As a follower of Christ, you have power. Power you may not be accessing fully.
What if you don’t have to struggle as much as you’ve been struggling? What if there’s a better way, and that way has been made fully available for you, you simply have to choose it. Would you choose it today?
Scripture is filled with stories of God’s spirit empowering his people to do supernatural things. Judges 14:6, “The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson.” Through God’s spirit, Samson did things that were not humanly possible. He killed a lion with his bare hands, that’s not normal. He battled 1,000 men with only the jawbone of a donkey as his weapon. That is not normal! But that’s what God’s spirit does, it empowers us to do totally “not normal” things!
It’s normal to wake up tired, groggy, and generally grouchy … but honey, it doesn’t have to be that way. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. God’s spirit empowers us to do things that aren’t normal.
It’s normal to go home after a rough, exhausting day at work and be edgy and short, and want to bury your face in a bag of cheese puffs and a glass of wine … but my sister, it doesn’t have to be that way. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. Why? Because God’s spirit empowers us to do things that aren’t normal.
It’s normal to avoid hard things and opt for what is easiest and fastest. It’s normal to back down from the true desires of your heart when met with resistance, and settle for what you can have now over what you want most. But guess what, it totally doesn’t have to be this way. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. Why? Again, because God’s spirit empowers us to do things that aren’t normal.
If God can supernaturally strengthen and empower Samson to do things that are not humanly possible, don’t you think he can strengthen and empower you to wake up, show up, do the right thing, with the right attitude, and not quit this time? Don’t you think he can change what has always been normal for you and do something radically different in you?
Oh, I know he can.
In fact, I continually put myself in a position to experience God’s supernatural power to do things that really shouldn’t be possible, just so I can see the full effect of what God has offered me. The result is, I’m completely blown away by God time and time again!
But there was a time when I assumed defeat at the first sign of a challenge. There was a time when I assumed what had always been is what would always be, and what I had always felt would just continue. But then, God opened my eyes to the limits I had allowed in my own life which were holding me back from living all I could really live.
And honestly, that just ticks me off. It ticks me off that I’ve been tricked in the past. Tricked into assuming I couldn’t do hard things. Tricked into believing I couldn’t possibly be good enough or strong enough. I was blindly led into bad moods, poor attitudes, surrendered goals, and generally living a whole lot smaller life than I was capable of. All because I failed to understand God’s spirit strengthens me to do all things through Christ!
Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Through Christ, YOU CAN DO THIS!
Think about this, the power Samson experienced through God’s spirit was not constant. His strengthening was dependent on God’s spirit showing up in the moment. WE ARE NOT LIMITED LIKE SAMSON WAS. Because of Jesus, God’s spirit is a permanent indwelling within us now. We ALWAYS have his spirit, which means we always have his power. We always have his guidance. We always have his strength. We always have the ability to do things that shouldn’t be possible. Things that are totally not normal for us to be able to do, well that’s the stuff we can now do.
Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
The unstoppable spirit of God LIVES in you. When you wake up, his spirit and his power is in you. When you go to work, when you go to school, when you drive with the crazy people on the highway, when you deal with jackwagons, when you are tempted, when you go to bed exhausted and sometimes wake up the next morning not feeling much better, God’s spirit is IN YOU. Constantly.
His power is ALWAYS in you to do what you shouldn’t be able to do. So, why aren’t you doing it? Why are you settling for less? Why are you assuming you can’t? Why are you giving up and giving in?
We’ve put human limits on a supernatural power. What would happen if you lifted your limits and tapped into the full power available to you through the constant dwelling of God’s spirit within you?
Here in Hawaii, with the time difference, I’m getting up at 1 am and hosting this devotional live each morning at 2. Y’all, I’m a morning person, but this is a whole other level of morning. Human limits say that should be absolutely miserable. Human limits say I should be waking up with dread. But I don’t live according to human limits because I’m a girl who carries God’s spirit and supernatural power within me. I tap into that power and show up with energy, clarity, and excitement!
Now, apply that to your circumstances. Take the limits off. Sis, you’ve got living to do and a purpose to step into.
Romans 8: 13-14 MSG “The best thing to do is give (your old do-it-yourself life) a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!”
My old do-it-yourself life would say I can’t possibly show up and do this. That would be miserable. Yuck. I would quickly dismiss myself from the commitment and present an excuse as to why I can’t. Well, I’ve buried that life. Those limits will not be my truth. God’s Spirit beckons me to the things he has for me to do and the places he has for me to go. So, I’m showing up counting on his power. And he’s never failed me yet!
Where have you been assuming it is just normal to struggle? Where have you settled for waking up with dread? Where have you played little? Don’t you feel God’s spirit beckoning you now? Reminding you of the things he has for you to do and the places he has for you to go?
With his spirit dwelling within you, continually strengthening you with the power to do everything through Christ, you can now remove the limits and do things that are totally NOT NORMAL!
It’s not normal for you to be filled with so much peace in a time like this.
It’s not normal for you to wake up in a good mood.
It’s not normal for you to show up to a job you hate with a positive attitude and energy.
It’s not normal for you to love and forgive, and be ridiculously kind to those who don’t deserve your kindness.
It’s not normal for you move forward with confidence, to take the next step when it’s all so uncertain, to keep going when you really want to quit, to dare to believe that you could actually win this time.
But you’re a girl who now knows the power within you to do things that are not normal! The power has always been there, now you’re using it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
We are here to fall in love with a Holy God. That is the purpose of our lives. To grow closer to him, to know him, to discover his good plans for us, and to walk in his ways which lead to a total surrender with radical obedience. As we fall in love with God, we are transformed. Who we are changes. The desires of our heart change. Our true nature as designed by God is revealed, as the layers of who we have become fall away.
You want to know how to get on track with your life and stay on track … it is this … fall completely in love with God. He does the hard work of inner change for you, and then you’re supernaturally empowered to make the physical changes. Yes, the changes you’ve relentlessly tried in your own power to make, and feel powerless to continue. Now, God wants to do his work.
Our God is a gentleman. He is gracious and kind and so very patient with us. He doesn’t come in with a dumptruck of shame and guilt to change our hearts. He shows up with a dumptruck of totally undeserved and unmerited grace and mercy that overwhelms us with acceptance.
Honey, God has always loved you. He’s always wanted you. He’s never once gazed upon you with eyes of conviction. He’s not shaking his head in disapproval over you, he’s extending his hand of invitation to you. He says, “Come on in my girl, let’s heal this.”
Yes, heal you. Heal what has been broken. Heal what is causing this pain in your life. Heal what has created this habit, this distance, this ache. How does God heal you? With his love. His all-covering, 100% sufficient, all-inclusive, love.
Have you ever been to an all-inclusive resort? It’s all included. You pay once, and everything you need and want is covered. Jesus paid for your eternal entrance to God’s all-inclusive resort! Everything is covered for you.
Every past screw up, every current struggle, every doubt, every moment of wavering, every insecurity and every weakness. It’s all covered. That’s the power of God’s love in your life. Have you received it?
I’m discovering receiving this indescribable love of God is really a life-long journey. It’s not a one time realization. It’s every unfolding to reveal more than you could ever imagine, perfectly sized to engulf you in wholeness.
Receiving his love, and falling in love with him, creates a genuine change in your character.
If you were once insecure, God develops confidence. If you were once jealous, God centers you. If you were once co-dependent, God creates a shift. If you were once weak, God strengthens you. If you were only drawn to toxic relationships, God heals you so you’re no longer continually trying to fill that hole. If you were once addicted, God releases that grip on you and forever change your desires.
One of my favorite examples of God’s love in action is the real life, radical healing of addiction in my friend’s husband. He had been addicted to alcohol for over 20 years, and it had successfully destroyed every area of his life. He had tried countless times to overcome his addiction, but each time it would come back with a stronger hold than the last time. But one encounter with the love of God changed him forever.
As he sat in his car outside of the liquor store, preparing to go in and buy his next poisonous fix that would surely create more chaos and damage, he felt the physical hand of God on his shoulder. This was a hand of love. A hand of a father who reached out to his son, with gentleness and life changing power at the same time. A hand that said, “My son, I have better plans for you, and my love can heal you completely.”
That night, for the first time ever, he drove away from the liquor store without alcohol, and his healing began.
It’s been years since this encounter, and this son of God wakes up every day healed from his previous addiction. The desire has been radically lifted only as a result of God’s love.
And honey, that’s what God wants to do for you. He wants to lift any negative desire from your life, and replace it perfectly with his desires. He wants to welcome you to his all-inclusive buffet of life with every beautifully aligned opportunity for living the abundantly full and overflowing life Jesus came to give you.
What do you need lifted? Bring that to God now, and hear him say, “My girl, I have better plans for you, and my love can heal you completely.” Oh how Jesus just wants to heal his girl. He doesn’t want you struggling your way through one more day and one more failed attempt. He wants to bring you to his all-inclusive resort of abundance and reveal to you a freedom of life you have never experienced before.
God is bold and adamant that he changes lives. He dives head first into the impossible with his love, and changes the trajectory of a life with a single touch. And if God can do it for one, he can do it for you. If he did it for my friend’s husband, he can do it for yours. If he did it for my child, he can do it for yours. Any addiction, any hurt, any habit, any regret, any guilt, any shame, any darkness, any affliction, any wound … HE CAN DO IT AND HE WANTS TO DO IT!
We can’t do this on our own. The love of God is what transforms our heats and minds, shifting our desires from within. Every day of our life, we are walking in an ongoing work, molding us into the image of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come.”
This is the new you, empowered by Jesus, with a total freedom from every temptation the enemy has used against you in the past. This new you has different desires, desires that align with an overflowing life of God’s goodness. This new you is healed fully, and walking in complete restoration. Every day is the next step in that journey. There’s not a single part of the old you that gets to hold you back. That’s gone.
Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.”
Yes, that’s a new way of looking at life and responding to life. A new way of waking up. A new way of being. This is what God has for you.
So, now, our job is to open ourselves up to fall more in love with God, and in the process, be transformed and healed. Be restored and renewed. Be changed in all the ways we could never change ourselves. Begin that journey of love today. Jesus declared you’re worth it.
Don’t be surprised if on this beautiful journey, you start feeling different about things and you start being pulled away from what was once just normal for you. That’s God’s transforming work. Let him work. Follow his guide. Belly up to the buffet of goodness he has prepared for you, in a life more open and expansive than you ever imagined.
Let your healing begin here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As you await that big thing in your life to happen, are you missing the million little priceless moments happening now? Have you become generally unimpressed with the sheer miracle of your life, with glazed over eyes, a distracted mind, and a disconnected spirit?
The truth is, most of us have.
We don’t mean to, it just happens. We wait for big vacations to wake us up with an impressive show, then we return to our ordinary, unimpressed state of living, awaiting the next big thing to eventually come along. But honey, if vacation is 1 week out of the year, what about the other 51? The weekend is only 29% of your life, the overwhelming majority of sunrises are on work and school days with early alarms, tasks you don’t want to do, and the same dang messes over and over again.
Oh, Father, wake us up … we don’t want to waste this life and miss our million little moments in the process. We don’t want to live for the weekend and dread the rest. We don’t want to be unimpressed with your works all around us, awaiting something bigger and grander.
Over the weekend, I watched one of my favorite movies, “50 First Dates.” I mean seriously, doesn’t every girl love this movie? I was especially interested since it was filmed on Oahu where I will call home for the next month. You likely know the story, Lucy, played by Drew Berrymore suffered a brain injury which causes her to lose every memory of the day just lived when she goes to sleep. She wakes up every morning believing it is Sunday, October 13th of the same year, and life is exactly as it was before her accident. Adam Sandler plays Henry, a goofy guy who tries to get Lucy to fall in love with him for the first time all over again every day. Watching it this time, the final 2 minutes of the movie just took my breath away and I saw something I had never really seen before.
Lucy wakes up, as usual, not remembering a single day since her accident, although over 5 years have passed. She watches a video detailing the unfolding events she would not remember. And every single thing about her world is a wonder land. She is amazed by every detail. It’s all new. It’s all beautiful. It’s all a blessing. Henry greets her on the deck of their sail boat, and he says, “Would you like to meet your daughter?”
And in this beautiful moment, Lucy looks at her little girl, as if for the very first time, and hugs her so tight. She’s overwhelmed with gratitude for the reality of her life. She’s not unimpressed. She’s not bored. She’s not dreading another ordinary day. Her eyes are wide open in wonder and awe, and she’s fully ALIVE.
And this is what God wishes for us. For us to be fully alive to the wonder of our lives. For us to be overwhelmingly impressed instead of overwhelmingly stressed. For us to keep our blessings in their rightful place as blessings and not allow them to fall in the gutters of burden.
But dang, Sis, are you in the gutter? God wants to help you get out!
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6: 11-13 MSG “I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively.”
You and I are blessed with the memory of the days that brought us to today, so we wake up aware of where we are, what we have, and what is happening. Or so we think ….
Actually, I think we are so numb to the rhythm of life, a Monday that always follows the weekend, Spring eventually always following the Winter, eyes that always open and see, lungs that breathe without a second thought, lights that come on with the flip of a switch, cars that start the very first time, and continual messes and stresses always creating something to worry about. And here we are so dang numb, turning our blessings into burdens, and miracles into unimpressive afterthoughts, and we don’t remember at all!
We don’t remember who we really are. We don’t remember all God has miraculously brought us through to get us to here. We don’t remember all we have in this very moment. We don’t remember how wildly rich and ridiculously blessed we really are. We’ve once again forgotten all that is good, all that is right, all that is happening that we once thought would never happen, all that has come together in the past, and all that is here to bless our stinkin’ socks off today, and we’re living this great big, full life that Jesus died to give us, in a small way.
We’re fenced into routines that are sucking the life out of us; stuck in habits that are stealing precious moments we can never get back, and we wonder why we feel so empty inside. Paul says, “the smallness you feel comes from within you. Your life isn’t small, but you’re living it in a small way. It’s time to open up your life!”
How do you open up your life?
You start by opening up your eyes. God says in Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” It’s not IF God is doing new things in your life, because honey, he is and they are magnificent. it’s a matter of IF you are seeing it. Will you SEE what he has done for you today?
Just like Lucy in “50 First Dates” opens her eyes to the reality of her life and she gasps in awe, and studies the face of her daughter like the very first time, yet she had seen it over a thousand times. We look at our ordinary life like we’ve never seen it before, and we see that it’s actually totally extraordinary! Oh what if we could SEE all that God is doing and perceive it. Wouldn’t life look and feel different?
And I know I’ve said this countless times, and I’m going to say it again for the girls in the back … you can’t afford to wish away these days assuming you will live bigger on the other side of whatever mountain you’re facing. You won’t. There will always be a mountain. There will always be a “next”. But you won’t always have “now”. In fact, you will never have “now” again.
Oh, how your heart would break if you were to play little with your own life and waste the blessing of your “now”, when one day you no longer have that luxury. Oh, how you would regret mindlessly going through the motions in one of these million little moments that is priceless and fleeting, and never, ever going to happen again, only to realize you don’t get it back.
How can we open up our eyes and our lives and live bigger, more intentionally, more aware, and more in awe of all our Creator has given us? Let’s pray about that and practice it today.
May you be totally swept away by a million little moments as they unfold right in the middle of your ordinary day.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How To Know It’s God
Very rarely does God bring me back around to the same topic and prompt me to teach on it again, just 2 weeks later. I typically wake up with something new and fresh, but this morning, it was different. This morning, all I can think about are the amount of questions coming in that are still asking, “How do I know God is speaking to me? Why isn’t he telling me what to do?”
I keep redirecting these questions to the podcast from 2 weeks ago titled “Why Isn’t God Talking”, but the questions keep coming in. So today, God is directing me to hit this one again with a few more answers.
If you missed that episode, I highly encourage you to listen, it’s #1321. As a quick recap, we looked at Jesus’ teaching in John 10: 27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Shepherds know and name each of their sheep. They don’t rely on a number tag in their ear, they actually KNOW them because they literally live with them. And a sheep knows the voice of their shepherd over every other voice. Sheep have been tested with the voices of shepherds of other flocks, and they will not respond to any voice other than their own shepherd.
So, when Jesus says we are his sheep, and we listen to his voice and follow him, he means we have the ability to know the promptings of his spirit over the promptings of any other spirit. When we have remained close to him, we have learned his unmistakacsble voice and there is no confusion.
However, if we have stopped spending time with him and we have strayed a bit, we may be confused on his voice. He may be calling us, and we may not be recognizing his call. The solution is to get reconnected to him. Spend time with him. Quality time, not check the box time. Grow in relationship with Christ, not in religion. There’s a difference.
But God has brought me back to this lesson again and revealed to me why I myself have at times failed to recognize his voice, and why others may be struggling with the same. Here it is … we stopped responding.
If you didn’t respond the last time you felt God prompt you with something specific, then the next time you were less sure it was him. With each delay and resistance, we become less and less connected, and more and more uncertain of the voice of our shepherd.
It’s like my dog, Tank. If he is hot on the scent of some new, exciting dog from Tennessee he has never smelled before, and he doesn’t listen to my promptings the first time, he’s less likely to listen the second time. The more he doesn’t respond to me, the harder it is to get him to respond. The further he wanders, the less he hears me.
And it’s the same with us. When we stop responding to the promptings of God’s spirit, we become less likely to hear him or obey him next time. We go deeper and deeper into lost woods and then wonder why God’s not talking to us anymore.
So, what can we do? We can start responding again! Yip, it really could be that simple, Sis.
The very next time you feel that little stir to make that phone call, start that conversation, offer that help, take that leap, make that move, knock on that door, and give it a try, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
It’s so easy to discount every past nudge of the Holy Spirit when you didn’t respond. It’s easy to assume that was just your wild imagination telling you crazy things. But what if it wasn’t? Really, what if the last prompting you dismissed was God calling you to something you’ve been wanting for a really long darn time? What if it was a divine alignment for you to step into a partnership with God Almighty to be part of bigger things than your mind can fathom?!!! You can’t keep dismissing this, Sis! You can’t keep feeling that nudge, receiving that prompting, and just sit on it.
Do something about it.
I’m not saying to go flying into your bosses office and quit your job by noon because you felt like you would rather be at home today. I’m not saying to book that dream vacation with reckless abandon and rack up all kinds of debt you can’t pay just because you saw someone’s spring break post with photos of a beach you really want to be on.
Those are impulses. We all feel those too.
As a raging 7 on the ennegram, I excel in impulsiveness. I make decisions in a split second. I conjure up excitement and adventure in every scenario, and always opt for more. My “do something about it” can be unhealthy in a flash, so it has to be qualified. Here are my qualifications:
When I feel a prompting, which is typically just a feeling within your spirit, a thought that pops into your mind when you weren’t really even thinking and it feels different than the rest, then I send that prompting through a quick set of qualifications:
- Pray.
The prayer is simple. “Lord, if you’re in this, I want it. If you’re not, I don’t.” That genuine surrender in prayer can shut down a whole lot of other spirits in an instant. I trust that. Put that prayer in your back pocket and whip it out with every single prompting. - What Would Satan Do?
For real, think about that real quick and you will be amazed by the clarity. Thinking about what Jesus would do can sometimes be overwhelming. But, thinking about what Satan would do can be real clear.
What would Satan do in this situation and how would he want you to respond? He would want you to lick the cheesey powder from your fingers and dive back into the bag of Cheetos, sinking lower into that pit of despair, doing absolutely nothing different than you did yesterday. He would want you to fight and argue, push your point, and be bitter. He would want you to be overwhelmed, be stressed, be agitated, and dwell in it. He would want you to take this out on your family, lash out on the people you love most, hurt others because you’ve been hurt. He would want you to burn bridges, throw away your dreams, and dwell in disappointment. He would want you to shut down. He would want you to sit it out and miss out, then wallow in regret.
Okay, now think through your specific question of prompting and put it through the filter of “What would Satan do?” You feel potentially prompted to get out of the job you hate and start a new career. What would Satan do and what would he want you to do? Wouldn’t he want you to just stay and be miserable? Wouldn’t he want you to make wild rash decisions and create chaos? Wouldn’t he want you to sit there in your questioning and do absolutely nothing? Yip, that’s exactly what he would want you to do. Now, DON’T DO THAT. If that’s what Satan would do, then you know that’s not what you want to do.
Wow, didn’t that just make the argument you find yourself in a whole lot more simplified? Didn’t that just clear the air and take away the confusion?
- Check God’s Word.
God’s spirit will never prompt you to do something that goes against his word. That feeling of being drawn to another man when you’re married, that goes against God’s word. That can’t be a prompting from God. Is there anything in scripture that would prohibit what you feel? Honey, if it isn’t Biblical, then it’s real simple, that’s not from God. If it doesn’t bring life, if it doesn’t honor God, if it doesn’t show love, if it doesn’t bring healing, if it doesn’t create peace, it’s not from God.
Now, once you’ve prayed, once you’ve checked on what Satan would do, and once you’ve considered God’s word, and that prompting has passed all the tests and it’s still there, then DO SOMETHING.
Little sheep, move toward the shepherd’s voice in faith. The longer you wait, the easier it will be to dismiss that voice. The longer you dismiss that voice, the harder it will be to hear it next time.
Maybe we’ve just gotten out of the habit of actually doing something with the little things God prompts us to do, and maybe God hasn’t prompted us to do anything big in a long time because we haven’t been obedient with the little things in a long time.
So, the very next time you feel that stirring with a thought that doesn’t seem to be your own, and a feeling that tells you you should do something, pray, think about what Satan would do, and check God’s word. Then, do something, girlfriend!
You and I are the recipients of divine counsel every single day. Every day the shepherd calls us. Every day we are invited into opportunities to be part of his miraculous work. Let’s start doing something about it and stop ignoring it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you ever talk yourself out of something that may very well be awesome?
You have an opportunity to go somewhere or do something, but the little voice within pipes up and starts telling you all the reasons why you can’t, so you don’t. You make plans, but you cancel the plans. You have good intentions, but you don’t follow through with the intentions. You say yes, then you regret your yes and decline. You felt that stir in your spirit, but you quieted it the next day.
This is the absolute truth for the majority of us, myself included. It leaves me to wonder how many awesome opportunities we miss out on because our yes turns into no before we even give it a chance.
I host women’s adventure retreats. It happens most every time, a few days or weeks prior to the retreat, a ticket holder will contact me with a request to cancel. The reasons vary, but I know for many, at the root of it is that little voice that tells them this is too scary, too uncomfortable, too much, and they’re looking for the first available reasoning to justify not coming.
Each time this happens, it breaks my heart for them. Why? Because I know that little voice won. Their opportunity was stolen because they talked themselves out of it.
Girls, what if we stopped dismissing ourselves from opportunities to experience more life?
What if we said yes to life, then refused to move from our yes, and force ourselves to show up? What if God could count on us to be ever ready to embrace every opportunity for living he brings our way? Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it’s unsure. Even if we show up shaking in our boots.
I wonder what he could and would do? I wonder how much bigger our lives could be if opportunities were embraced and we had the confidence to keep showing up?
Will you have the confidence to say YES TO LIFE? Or will you excuse yourself again?
Will you buy into the lies of the enemy that tell you you’re not good enough or not strong enough, that you’re too old, too fat, too awkward, and always too busy? How many opportunities have his lies stolen from you and how many more will you allow now?
Jesus says in Matthew 5:37 “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
I believe Jesus is telling us to stop being wishy washy. In one day, and out the next … talking ourselves out of what we said we would do, and into what we said we wouldn’t do. Where does that come from? From the evil one. The evil one is getting in your head and turning your good yeses into settled nos, and your healthy nos into negotiated yeses beyond the boundaries.
Let your yes be yes. Show up. Follow through. Do it.
Let your no be no. You said this won’t happen, then don’t let it happen. You said that was the last time, then hold that boundary.
How does this apply to you this week? Think about that now.
When you say yes to life, life says yes to you. There’s a great big world of opportunity waiting on the other side of your yes. I wonder what your amazing creator has designed for you if you’ll trust him enough to show up for it now?
You must learn to trust there is a future waiting for you that is beyond anything you can grasp at this moment. Today you cannot fathom what your future can be. Your mind cannot comprehend what is truly possible with the spirit of God living in you, guiding you. But oh sweet child, if you will only lean into him, surrender your will fully to his, trust him with your everything, seek him with your all, then you will taste the buffet of life before you.
Do you want that future you cannot imagine over the today you can control? Are you willing to loosen your grip on the reigns so God can take over the direction?
Do you have that level of trust with God? Hey, it’s okay if you’re not there yet. It’s a process and our shepherd is so patient with his wandering sheep to teach us his ways. Certain seasons of life are required for us to truly grasp his sovereign power and divine love over our lives. How can you fully understand his healing touch until you’ve been sick? How can you fully trust his provision until you’ve seen him make a way when there was no other way? How can you fully know his power until he has rescued you? All your days God has simply been proving his love, his power, and his plan for your life to bring you to today where you will trust the future he has available for you. All of this has brought you to a place where you can now say yes.
Today we say “YES, God, I want what you have for me!” We boldly rise up, brush the dirt off our knees and claim what our Father is offering. He is offering life to the full, life in abundance, life bigger than you could have ever imagined before.
Our answer? YES … and thank you!
Thank you for not giving up on me when I was foolish. Thank you for not walking away when I was in my jackwagon years. Thank you for not turning away from me when I turned away from you. Thank you for the potential you’ve placed within me from the beginning, now I’m ready to partner with you God to use it!
I wonder how many opportunity to experience something beautiful were right in front of us, but we dismissed ourselves because it required a step outside of our comfort zone. I wonder how many times we have missed the very opportunity we were seeking because we got knocked down, and failed to realize while we were down, God was up, and he was working. The way was being made for the next time we got up … but we never got back up. So we missed it.
Oh what if we were to be so bold to pray today and ask God for what we missed before. God, will you bring those opportunities back around to us? What part of our future has passed us by because we failed to try … will you bring it back around for us now? Will you give us another chance to make you proud?
I believe his answer is yes.
Why? Because check this out:
Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
His LOVING eye on us. Not a judgmental eye. Not an eye that watches and tallies up our failures. Not an eye that sees every single thing we do wrong and holds it against us. Not an eye that’s already counted us out or given up hope. No … a loving eye. Don’t you know God looks at you with pure and perfect love?
If we can fully grasp that, our world changes. He loves you. He wants nothing more than to guide you to fully step into the good plans he has for your life. He doesn’t want to punish you because you missed it the first time around. He’s not dwelling on the 10 years you wasted being an idiot … he’s dwelling on the time you have left to live up to your potential.
God says he will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. That’s good news, right? Yes, because if we’re being completely honest, we really don’t know what the heck we’re doing here, do we?
Our bright ideas get us in trouble sometimes. Our way often leads us to a dead end. But when we are seeking God, he will instruct us. He will teach us the way we should go.
God, please guide us. Guide us along the paths you have prepared for us. Guide us back to the opportunities we have missed before. Guide us into the future we can’t even begin to imagine at this moment. Keep your loving eye on us.
The New Living Translation of Psalm 32:8 says “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.”
Yes, that’s what we want, we want the BEST pathway for our lives. We’ve been settling for kinda good, or a little good, or just good enough, when God has the BEST available to us. No more settling for good, we want the BEST. We want God’s BEST.
And there’s only one way to discover God’s BEST … a full surrender to him. An all-in life for him. A leaning in to him that says, God if you don’t catch me, I’m face-planting here, but I KNOW you’ve got me, so I lean! I say yes, and I won’t talk myself out of that yes!
His loving eye is on you today. He sees where you are and he knows where you can go, so he’s making a way for the BEST path to get you there. And remember, in order to get on the BEST path, there are often a lot of good paths that don’t work out. Good plans that fall apart. But don’t lose heart. It’s all a part of the BEST plans coming together!
Let your yes be yes, and don’t talk yourself out of it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What’s happening in your life right now seems like one thing, but what if it’s actually something different. This feels like disappointment, but what if it’s simply a divine reappointment? This feels like a mountain you will never climb, but what if it’s the beginning of greater heights than you ever imagined?
Many times in my own life I’ve recognized it’s not what I’m going through that is so bad, it’s my thoughts about it that are bad. It’s my mood, my attitude, my perspective, that changes the emotion of my circumstances. Even the absolute worst days of my life, days of tremendous loss, days of damaging things that can’t be undone and painful words that can’t be unsaid, with time and distance even those days can be found to be part of a bigger, better plan unfolding.
The day I lost my Daddy, it was as if time stood still. I held his hand, knowing soon I would be letting go of that strong hand for the last time. The finality of life was evident, and every passing moment brought us closer to that final breath. But, I was given a gift that day that changed everything. A gift of a different perspective. A gift of a different soundtrack that changed my thoughts, and therefore changed my entire experience.
Daddy was in heart and kidney failure. His entire body was shutting down. It would only be a matter of hours, maybe a day or two at the most, and it would all be over. But for Daddy, he had seen what was awaiting him and he couldn’t wait to go. The veil between heaven and earth had grown very thin and as he lay in bed with his eyes closed, we could overhear his reactions to what he was seeing. He let out a deep belly laugh and said, “Jesus is so funny.” He exclaimed, “everyone is so happy here!” And then, he would open his eyes and be back with us.
With pure calm and peace, he knew it was time, and he shared his love with each of us, said his goodbyes, and gazed at my mama before intentionally closing his eyes. His breathing would slow, growing ever so faint, and finally it would stop. Then, the most amazing thing happened, Daddy opened his eyes with sheer hope, excitement and anticipation, scanning the room. Then he said, “why am I still here?”
He was expecting heaven. He was expecting that first breath in paradise, and instead he was taking his next labored breath in a hospice room.
He was hearing different music than us. Daddy heard music of a journey to paradise and the best day ever. We heard music of loss and grief and the worst day ever. He was expecting the beginning, we were expecting the end.
This process would happen several times on that final day. He would once again be so intentional with his love and his goodbyes, and that final gaze at my Mama by his side, and he would again close his eyes, awaiting the angels to come take him to what he had seen. Back to that funny Jesus where everyone was so happy. His breathing would slow, then it would stop, then his eyes would shoot open again in wild anticipation, followed by the disappointment of still being here on earth.
And this was our gift. The gift that changed our music. Now, each time his eyes closed, we too heard the music of anticipation, praying his eyes would open in paradise this time. Our music of grief was silenced, and the music of promise was all we could hear.
My sisters, what if we just need to change the music? The soundtrack to the unfolding of life. What if this isn’t what you think it is, and what if the emotions you’ve tied to these circumstances and these events have created a soundtrack that has stolen the joy out of the journey and created instead drama, chaos, overwhelm, and dread.
The soundtrack creates a completely different emotion.
Okay, story time ….
We spent last night in the most darling tiny house in the pines of Georgia. It is straight out of a magazine with it’s dark woods, royal blue and bright orange. We’ve stayed in several tiny houses on our travels, but this is by far the tiniest of all. The bed is in an overhead loft all of maybe 3 feet tall at it’s peak.
Last night while my husband stayed up working, I climbed the ladder and laid down. Up in the tiny loft, I turned on one of my all time favorite comedies, “Along Came Polly”. I know that movie forwards and backwards. I’ve watched it countless times and I can tell you the next scene before it happens. But this time, the movie was completely different. It felt much more mellow. Much more relaxed. Much more serene. The images on the screen were the same as every time before, but why did I feel completely different this time?
THE SOUNDTRACK. You see, in our tiny space, my husband’s music downstairs was flooding the loft, creating a totally different soundtrack to a familiar movie. And it felt different. His smooth, instrumental music turned my familiar comedy into an unfamiliar experience. And then it hit me, CHANGE THE SOUNDTRACK AND YOU CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE.
Mute a scary movie and guess what you have … a way less scary movie. Turn on happy upbeat music with a scary movie and guess what you have … a totally different experience that makes you question why that movie was ever considered scary in the first place.
The sounds you’re hearing may not be what you think they are. You’ve been fooled into believing one thing when something totally different is actually happening. There’s a documentary on Amazon Prime called “Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound.” Totally mind blowing how sound effects the entire experience of the movie. And, behind the scenes, you get to see the unique and creative ways sound is created to make you think one thing, but it’s something totally different actually happening. Did you know the sound of the jets in Top Gun is actually slowed down clips of lions roaring in the wild? Did you know the sound of walking on breaking glass was actually made by crunching raw lasagna noodles with a large pinecone? How crazy is that?
But the soundtrack creates the emotion and therefore determines your experience. Good or bad.
And what if God simply wants to offer us a different soundtrack to help us see the movie of our life differently? What if we’ve been listening to freak out music creating panic and frustration, when the same circumstances with different music could reveal the unfolding of greater things than we ever imagined.
The music playing in my Daddy’s head on that final day was hopeful and promising, even exciting. When we changed our music to match his, we experienced something radically different.
God sees what we do not see. He knows the next scene in this movie and the final chapter in this book. Have you ever thought about asking him to choose the soundtrack as well? You’ve been setting the mood with your own music creating an emotion you may not even want, and what if it’s as simple as asking God for a different soundtrack to your life?
This is what Paul experienced in his life. His soundtrack was changed by God. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” That’s as simple as different music to the same story. Paul was still weak, he was still struggling, but his attention was on Christ’s power that would be in him through that weakness. That’s a radically different emotion created by a shift in soundtrack.
What was the old soundtrack? It was likely dramatic and sorrowful. It was filled with lyrics of, “I’m such a screw up. My life sucks. Nothing ever works out for me. Why can’t this just be easier?” But when Paul switched to music with the lyrcis of “Christ’s power is in me and he is making me perfect even in this struggle”, life started feeling different. And when life started feeling different, Paul started showing up different, and guess what … life was different.
Where did it all begin? The lryics to the background music! The soundtrack! What he believed and what he told himself.
Sis, turn off the dramatic, overwhelmed, frustrated, hopeless music to your life. That’s not your story. You are a girl created for a purpose, set apart as chosen, perfectly equipped by the power of Christ, and here for a time such as this. Que the powerhouse music of a girl on a mission!
Romans 5: 3-5 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”
That’s a different soundtrack to problems and trials. That’s music that says this isn’t against me, this is working for me. This is creating something great in my life. And doesn’t that perspective totally change how we feel about what we’re going through?
Romans 12:2 “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Who wrote these scriptures? The same guy who wrote about God’s power that is made perfect in his weakness. Paul. Paul was a man who knew about the transforming power of seeing things from a different perspective. The soundtrack to his life had been changed. He was no longer listening to angry battle music on a rage to kill all followers of Christ, because remember, that’s who he used to be. With a different soundtrack of changed thoughts and a totally different mood, Paul was moved by the rhythm of a greater purpose and unfolding promise.
No matter what you’re going through right now, God has seen through this and beyond it. He still has good plans. He has promised to use even this for something good. That may not make sense right now in the middle of what you’re going through, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
So, what music will you choose to listen to? Will you choose a rhythm of a greater purpose and unfolding promise through this? Will you choose the energy of hope over darkness? Will you choose the beat of eternity over the hard hits of today?
Change the music you’re playing with this season of your life. It doesn’t have to be doom and gloom. It doesn’t have to be intense and volatile. It can be peaceful. It can be hopeful. It can be filled with grace and mercy and a future more beautiful than anything you could possibly imagine.
Same scenes. Same circumstances. Different soundtrack, totally different experience.
God, transform our soundtrack. Fill us with hope. Help us to hear the beat of your promise. Move us with the rhythm of your good plans.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If you were to watch yourself from a distance, what would you see? If the thoughts inside your head were no longer the driving factor, no longer justifying your every move, or layering your actions with emotion, and you could see yourself from a 6 foot distance living your life, what would you see? Would you be proud of what you saw?
Imagine a reality show made on your life. A film crew that followed you through your ordinary days and caught everything. Then imagine they didn’t edit it in any way, and just let it play. Imagine sitting and watching that. Would you like you?
For most of us, we cringe over the sound of our own voice in a recording. We don’t like the way we sound, and I bet it runs deeper than that. If we could really see ourselves, would we like how we’re living and who we’re living as?
My husband and I used to watch a Netflix documentary type show called Last Chance University. The show follows troubled college football players who have lost their position at a division one school, and are now playing for a community college as their last chance at redemption. These are super talented athletes who have gotten on the wrong path in life, now fighting their way back for another opportunity to play.
At the beginning of the 2nd season, the head coach was interviewed about the first season of the show. He said he watched himself on TV and he didn’t like who he saw. He wasn’t proud of how he talked. He was embarrassed by who he had shown up as, and the cameras had caught it all.
So he came back for another season as his own act of redemption. He wanted to be someone different this time, someone better. Now when he curses at his players, he makes himself drop and do 5 pushups.
There was a time when I too saw who I had become and I didn’t like what I saw. So, I set out on changing it. Changing how I lived to be more in alignment with who God created me to be.
I began my journey to intentionally becoming more of who I am created to be about 15 years ago. I met my mentor and he challenged me to read the right books and be proactive in my own life.
One book in particular changed me. It’s one of the only book I have kept through all of our moves and travels. The book is “Be Who You Want and Have What You Want” by Chris Prentiss. Now, let me be honest, I don’t agree with everything in this book. It’s more “universe” centered than God centered, however I’ve learned I can appreciate what there is to learn and let the rest fade to gray.
At the end of each chapter in the book, there was a challenge to implement the teachings. I like challenges. I’m a doer. Theories and ideas do not impact me, I need to experience it to understand it. If you’re the same, this is a game changing challenge.
Here’s the challenge that truly changed my life: Throughout this day, see yourself from a distance. Observe yourself as you go through your day, without excuses or justifications, no backstories or motives, just watch.
Easy enough. So, after reading the chapter, I took on that challenge for the day. I couldn’t believe what I saw.
I saw a mother of 3 elementary aged children who was too busy to stop and listen.
I saw a wife who was rushed and generally self-centered on what she had to do without concern of what her husband had on his plate.
I heard myself. Oh gosh, I heard myself. I was a nagging, critical, negative, demanding drill sargent at home, and sweet as honey to complete strangers in public. Why? Because I was more concerned with what others thought of me than what my family received from me.
Much like the coach of Last Chance University seeing himself in season 1 and wanting to change it, I saw myself fully for the first time and I wanted another chance to be someone different. This is not who I was created to be.
What would you see, my sister? If you observed your every action and heard your every word from an outsider’s perspective, would it align with who you want to be and how you want to live?
We’re not bad people … we’re drifting people. We got a little off course somewhere along the way and without recognizing it and correcting it, we’ve drifted way off course totally living out of alignment with who God created us to be.
Anytime you’re living out of alignment with who God designed you to be, it doesn’t feel good. And guess what, it’s not supposed to feel good. You’re not supposed to pop a pill just to make that feeling go away, you’re supposed to obey the warning signs and change something.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:4 “See that no one leads you astray.”
Have we been led astray? And, have we been doing the leading? Have we led ourselves down this path of living below our potential and becoming a lesser than version of who we could be?
The answer for many of us, including myself, is yes. Yes, I’ve been led astray, I’m off course, I’m not who I could be, who I want to be fully, and I’ve been the one doing the leading.
Jesus said see that NO ONE leads you astray, no one including ourselves. Stand in front of that mirror and look yourself in the eyes … hey you … you’re not leading me astray anymore. You’re ruining my life and that stops now!
We wonder why we don’t feel good, why we lack energy, why we’re generally dissatisfied with life … We’re not living it as we’re intended to. Of course we wouldn’t like watching ourselves from a distance.
But here’s the thing, God still knows what he put inside of you. He is fully aware of the potential he placed within you. He still sees in full color the life he had in mind when he created you, AND HE KNOWS THE WAY BACK!!!!!! The way back is just a little correction, and that little correction will change the direction of your boat and eventually get you back on course.
You may be mad at your husband. And your anger may be 100% justified. Oh, he deserves your cold shoulder. He earned your rolled eyes and head shake with his epic show of jackwagon-ery. BUT TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF HONEY, DOES THAT LOOK GOOD ON YOU? He may deserve it, but is that who you want to be?
Your kids may be wild little banshees with messy bedrooms and foul attitudes. Okay, been there, I remember that season. The season where everything is a fight. It’s a fight to get them to eat their dinner, a fight to get them to brush their teeth, a fight to get them to go to bed at night, then a fight to get them to wake up in the morning. I remember full on meltdowns over ponytails that weren’t high enough and jeans that were too short overnight.
And I remember the day of that challenge and I saw myself being inpatient and frustrated. I saw myself yelling as they got out of the car and walked into school. I saw myself distracted and disconnected and oblivious to how unavailable I was.
And I was ashamed.
Now, with all 3 kids grown and gone, do you know what I would give for a school day morning of chaos? Perspective my sister, perspective.
Have we drifted? Have we wandered our way into becoming a second rate version of who we could be, who we were created to be, and who we still can be? The only way we change anything is by first recognizing we want to change.
Today, observe yourself from a distance. Don’t try to be on your best behavior because you know you’re watching, just be aware of how you typically show up for work, how you typically react to traffic, how you treat strangers and how you treat your family. Listen closely to your words and even more importantly your tone.
For one full day, see yourself.
At the end of the day, play it back as if a reality TV crew had caught it all on film. Watch it.
Do you like her? Do you like the way she’s living? If there’s anything that makes you cringe, take that as a que from the Holy Spirit that this is an area that has been led astray and you need to bring it back in!
If there’s anything about who you’re showing up as that you don’t like, remember you are fully empowered to change it.
Titus 2: 11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savoir Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
God is training us to renounce living in ways we can’t be proud of. He’s showing us how to be zealous for good works. And honey, good works aren’t just building orphanages in Haiti. Good works are calming your crazy and showing up with patience in the chaos. Good works are treating your family as good as you would treat a stranger. Good works are speaking in ways we wouldn’t be ashamed of if we were to watch the replay. Good works are doing the right thing even when absolutely no one would know.
May we see what needs to change today, then may we be empowered to change it into a life that we can be proud of, and God can be proud of.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If you’re like me, you feel like God must have lowered the bar a little to accept you with all your flaws. Like he must be bending some sort of rule to give you another chance when you weren’t faithful with the last one he offered. Like God must tolerate you, but he doesn’t really adore you. Like he’s going to let you in, but you wouldn’t be his first choice. Like you will only ever qualify for the cheap seats because something within you just isn’t quite good enough.
So, you and I walk around in this one life we have been given, playing a little less-than. Assuming last pick. You know, last pick like in gym class. I can still feel all the emotion wrapped up in hearing our Junior High PE Coach say, “Chrystal and Heather will be team captains and each choose their teams.” Chrystal chose all the popular girls first for her team. Heather chose all the athletes first for her team. And that left the rest of us, including me … the undesirable dead-weight that would surely pull the team down. Neither team wanted us, we were only chosen out of obligation.
Is that kind of what it feels like to be chosen by God? Like he had to, but you certainly weren’t his first choice. He would have preferred someone better. He would have opted for the girl without your past, without your problems, without your baggage … but you’re all that was left.
Well girlfriend, God wants you to check the source of those assumptions that have created these feelings. Did God ever say you were a burden? Did God ever say he will accept you but doesn’t really want you? Did God ever imply you were only chosen because you were all that was left?
You know that voice well. The one that says God will never forgive you. The one that says God will never be pleased with you. The one that says God will never use you for great things. Yeah, let me tell you who’s talking there … the one who got kicked out of heaven. Yes, the one who was ban from God’s glory is now down in the pits of hell trying to pull you down too. He hates to see you win. He hates to see you happy. He hates to see you confident. And he really, really, especially hates to see you praise God, because that was his job.
Did you know God created angels with specific roles?
The angel Gabriel is God’s messenger. When Mary needed to hear of this baby she would carry in her womb, God sent Gabriel with the message. When David prayed for clarity on how to proceed in battle, God sent Gabriel with a message. Gabriel is God’s messenger.
The angel Michael is God’s warrior. When there is a battle, God sends the head archangel Michael who brings victory. Michael is God’s warrior.
And then there was the angel Lucifer. He was the most beautiful of all with the assignment of leading worship. Lucifer grew jealous of God and the continual praise which he was to lead, and rose up to lead a revolt against God, persuading 1/3 of the angels to join him. And this got him fired from his position as worship leader and kicked out of heaven!
This is what God says of Lucifer. Ezekiel 28: 12-19:
“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.”
Banished from the heavenlies in disgrace. Now, he wants to poke at you! He wants to scream from the pits and disrupt your game. He wants to convince you of your unworthiness, but he is the one who has been declared unworthy, not you. He’s just throwing rocks because it’s all he has to hurt you.
But, he has hurt you, hasn’t he? You’ve believed his lies, haven’t you? You’ve believed that others are better than you. You’ve believed that you could never be chosen first for something great. You’ve believed that God couldn’t possibly totally adore you exactly as you are and be 100% for you.
And what does all of this cause you to do?
It causes you to shrink back and not sing your song. It causes you to play little and not reveal the full glory of what God has done for you. It causes you to tuck away your praise in an attempt to not draw attention to yourself because the last thing you need is someone watching when you know you very well might screw up again. Let someone else praise God and give him glory, you’re not good enough for that.
And THAT was exactly what Satan, the angel formerly known as Lucifer, the angel assigned to lead worship, most wants. He wants to shut you down from living big and praising God, because honey, that was his job! It was his job to praise. It was his job to worship. It was his job to show up in beautiful splendor and honor God. AND HE GOT FIRED!
The one thing he most wants to keep you from doing is the job he was specifically created for.
So how about the next time he pipes up from the pits of hell and tries to tell you you’re not worthy or good enough, and God couldn’t possibly want you or use you, you remind him HE WAS KICKED OUT OF HEAVEN AND YOU’RE NOW SINGING THE PRAISES OF GOD HE GOT FIRED FROM!
God fired the angel Lucifer, and honey, he hired you! He has chosen you to reveal his splendor and glory. He has chosen you to sing his praises and worship him. He has chosen you to work in and reveal his power through.
1 Peter 2: 9-10 MSG “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
You have been chosen for the team, Sis. Hand selected because God wanted you. Your job is to be his instrument. To speak out for him and tell everyone of what a difference he has made in your life. To share of what he has done for you. This is praise. The praise Lucifer was fired from doing and you have been chosen for.
Does God expect you to be perfect first? Does he expect you to clean yourself up and know exactly what you are doing? Nope, that’s what he does. God’s work is perfect. God cleans us up, makes sense out of nonsense, and uses all things together for good. If we focus on praising him and telling of all he has done for us, he does the transformational work in our lives.
So, to that little voice that says, “God can never forgive you. God never wanted you. God could never use you.” We say, “Hey Satan, you got kicked out of Heaven, I’m praising God now! I’m in, you’re out, and I don’t listen to you anymore.”
Shut down the pokes from hell, and praise God for all he has done for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How do you stop worrying? I mean really, you’ve got a mess on your hands and you can’t just turn off your thoughts about it. Is it even realistic to think you could ever not worry?
I assure you, it is.
In fact, when has worrying ever been successful for you personally? Really, has worry ever made a single situation in your life better? Has worry ever solved a problem for you? Have you ever walked away from a worry fest and thought to yourself, “wow, I feel so much better now that I’ve worried myself sick and considered every possible bad scenario and how painful it would be.”
Never. That has never happened.
Yet, somehow we are tricked into falling into the ghettos of worry all over again. Why is that?
If you had driven down a road before and you knew for certain it didn’t lead to where you wanted to go, why would you keep trying to get there on that road? That would be ludicrous. Here, I’m going to try this road that only goes East and West when I want to go North. I’ve tried this road several times in the past and I know it won’t come anywhere close to taking me where I want to go today, but I’m familiar with this road and the ghettos it takes me through, so I’m choosing it again. And here you are driving through the ghettos again, never getting where you want to be, only to turn around and end up right back where you started only more exhausted and frustrated.
And worry is the equivalent of getting up the next day and taking that same darn wrong road through the ghettos again, never getting where you want to go, with full awareness it can never get you there. That road will never lead anywhere different, so honey, why do you keep choosing it.
Worry does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace. Worrying doesn’t stop the bad stuff from happening, it just stops you from enjoying the good. You know that, but dang how do you stop that? I’m so glad you’re listening today. This is for you!
Worry is a choice. I can choose to worry about it. I can choose to play out horrible scenarios in a flash and my body will literally feel the pain of all I have imagined. Has this been your choice? Worry?
Worry triggers the natural “fight or flight” response in your body. Fight or flight prepares your body to either battle for your life, or run for your life. Your thoughts create physical reactions, whether the imagined scenario is really happening or not. Your brain cannot distinguish between a real threat or an imagined threat created by worry, and it triggers your body to respond the same. The wiring within your brain responds to any perceived threat by kicking on your sympathetic nervous system. Suddenly, you breathe different and a rapid release of hormones is released into your bloodstream.
Your heart races. Not because you’re physically swimming away from a shark, but because you imagined a shark. Your thoughts send stress signals to your brain, which then triggers your adrenal glands to produce adrenaline and cortisol. In a real life scenario, this would help you swim away from that shark with supernatural speed, but because there isn’t actually a shark and you’re not even freaking in the water, you have a racing heart that is simply exhausting you. These stress hormones keep you in a constant state of high alert and anxiety because it would be important to know the shark is circling. BUT THERE IS NO SHARK and you’re exhausted all because you were worrying about it.
You feel worn out? Yip, that’s what worry does. And now, where’s your energy to actually do anything about getting back in the boat and heading to shore? You have none, because you’ve been freaking out over sharks.
All of these stress hormones released by worry keep you from sleeping good, they create tense and achy muscles, one really volatile stomach with the potential to ruin any happy moment with a single gurgle, and a body that is constantly getting sick because your immune system is exhausted from the continual “fight or flight” response your worry has created.
Any of this sound familiar, Sis?
Please understand, this is not God’s good plan for your life. It is not his will that you would be consumed with worry over sharks when you are landlocked in the midwest. I know that sounds extreme, but isn’t that what we do when we sit and worry about things we can’t control, things that may not even be happening, things that are most of the time simply imagined scenarios in our head that never even unfold.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been walking through the shark infested waters of a life threatening condition in the life of someone I care about. I’ve never met them in person, but there’s a precious woman named Aime who was once a podcast listener, now I have the honor of mentoring her. She reached out to me and asked for prayers for her husband Robbie, who was very sick and awaiting a life saving kidney transplant.
Every day I’ve prayed over Amie and Robbie as they waited. Not one time was Amie stressed or overwhelmed. Every single time, without fail, she shared with me the absolute peace they were dwelling in. They fully trusted God was in every detail and they were taken care of.
On Monday morning at 3 am, I received a text from Amie that a kidney match was made and Robbie would be getting his kidney that day. I began receiving selfies of the two of them in the hospital smiling and joking, with nothing but joy and excitement when the offering of worry and fear was clearly on the table. But worry wouldn’t take them where they wanted to go. Worry would create stress in Robbie’s body that would physically hinder every ounce of good a new kidney could offer.
I’m overwhelmingly happy to report Robbie miraculously went home yesterday with a fully functioning kidney, and a mind that is still not worried.
This offering is here for us too! Every single one of us, regardless of circumstances, can choose peace over worry. We can choose a different road that doesn’t take us through the ghettos again. We can choose to stop the circling sharks in our head. And God’s word beautifully tells us how.
Philippians 4: 6-7 MSG “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying (so this is the offering of a different road, an intentional exchange), pray. (Yes, you can pray instead of worrying. The next verse tells us how to pray instead of worry.) Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. (A petition is a formal request. Lord, I am asking you for this. I am appealing to you asking for your power to be allotted in this specific direction. And not only that, I am praising you, meaning I am focusing on all you have done and all you can do. I’m thanking you. I’m dwelling in gratitude, focused on you God. I’m taking all my concerns and I’m laying them at your feet. Doing this creates a radically different response within your body. You physically feel the difference. And here’s how the next verse explains it. “Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Did you know Jesus wants to displace worry from the center of your life? He wants to change how you process your negative circumstances. He wants to give you a sense of wholeness instead of a sense of lack. He wants to show you how everything is coming together for good, and let it settle you down so you can sleep again, so you can wear white with confidence again, so you won’t be an edgy hag, so you won’t constantly be getting sick, so you won’t feel so overwhelmed and exhausted and on edge.
He has that power and he wants to unleash it in your life. And he will, if you do your part. Your part is simply allowing your petitions and your praises to shape your worries into prayers. Not into venting. Not into fretting. Not into excessive planning. Not into overthinking. Not into depression. No, God wants to shape your worries into prayers. And those prayers create this sense of God’s wholeness and you then settle down.
You can experience this wonderful awareness of Jesus taking care of every detail. It’s possible, regardless of what has been worrying you and how long you have been worrying about it.
God wants to take you off the road of worry and get you out of the ghettos of anxiety. That’s no place for his treasured girl.
Talk to him about your concerns. Let that conversation shape your worries into prayers. Then comes that peace like Amie and Robbie had in the middle of total crisis and life altering dangerous scenarios, that just settles you down and takes worry out of the center of your life. Just as your body physically responds to worry, your body also physically responds to peace.
Ahhhhh, settle down, girl. Talk to Jesus about this.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What would you do if you really believed God was in it with you? What would you do if you knew for certain God was 100% for you? What would you do if you were totally confident it would work?
These are questions that have been stirring within me since hearing Steven Furtick’s sermon this past Sunday titled “Focus Your Faith”. Now I pass the big wooden spoon to you for a bit of stirring.
Past disappointments have limited big dreams. Future worries have hampered today’s potential. Misunderstood denials convinced you you’re not good enough and your dreams need to settle down and be quiet in the back seat. But honey, those denials were not a slammed door in your face of opportunities not available to you, those denials were sweet protection from things you just weren’t quite ready for yet. It didn’t mean never try again, it meant you’re still growing and your time isn’t here quite yet. It meant do what you can with where you are, and let God grow more within you.
But did the last denial bring you to a place of growth, or did it bring you to a place of giving up? Did that disappointment completely derail you, or did it send you on down the tracks to discover what was waiting next for you? My sister, we’ve got to stop limiting the dreams our creator has put within us. We’ve got to stop derailing this train in the bends, and stay on track knowing God is leading us somewhere good. And we have to recognize what we can do with where we are and what we already have, and actually start doing it.
We all imagine what we would do if we had unlimited resources. Oh, wouldn’t we be generous? Wouldn’t we be bold? Wouldn’t we plow through those roadblocks and make radical impact? It’s the billionaire version of our lives. What we think we would do.
Twenty years ago, one of my early mentors, Jim Rohn, taught me, “More money will only make you more of what you already are.” If you’re already stressed, more money makes you more stressed. If you’re already overwhelmed, more money will make you even more overwhelmed. If you’re already spending more than you have, more money will make you spend even more money than you have. If you’re already generous, more money will make you more generous.
And I’ve found this to be absolutely true. Who you are is not changed by what you have, it is multiplied. I know that sounds bizarre, but take a look at it in your own life. Isn’t it true? Remember when you made a whole lot less than you do right now, now you make so much more and have so much more, yet you still think even more is the answer. Somehow more will solve your problems. Nope, more will only promote more of what you’re already doing. Already overspending. Already stressing. Already wasting.
So then, let’s not talk about what you would do if you were a billionaire, because you may be delusional in your belief. Instead, let’s talk about what you’re doing right now, where you are with what you have, because this is the greatest indicator of the even bigger things you have the potential of doing.
This sermon I heard used the example of a man who said if he had more money, he would build orphanages. Then he was asked, so what are you doing right now about this dream? If you can’t go build an orphanage, are you sending a $20 donation to one monthly? Are you doing anything now?
You wouldn’t do it at a billionaire level if you won’t do the entry level version of it where you currently are. Stop fooling yourself.
And this goes way beyond money. This is true of every area of our lives. If we allow it here, we will only allow even more of it with future success.
You think if you could hire a personal trainer and a private chef you would be fit and healthy, that’s billionaire level. Where you currently are is a girl with access to literally thousands of free workout videos on YouTube and every healthy recipe you can imagine a few clicks away on the google. But what …. you’re not doing it? Oh Sis, we all start at the entry level and prove our faithfulness right here. If you won’t do it here, don’t be fooled into believing you would do it “there”.
It’s a nasty little trick of the devil to fool us into believing we need more before we begin to follow the promptings of God for our lives. It’s a whispered lie from the pits of hell that convince us we can’t do anything here until we have more to work with. So, we’re sidelined, our dreams are held hostage in the backseat, and all our God given potential is rotting as we are content believing one day we will do something different when circumstances change.
You know when circumstances change? WHEN WE CHANGE!
When you change how you show up, when you change what you allow and don’t allow in your life, when you change how you spend your time, your energy and your money, things start changing!
Lord, where have I been fooled into believing I need more before anything changes? Where have I been tricked into sitting on the sidelines waiting for something you’ve already given me the start of? Awaken me, O Lord. I want to do better!
Back to the original questions, what would you do if you really believed God was in it with you? What would you do if you knew for certain God was 100% for you? What would you do if you were totally confident it would work? And one more important question, what would you do if you knew today’s radical act of obedience is the seed for every big thing God wants to grow in your life?
D.L. Moody said, “If God is your partner, make your plans BIG.”
And I would like to add to that. Here’s a quote from P.D. Crim (that’s me), “Every BIG plan starts on ground level.”
People who build orphanages are the same people who would faithfully offer a minimal monthly support when they had little. They are the same people that would open their small home to those in need and gladly throw mattresses on every open floor space. They are the same people that would pray over a family in need and dare to see how they could help.
They become more of who they already are.
You become more of who you already are. God will not be fooled. If you want to open the storehouses of heaven in your life, start being ridiculously generous and insanely faithful with all you have now.
You wouldn’t give someone a car, if you wouldn’t give someone a ride today.
You wouldn’t follow the healthy meal plan of a private chef, if you wouldn’t refuse the doughnut today.
You wouldn’t spend more than you make then, if you won’t stop ordering from Amazon today.
You wouldn’t spend more time with God if you could quit your job, if you won’t talk to him today on your drive to work.
You wouldn’t draw the line on that toxic relationship in a more stable future, if you won’t draw a line today in uncertainty.
Your attitude and actions today prove what you would do.
Girls, we need to go to work on our here and now. This is our future harvest!
Jesus said in Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
You may not have a whole lot today, and there may not be a whole lot you can do within your circumstances, but what you do here determines your future allotment. Can you be the girl who could be trusted with abundantly more of anything, or would you be the girl who would be overwhelmed, stressed, and totally missing the point?
Here’s the thing, GOD IS FOR YOU. 100% for you. He knows what he put within you when he created you, and he knows it perfectly aligns with the good plans he designed for your life. He has always been leaning over the rails of Heaven rooting for you. There’s no one that wants you to get it right and move forward more than God. He wants it for you even more than you want it for you. He’s willing to move Heaven and Earth for you. He’s willing to part seas and break chains for you.
He is your partner, you should be dreaming BIG! You should be believing it’s all totally possible. But the truth is, you can’t fool yourself either. You know if you can be trusted. You know if you’re really faithful with what you already have. You know if you’re really doing all you can now in this job you hate, in the home you have outgrown, in the body you don’t want to look at in the mirror, in the relationship that has fallen apart. I can’t tell you what to do, but you know if you’re doing it.
If you can’t trust yourself to do what you know you should be doing, then it’s really hard to believe God is for you. God can’t be for our dishonesty with what we already have. So, the solution is, to be faithful here, now.
Do the entry level version of your billionaire dreams.
God is your partner, and he is FOR YOU. Dream those big dreams, then plant your seeds, Sis.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As you seek God more in your everyday life, you will begin to hear God more. You will become more and more aware of the promptings of his spirit, which are like little nudges in specific directions. For me, promptings of the spirit aren’t audible words spoken for my ears to hear, but more so a knowing deep within from a thought that completely bypassed my own thought process.
It’s that thought of, “I need to call that person right now”, when I wasn’t even thinking of them. It’s that “hey, slow down right here and look around”, when my schedule really hasn’t allotted that time. It’s my heart beating fast saying, “jump”, when I’m naturally afraid of heights. It’s that little pinging in my gut that says, “this isn’t right”, when I want to ignore it and keep going. It’s a seemingly random vision when you weren’t even looking. It’s an old dream within your soul that gets revived again.
This is hearing God. This is being prompted by his Spirit.
Yes, it’s simple. Simple to hear and simple to ignore. Simple to follow and simple to dismiss.
But God is asking us to listen. He’s asking us to start responding. He’s asking us to bypass our thought process and allow him to hijack the communication between our head, our heart, and our feet. In two words, God is asking us for this: RADICAL OBEDIENCE.
Radical obedience is a willingness to go when you don’t know exactly where. A willingness to move into action when it doesn’t make sense. A willingness to trust the one who makes all things possible is speaking to you, and you respond with a YES.
What? You didn’t think he could speak to you? You thought he could part seas, but he couldn’t talk directly to you? You thought he could move mountains, but he couldn’t drop divine thoughts into your mind? You thought he could wipe out entire armies and clear battlefields, but you didn’t think he could possibly nudge you in the right direction?
Your radical obedience is a willing next step in response to God’s prompting without justification or understanding. It’s a total surrender of details for a shot at doing anything and everything the Almighty might ask of you. It’s bypassing what your human mind can understand and stepping into the Spirit world where nothing is impossible, and saying “God, I don’t understand, but I’m in!”
Yes, I will call that person right now. Yes, I will stay in the awkward silence and not run from it. Yes, I will turn that off right now. Yes, I will open that book and start reading right where you guide my finger. Yes, I will press play and listen. Yes, I will give. Yes, I will change that. Yes, I will dedicate this time to you. Yes, I will hit my knees. Yes, I will pray boldly over this.
And here’s what I’ve found in my short time of practicing this radical obedience. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you know immediately that’s exactly what you were supposed to do. It’s absolutely divine that God led you to hear that song, read those words, talk to that person, or walk through those doors, and you know it! I love those times. Immediate confirmation of your radical obedience. Uhmmmm, yes please.
But let’s talk about the other times. The times when you call because you feel prompted, then you feel like an idiot. The times when you boldly pray because you felt stirred, and the miracle you’re seeking is denied. The times when you step out with all the faith in the world, and that door is slammed in your face. You see, sometimes radical obedience works … and other times, it still works!
It never DOESN’T WORK.
Sometimes it’s immediately confirmed and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes the answer is what you thought, and other times the answer is bigger than your human mind can fathom. The answer may look like a disappointment, but it’s actually just appointed higher than you can see. It’s beyond your reach in eternal workings.
But the truth is, when we step out in radical obedience and we go big with responding to what we believe God is prompting us with, and it appears like it didn’t work, we naturally begin to withdraw. We become more cautious. We’re less willing to step out. We’re more guarded with our big faith and opt for the more certain things. And let me tell you where those certain things take us … they take us to a little life far short of the BIG Life God created us for. We’re playing it safe because our radical obedience didn’t feel rewarded in the past.
Many years ago, my husband and I felt prompted by God to leave our successful business we had built in Dallas, and move to the deserts of El Paso to help start a church. We responded with radical obedience. We went. We went when it didn’t make sense. We went when we didn’t know the details. We went when we felt severely unqualified and unprepared. And we went totally believing God would radically bless our obedience with a supernatural rebuilding of our business and financial success.
Well, that didn’t quite end up working out the way we had imagined. Our radical obedience was met with nothing but struggle and hardship. We were eating shrimp flavored Ramen noodles and calling it our seafood feast. We could only afford to buy 2 school uniform shirts for our little boy, and one got ruined in the first week, so I washed laundry by hand to always keep a clean shirt for him. We did without. We sacrificed. We prayed. And I grew bitter. Bitter that God wouldn’t bless my radical obedience with radical blessings.
Had God not really prompted us to go? Had I misunderstood? Were we wrong in our willingness to follow? No. What I later understood was we moved to start a church that would fail. We moved to rebuild a business we would then walk away from. We moved to the desert to step into a greater plan than we could have ever imagined. This is where we stumbled upon an orphanage in Mexico where our two little girls would be. Here, I met my mentor that changed the trajectory of my life. Here God humbled me to teach me radical obedience is the greatest adventure I will ever experience.
Now there I was being disappointed and bitter because God’s promptings had taken me to a dry wasteland of struggle. There I was buckling down my faith and telling myself I would never respond to this nonsense of God’s spirit again because all it ever brought me was problems. And there was God aligning the greatest blessings for our family in response to our radical obedience that we were totally regretting.
Isn’t that like God?
Here’s the thing about living in radical obedience to an all-knowing, all-powerful God, IT ALWAYS WORKS. It either works in a way you can see immediately, it works in a way you can see later, or it works in a way you will see in eternity. It never fails.
The time you really stepped out in faith, and although you were highly uncomfortable, you responded to that ping in your Spirit and you prayed boldly for someone’s healing … then they died. Did you pray wrong? Did you not pray enough? Were you foolish to pray? Absolutely not. You did what God asked you to do, and it worked. It’s just working in a way you will see later or you will see in eternity instead of immediately.
I recently stepped out in radical obedience and did something totally unlike me. It was a prompting that was almost laughable. A thought that totally bypassed my rational thought process and landed right in my heart, and I was stirred. So without rationalization or understanding, I just did it.
And God is pleased. End of story.
How it works out right now is not my concern. I release the results into the hands of a mighty God who moved me with his. It worked. It totally worked. It worked the moment I responded in obedience.
And it worked for you too. Every single time you have acted in radical obedience to God’s prompting, it has worked.
2 Thessalonians 1: 11-12 “May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him.”
It doesn’t say God will be honored when everything works out perfectly for you. It doesn’t say God will be honored when you are wildly successful. It doesn’t say God will be honored when you were the one who prayed for the miracle and then the miracle happened. It says GOD WILL BE HONORED BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU LIVE. The way he wants you to live is to do the things your faith prompts you to do!
It is your faith in action that honors God, not everything you do being successful immediately. It is your willingness to do the things God prompts you to do that honors him, not the strings you tie to the outcome.
If you went out of faith and it was a mess, God is honored that you went.
If you tried in obedience and you failed, God is honored that you tried.
If you believed with your whole heart and what you believed didn’t happen, God is honored that you believed.
When God prompts, he is honored when you respond in faith and leave the outcome to him.
Remember, sometimes it works. You see immediate confirmation with reasoning.
And sometimes it works, and you feel like a complete idiot in the process because the confirmation is hidden right now.
Other times it works, and every indication says it didn’t, but God holds eternity in his hands and his promptings NEVER fail to fulfill their full purpose.
So here’s to the girls just deciding they will be radically obedient, even when last time it didn’t look like it worked. Even when last time it was slightly embarrassing. Even when last time you walked away a little disappointed. Because this time, you know, it always works!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sin. What is your view of sin? Is it a list of everything you can’t do? A list of restrictions and rules on your life? Honestly, that’s exactly what sin has always been for me. It’s the potential offenses I could be charged with as guilty, creating shame and regret.
But, what if all that is labeled as sin is more beautiful than that? Woah, I bet you’ve never thought of a list of rules and restrictions on your life that would be labeled as sin, as something actually beautiful. But here’s what I’m learning … as I understand more of who God is and his true nature, I’m understanding my twisted view on the life he created for me to live has caused a hesitation in my surrender.
What if God labeled certain things as sin, not to keep us from pleasure and fun, but to keep us from regret, to protect us from harm, to shield us from that which he knew would damage our identity in the future. What if God says “don’t do these things”, and it’s for the beautiful purpose of bringing you to the fullness of his good plans for your life, free from the burdens of paths you would mindlessly wander down otherwise.
Lisa Harper’s podcast “Back Porch Theology” explained sin like this. You would tell your toddler not to ride their tricycle into the road, right? Of course you would? And why would you create this rule for them? Because you love them and you want to keep them safe. You want them to enjoy the pleasure of their tricycle without the dangers of the road.
And God wants us to enjoy the pleasure of this life he has given us without the dangers of the world, so he identified the roads we’re not to go in. Those roads are sin. Not out of punishment, limitation, or restriction, but out of his inherent responsibility as our Father to protect us.
But nobody likes to talk about sin. In over 1300 episodes of this podcast, I don’t believe I ever have. But we’re going there today, and we’re changing our view on what we once just thought were limiting rules and restrictions on our lives of all the fun and exciting things we’re not allowed to do as Christ followers. Boxes we had to check to be good girls and make it to heaven, all while fantasizing about occasionally swerving outside of the box and seeing what happened.
Galatians 5: 19-20 “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.”
God’s word says do not be drunken. Not because he doesn’t want us to have fun, but because he knows the danger of that road. Oh how he wants to protect us from that threat when he has a full life of much more beautiful things for us. It’s not to keep you from enjoying your tricycle, it’s to keep you from being run over on it, Sis.
God’s word says don’t sleep around. Hebrews 13:4 MSG “Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.” Friends with benefits, inappropriate flirting and conversations, shacking up before you’re married. Hey these are not rules and guidelines to restrict you, they are roads that are dangerous for you. Your loving Heavenly Father simply knows the future pain and problems this could cause and he says, “I don’t want you on that road. Keep your tricycle over here, my girl.”
The more we think of sin as the untouchable dangling fruit we never get to taste, the more we want that dang fruit. But Eve, don’t you know God created that rule of not eating from that tree because it would cause you to carry burdens you weren’t designed to carry? Genesis 2: 16-17 “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
God didn’t create man and woman to have this knowledge. They didn’t even know they were naked, and he didn’t want them to know that. He didn’t want us to know shame and guilt. He didn’t want us to carry burdens and worries. It wasn’t his design for us to deal with the things we now deal with. It all came as a result of eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Suddenly they knew they were naked, they felt shame for the first time, and immediately hid. NOT GOD’S BEST FOR THEM.
The rule was you can eat any fruit you want from any tree I’ve created, except for this one. Don’t eat this one. The rule wasn’t created to restrict Adam and Eve. It wasn’t to limit them or keep them from having something delicious in life. God simply didn’t want them to know evil. It was a road he was protecting them from. When they went into that road, they were subjected to the knowledge of evil, the heavy burdens of worry, the feelings of guilt and shame, none of which God wanted for them.
That which God has declared as sin in your life is a beautiful and gracious protection from what he never created you to endure. He doesn’t desire his girls to walk around regretting all that wine they drank. He never wanted you to have to be ashamed of the guys you slept with. He never, ever designed for your life to be plagued with jealousy, envy, or selfishness. It was a road he wanted to protect you from because it was dangerous for you.
If we started seeing God’s design of sin as a beautiful and gracious protection, instead of some restrictive list of all we can’t do, wouldn’t the temptation be removed?
Woah, what if that’s what Jesus meant when he taught us to pray in Matthew 6, and in verse 13 he says, “and lead us not into temptation.” God, don’t let us run this tricycle into the road. Don’t let us twist our perspective on your loving guardrails listed as sin, and turn them into a forbidden list of things we can’t do, but really want to do. It’s that twisted perspective that creates temptation. It’s our warped belief that we can’t do the fun and exciting things because God is a mean old man with a big stick and he created ridiculous rules for us to follow that make our lives boring.
Lord, lead us not into temptation. Don’t let our minds wander into that perversion. You have created these rules as loving guardrails for our protection.
God, in all of his wisdom and knowledge, with a mind that understands what we can never understand, and eyes that have seen what we have not yet seen, knows our little tricycle in that big road won’t be good for us, so he says, “hey, you can ride your tricycle honey, but you can’t ride it there.”
How about instead of us throwing wild fits and insisting on pushing the limits, we accept that God knows what we don’t know and he’s protecting us from a future we would never, ever choose.
You wouldn’t want addiction. You wouldn’t want regret. You wouldn’t want confusion. You wouldn’t want darkness. You wouldn’t want harmful memories. You would want embarrassing shame. You wouldn’t want bad choices you can’t undo. And God never wanted any of that for you either.
That’s why God says, “this is sin.” That’s why Jesus says pray that that you are not lead into temptation. Ask that your mind not be confused, your view not be twisted, and your desire not be set on thinking you want what you can’t have because it will somehow be better than what you can have.
It won’t be better. It will be dangerous. It will create destruction. It will open your life to pain and problems God never intended for you to endure.
What a shift in perspective. Now that I understand what sin is, I see it’s not a restrictive list of all I can’t do in life, it’s a beautiful list of protection from all God wants to spare me from.
And the really great news is, if you’ve barreled your way through a few of those guardrails and been riding your tricycle in dangerous roads, eating the fruit from trees God wanted to protect you from, Jesus can redeem you and restore you fully! That’s who he is and what he does. He’s here offering your tricycle back to ride and enjoy and live fully, but honey, this time, stay out of the road. You are entirely too loved to be subjected to that danger again.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if your happiness in this week has nothing to do with your circumstances, and everything to do with your thoughts in your circumstances?
Just as you can train your body to run a race or compete in a sport, you can train your mind to see the good in everything. Will it be easy? Well, is fitting a 47 year old body into spandex running shorts for the first time in 20 years easy? No, no it isn’t. Is taking old knees out on a field to do new things easy? Nothing easy about that! And so training your mind with it’s old habitual thought patterns to think in new ways will be much the same. It won’t be easy. It won’t feel natural. It may require a ridiculous amount of time and grace, but just as you can whip your body into shape, you can train your mind to do things it’s never done before.
Just how bad do you want to be happy, my sister? How bad do you want to wake up in peace? How bad do you want to feel differently on the inside and have those inside feelings create a ripple effect on the outside?
A few years ago, my family entered into a tough season of trials and turmoil. It turned my whole world upside down. I began to question my value and worth. I struggled to believe God could use me in the middle of such a mess. A little voice inside me said I was disqualified from doing good when things were so bad. That voice told me I wasn’t allowed to be happy. That voice told me I couldn’t be okay until this was all okay again.
But that wasn’t the voice of God talking to me. I checked, and that was my own voice. That was me saying those things, creating those rules, writing that story. God never once demanded my misery. He never once insisted I be unhappy. He never even suggested I lose sleep over the situation.
That was of my own doing. I had allowed my hurt and my fear to write a story of unhappiness until circumstances changed.
Have you done the same? Have you decided it is physically impossible to be happy until this changes? Have you surrendered your ability to feel joy until circumstances are different?
How’s that working out for you? Has anything changed? Has your unhappiness created an expedient change? Has your misery guaranteed a brighter future? Absolutely not. And it won’t.
But there’s something that will. There’s something you can do TODAY that will create change. There’s something you can do today that will create a brighter future. Are you open to the suggestion of trading misery in miserable circumstances for a shot at happiness here?
God and I had a little encounter. An encounter where he didn’t radically come in and fix our family, he didn’t solve the problems or reveal to me any solutions. Instead, he asked me a question. God asked me if I would choose to keep living fully, even while this extremely painful situation wasn’t fixed. Would I still wake up and find beauty? Would I still show up with my best effort? Would I seek happiness in the midst of hardship? Would I choose happiness in the ever present void of harmony within our family?
It was my choice to make, and that choice would determine more than I could possibly imagine.
And, my sister, it’s your choice to make as well. Here, in your circumstances that you so desperately want to change … Here, in the dark valley of these problems you can’t plow your way through … Here, in the harsh realities of messes you can’t clean up … God is asking you, WILL YOU KEEP LIVING FULLY WHILE YOU WAIT.
While you don’t have answers. While you don’t know the timeline. While you can’t see the way. While it still hurts. Will you keep showing up for life with purpose? Will you keep looking for God’s fingerprints on the unfolding details? Will you keep being an available vessel for God’s power to flow through?
WILL YOU REFUSE TO PUT YOUR HAPPINESS ON HOLD FOR THE HEALING? Yes, that is the question. As you wait for the healing in that body, as you wait for the healing in that relationship, as you wait for the healing in your home, as you wait for the supernatural fixing of what has been shattered into pieces, will you intentionally choose to still be happy?
I was recently with a beautiful young bride on her wedding day. She pre-warned me she would be edgy, stressed, and slightly mean on her big, special day. She said, “Afterall, that’s what bride’s do. It’s our day to be Bridezilla.”
It’s totally bizarre to me this has become not only acceptable, but expected. It’s an entitlement to be ridiculous because of stressful circumstances and extreme importance. Who’s enjoying that? ABSOLUTELY NO ONE. Who is this serving? No one. That big, beautiful day is 100% surrendered to a pre-determinted state of craziness that’s completely unnecessary, and everyone suffers.
ARE WE DOING THE SAME THING?
It’s my wedding day, so I’m going to be a wicked witch wearing white.
I’m going through a tough time right now, so I’m going to be stressed.
I’m struggling with some things, so I’m going to wake up in a bad mood.
I’m hurt right now, so I’m going to make some bad choices.
I’m overwhelmed, so my eyebrows are going to naturally be crazy and you’re going to need to stay out of my way.
Pre-determined unnecessary misery that makes hard circumstances that much worse.
When God asked me if I would continue living fully, even while our family hardship was unresolved, I realized I had been carrying the weight of guilt and shame. I didn’t know I had permission to be happy while things were a mess. But I did. I not only had permission, but I had a request by God.
What if God is requesting the same of you today? What if he is saying, “My girl, while this is still unresolved, while it’s still uncertain, while it’s still messy and scary, will you keep living fully? Will you still receive the gifts I have for you? Will you still be faithful with my blessings? Will you not waste what I’m doing for you every day while you wait?”
After I made my commitment to continue living in the midst of the hardship, God asked me if I would still choose happiness for thirty. Yes, thirty. Thirty what? And then he revealed, thirty years. For thirty years, would I release the weight of the wait, and choose happiness.
What God is teaching me is to not put a timeline on his works. To not attach my happiness to a deadline or an expectation. If it takes thirty years for this problem to be resolved, I still choose to be happy every single day. And how will I do that? It has nothing to do with my circumstances, and everything to do with my thoughts in those circumstances.
If this isn’t solved today, will you still choose happiness tomorrow?
If this isn’t better next month, will you still find happiness when you wake up to unchanged circumstances?
If this isn’t how you want it to be in 10 years, will you have sacrificed those 10 years waiting in unhappiness?
2 Corinthians 10:5 “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Make your thoughts obedient to Christ. Obedient thoughts are in alignment with what Christ has offered us. Thoughts that align with the life he came to give you. That life is a big, full life. John 10:10 “I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full.
If Jesus came to give you a full life, and your thoughts must be made obedient to Jesus, then that means we must CHOOSE to live fully even in the midst of hardship. Even in the waiting. Even in the unknowing. Even in the hurt. Even in the mess.
The world may say you have every right to be miserable with what you are going through. But Christ says something different. Christ says I still came to give you life to the full, and I want you to choose it with your thoughts.
How do you honor God in what you’re going through? Choosing to live. Choosing to live fully. Aligning your thoughts to choose happiness for as long as it takes!
How am I so darn happy? Well, honey, it’s not because everything is perfect, it’s simply because I’ve made a commitment and I’ve told my thoughts to get in alignment!
Will you do the same?
If you have a little voice that tells you God can’t use you in the middle of this mess … a little voice that says you’re disqualified from doing good when things are so bad … a little voice that tells you you’re not allowed to be happy right now … a voice that tells you you can’t be okay until this is okay …That’s not God. God hasn’t written your story of unhappiness until things change.
God says Jesus still came to give you life, and life to the full, right in the middle of this. God says you’re responsible for choosing your thoughts, and he is strengthening you today to choose wisely!
Join me in choosing happiness in the wait. This is happiness on hold. I’m no longer putting my happiness on hold while I wait for circumstances to change, I’m choosing happiness and I’m holding on to it while taking my thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ and the full life he came to give me.
Full life NOW, even while waiting.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Maybe you’re seeking God’s direction in something specific right now, but he seems to be silent. Why isn’t he answering you? Why isn’t he making this clear? Why can’t he just tell you what to do next?
It’s like Google maps on your phone withholding the next turn from you, and you’re growing anxious thinking this can’t be the right way. You’re waiting, and waiting, as you keep going and going, but still no voice guiding you with your next turn. So what do you do?
Seriously, what do you do when your GPS stops working on the highway and you have no clue where you’re at or really where you’re going? I’ll tell you what I do. I pull that car over! I find the first available gas station or parking lot, and I whip that car in, I grab my phone, and I seek direction again.
Why? Because I know I’m not getting there on my own. There’s absolutely zero chance I can navigate on my own. I’m fully dependent upon a step by step guide telling me where to turn. I will NOT continue down some unknown road without continual consultation with Google Maps.
So, there’s our answer. What do you do when you’re seeking God’s guidance, but you feel like he’s being silent? What do you do when you know a turn is needed, but you don’t know which turn is the right one? Honey, you pull this thing over and consult the guide! You grab the guide in your hands, you lean in closer, and you ask again!
I’m trying to get to the Target. This is very important. I need more of those fabulous $8 ribbed tanks in all the colors, NOW HOW DO I GET THERE? What do I need to do from where I am to get to where I need to go? When the kind lady in my Google Maps starts talking to me again, then I get back on the highway.
The process of slowing your roll, grabbing the guide in your hands, leaning in closer, and asking again is THE ANSWER!
God is always speaking to us. He is continually guiding and prompting us, we just occasionally lose the connection.
Have you lost the connection? Did you once feel like you were better guided by God than you are now? Was there a time when you felt sure of his promptings, now you’re wandering in circles not sure of your exit? It’s time to get reconnected! And God has a truly simple re-connection process for us.
We find our guide for re-connection to the guidance of God right here in the teachings of Jesus. John 10: 27-28 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.”
The relationship between a shepherd and his sheep is our re-connection guide. A shepherd knows his sheep, and a sheep knows the voice of his shepherd. Literally. It’s not just sweet imagery, it’s absolute truth.
A shepherd may have hundreds of sheep, but he has a name for each one of them. He distinctly knows Fuzzy from Wooly, and Periwinkle from Penelope. When one is missing, he knows precisely which one it is. “Ahhhh, good ol’ Margaret has wandered off again. I know she often gets lost down in that valley where the dandelions grow. I’ll go call her out before it gets dark.”
This is Jesus with us. He knows us intimately. He knows your name. He knows your incessant love for icecream, TikTok, wine, and Amazon, which derail you and throw you into a valley of shame. He’s found you in that valley many times, and every time he has come to call you out. Never once has he given up and moved on without you. Never once has he declared you a lost cause. Without fail, he has come back for you. Every time you failed. Every time you got stuck. Every time you got lost. Every time you just gave up. Every time you checked out. Every time you screwed this up. Every time you wandered off. Here comes your shepherd, calling your name, calling you back to his flock.
Now, here’s the really big takeaway for you today. Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice.” You follow him because you know his voice from the rest of the noisy world. You know his voice over your own voice.
You have your own voice, right? That voice that can really confuse you and lead you down some sketchy butt alleys. That voice that only wants it your way, and wants it right now. That voice that twists and contorts things into selfish desires and derails you into a pit of despair faster than you can lick the residue off your fingers or hide that Amazon package that just showed up on the porch.
Yeah, how do you know the voice of Jesus over your own jacked up voice? How do you know that the prompting to turn here is the prompting you should be following versus the prompting you should be ignoring?
You’re facing big decisions. Do you leave this job, or do you stay? Do you give him another chance, or do you declare the last time was really the last time? Do you try again, or do you stop here? Do you go here or there? Do you do it now or later? Is it a yes or a no? JESUS, WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME?!!!!!
You’re wanting the shepherd’s voice this time, right? You don’t want to be fooled by your own voice that leads you astray. You don’t want to be influenced by the noise of the world. You truly desire to hear Jesus’ instructional steps here. You’re at this place where you know your way isn’t always the best way, and you fully surrender to God’s good plan over your bright ideas. But dang if the shepherd’s voice isn’t nearly impossible to hear right now!
JESUS, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? TELL ME LOUD AND CLEAR!
This is the part where you pull the car over and you lean in close. You grab that GPS in your hands and you ask again. SIRI, WHERE IS THE TARGET?!!!!!
GOD, I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO HERE AND I’M NOT HEARING YOUR VOICE.
The sheep know the shepherd’s voice because of the time they have spent with him. They have a relationship with their shepherd that has developed because of the continual closeness in proximity.
Flocks of sheep with different shepherds can be mixed, with thousands of sheep all herded together, yet when a shepherd calls out, his sheep respond to his voice and come. The others will remain with the crowd, but his specific sheep know his voice. Likewise, when another voice calls out for them, they will not respond because they know that is not the voice of their shepherd. They cannot be fooled.
It was once questioned if perhaps the sheep were responding to their shepherd’s clothing over his voice, so they had shepherds trade clothes. No, the sheep were not fooled. Regardless of appearances, it was still the voice that called them.
This is Jesus’ desire for us. Regardless of appearances, regardless of how these circumstances look, regardless of the noise of the world, regardless of that untrustworthy voice of your selfish desires, you KNOW HIS VOICE. And it’s his voice you respond to.
This confidence in the shepherd’s voice comes only as a result of relationship. Time spent together.
I have a few friends that rarely have a conversation that doesn’t include the words “God showed me”, or “God said to me”. Why do those friends always hear from God? Why is God always showing them things? Well, I figured it out. It’s because those friends are always spending time with God! They are the ones investing time daily in their relationship with Jesus.
So, I decided I wanted to be one of those friends. I want to be a friend who God shows things to. I want to be a friend who God talks to. And hot dang if it doesn’t work. I started spending more time snuggled in close with God, and I now know his voice from all the other voices. I hear from him all the time. He continually prompts my spirit, opens my eyes, and drops golden nuggets into my thoughts. I don’t have to pretend. I don’t have to stir it up or concoct it. He FOR REAL TALKS TO ME. And here’s the thing I now realize. He’s always been talking to me, I just didn’t know his voice before. I lost it for a while.
Honey, when you stop spending time with God, you stop recognizing his voice. When you allow your life to become so busy and distracted with everything else, which is not only easy to do but darn hard to avoid doing, then you begin to lose the familiarity with his voice.
That’s why you’re confused. That’s why you’re wandering. It’s not because God has left you. It’s not because you’ve run so far outside of his will that you can’t find your way back. It’s not that you’re now unworthy of ever coming back. It’s simply because you aren’t recognizing your shepherd’s voice any more after too much time away.
Come back to him. Come back to time snuggled in close to him. Come back to talking to him when you’re driving. Come back to starting your day on your knees. Come back to reading his word. Come back to music that praises him. You will start recognizing his voice again. You’ll begin to be prompted by him again. The turn will be made clear.
I can’t get to the Target with Google Maps. I for sure know I can’t get to my destiny without Jesus, so I’m staying close!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I wonder how many times we’re standing smack dab in the middle of God’s holy provision, and we totally miss it. I wonder how often God’s detailed answer to our prayers is surrounding us, yet we are oblivious in our continual state of worry.
Are we much like Jacob when he wakes up in Genesis 28:16 and thinks, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
We’re just not aware of how God is truly in this place. How he has divinely aligned every detail for our next step along the path to his good plans for our life. How he has lovingly prepared immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, but he’s done it so well it all appears normal.
Honey, it’s not normal that you made it through what you made it through. It’s not normal that things worked out for you. It’s not normal that you’re right here right now, because it truly was impossible. You may not have realized just how impossible it really was, but your lack of awareness doesn’t change the fact that God stepped in and made impossible things possible on your behalf. It’s not normal that you are capable of doing what you now do effortlessly. It’s not normal how you always make it through. It’s not normal, it’s a miracle!
Surely God has been at work in your life, and you were not aware of it! You never even saw what his hand protected you from. You never felt the threat that was on your heels. God has been all around you, pulling off miraculous feats on your behalf, all while you were totally clueless to his work every day of your life.
But, what if we were to become more aware? What if we had a spiritual awakening to his presence and his power, and we started seeing his hand at work in the details of our lives like never before. Imagine a day where you discover the fingerprints of God on every unfolding. It all first passed through his hands to get to you. It all was perfectly placed in alignment with his good plans, then released into your life for a purpose.
Oh, if we could live with eyes wide open to the supernatural. If we could sense his presence in every next step before us. Wouldn’t our stressful load be lightened? Wouldn’t our burdens be lifted? Wouldn’t our worries be absolutely senseless? Not that we would understand everything or have every question answered, but we would be assured of his providence over every detail.
I believe this is the relationship we are designed to have with our creator. This is what we are here to experience. We’re growing to discover eyes that see life differently.
Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:22-23 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”
The Greek word for healthy implies generous. Unhealthy would mean greedy. I’ve never thought of my eyes as generous or greedy before, but really what Jesus is teaching us is if you look for God in the details of your life, your whole body will be filled with light. You will see him at work in everything. You will not only be guided by his light, but your burdens will be made light. Your journey through life will be without so many stumbles and lost wanderings. All because you are looking for God generously.
But, if your eye is unhealthy, meaning greedy and not willing to look at the fullness of God’s work surrounding you, your whole body will be filled with darkness. And isn’t this a major problem for so many of us today? We are overwhelmed by the darkness within. We are burdened by a heavy depression that makes everything so much harder. It makes our burdens too heavy to carry. It makes the next step impossible to see.
What has caused this darkness? Greedy eyes. Eyes that are no longer searching for God in the details of our lives. Eyes that are not fully open to his wonderful works in our midst. Eyes that refuse to see all that really isn’t normal in our lives and is absolutely nothing short of a miracle.
On Sunday my husband and I were enjoying lunch and live music at one of our favorite little restaurants on the island. A family came rowing up on kayaks and sat down at the table next to us. It was the classic family vacation gone wrong and you could see it a mile away. Mom had booked a kayaking adventure for the whole family, and the whole family was absolutely miserable. They were sunburned, they were hungry, they were tired, and nobody was having fun.
I was especially drawn to the teenage daughter who couldn’t have appeared more miserable if she would have tried … and I’m pretty sure she was trying with every ounce of her to make it very clear she was 100% miserable. She sat in her chair, totally disgruntled with everything. She plain ol’ didn’t want to be there and nothing was making it better.
Having gone through a few miserable family vacations with disgruntled teenagers, I could sympathize. Some level of unhappiness is normal. However, this was a level of darkness that was palatable. Her entire body was dark.
My spirit became very sensitive to her as I observed her outward acts of an inner darkness. She had no light in her eyes. Her eyes were greedy. They were not looking for evidence of anything good, they were set on all that was to her disliking. She didn’t like this beautiful place she found herself in. She didn’t like the delightful live music that was playing. She didn’t like the delicious food being offered to her. She didn’t like the warm sunshine or the blissful turquoise waters. Her eyes liked NONE OF IT.
And really, we can show up to some circumstances of our lives in the same exact fashion. You don’t like your job, so you show up with greedy eyes refusing to look for anything good. You don’t like your circumstances, so you dread getting out of bed to another day of the same ol’ crap you hated yesterday. Your eyes don’t want to see anything different because that would mean there’s some sense of responsibility on you to make a change. You don’t like yourself, so you look in the mirror with greedy eyes that refuse to acknowledge the miraculous and wonderful work you are.
So we sit at the table of life miserable. Our eyes have become greedy and we don’t see how God is surely in this place. And we wonder why we battle an unknown darkness. Why are we so unhappy? Why are we so overwhelmed? Why are we so exhausted? Why is life so dark for us when it seems others experience such light?
Now, take special notice of what Jesus said in that final sentence, “And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” Sometimes in our search for something that makes us feel special or seen or heard, we find offerings of the enemy and we are tricked. Tricked into believing his darkness is a light.
For this teenage girl sitting miserably at a table with her family on a beautiful beach, her darkness was not only palatable, but her body was adorned with trinkets of her search for light. Crystals hung around her neck. Her earrings were palms and tarot cards. This girl was searching, but she had found darkness to replace the light of Christ, and how deep that darkness had become.
And I see it all around. We’re desperate for light in our lives. Something to make sense of the nonsense. Something to answer the questions we have. Something that proves we are special and unique and tied to something bigger than ourselves. But when we find that in anything other than Jesus, we have found nothing but darkness that will consume us and pull us into a pit of the darkest of darks.
Jesus is your answer.
Not a crystal. Not a card. Not a psychic. Not a sign. Not a number. Not a reading. Not a horoscope. Not a star. Not a full moon. Nothing other than Jesus.
He is the light. And when your eyes are generously looking for Jesus in every detail of your life, your entire body will be filled with light. You will be guided. You will be filled. You will be strengthened. You will be blessed beyond measure.
Don’t let your eyes grow greedy. Don’t let them focus on what is wrong and what you don’t like. That only brings darkness.
Jesus brings light. His light is EVERYWHERE today. This isn’t normal. None of it is normal. It’s all supernatural and God is the super behind what looks so natural. Look for him and your whole world will change!
Lord, we need a spiritual awakening. Help us to see you here! Help us to see your involvement in every unfolding detail of our lives. We need your light.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
The pursuit of living well can leave us barely living at all. We are rushed. We are distracted. We are addicted. And today, on the first day of the Lent season, God takes our face into his hands and says, “Look at me.”
“I am your answer. I am what you need. I will guide you through this. I will set you free. It’s me, let me show you.”
This morning I was listening to one of my favorite Jesus girls. Her name is Lisa Harper. She’s straight up hilarious and humble, and so totally grounded in the word of God that she simply makes me want to be better. She shared her experience of visiting the temple where Jesus taught in Jerusalem. She walked the stairs Jesus walked. Stairs leading to the temple which are irregular and uneven. This isn’t because the stairs are now thousands of years old, they were built this way. Intentionally irregular. Intentionally uneven.
There’s nothing that will make you trip and fall faster than stairs placed randomly and out of alignment. Some are wide and long, others are thin and narrow. Some are short while others are tall. Honey, you can’t run up these stairs. You can’t mindlessly stroll down these stairs.
These stairs, which Jesus walked, required an unhurried pace and an intentional next step. And it was designed this way for a purpose. God didn’t want anyone running into or out of the temple in a distracted rush. If you’re rushing, or if you’re distracted, you fall. You are purposefully slowed down to take each next step.
And THIS IS WHAT LENT IS FOR US. Lent is an intentional disruption to your normal flow. Lent is an irregular and uneven step to slow you down and bring intention back to your journey.
I didn’t grow up observing Lent. Honey, I didn’t grow up observing anything other than a Christmas stocking and an Easter egg hunt. There was no Jesus in our holidays. Not because we were bad people, just because we didn’t know. I’m so grateful God didn’t meet us with condemnation and punishment for the years we didn’t know. He met us with grace and mercy and an opportunity to know better so we can now do better.
Maybe that’s why you’re here today. Maybe you’re here to learn about some things for the first time, and it’s not to point out how wrong you’ve been in the past, but how gracious God is to keep revealing new things to you in the sweetest way to help you live better.
Before Jesus went to the cross, he went to the desert. For 40 days he withdrew from all distractions and prepared himself for the path ahead. The path that led to the cross. The path he walked for us. These 40 days prepared him for his death, his burial, and his resurrection.
Now, as followers of Christ, we’re invited to use the 40 days leading up to Easter to do the same, to prepare. To withdraw from distractions. To be intentional with our steps. To be mindful of what is coming. To respond to God’s hands on our face as he turns our head and says, “look at me.”
Where have you been looking other than God? Where have you been distracted? Where have you been rushing? Where have you been running stairs and missing the whole point?
In some religions Lent is a sacred time of sacrifice and remembrance, much like an advent for Christmas. For me, it’s 40 days of walking up uneven and irregular stairs to the temple. It’s a slowed pace. It’s an intentional step. It’s a full body awareness of the upcoming celebration of the resurrection of Jesus for me personally.
Won’t you go to the desert with Jesus? Won’t you leave something behind to seek him? Won’t you withdraw from the distractions to prepare for more?
This is traditionally a time of 40 days of personal sacrifice for 40 days of a greater focus on Jesus. Common sacrifices for Lent are objects we crave such as coffee, soda, sugar, chocolate, alcohol, TV, or social media. It doesn’t feel all warm and fuzzy does it? It feels like an obligation. Like a box to check to be a good Jesus girl.
Let it be beyond that box, Sis. Let this be a total game changer for you this year. It can be. God wants it to be for you. He wants to break through the very things that have been holding you back and show you the great big, beautiful life he has planned for you beyond the ordinary smallness of today you’ve settled for.
This doesn’t have to be another one of those things you feel like you have to commit to, then you’re completely burned out over it in a week. This doesn’t have to be anything for show or accolades. This isn’t about cleaning your house, dropping 10 pounds, or being an example to anyone who may be watching. This is about you being renewed by Jesus as you take slow, intentional steps with him through 40 days that are not normal. 40 days of stairs that are uneven and irregular, requiring you to think, requiring you to seek, requiring you to be present.
Matthew 11: 28-30 MSG Jesus says, ““Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? 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. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
This is Jesus’ invitation to us for Lent. Come, get away with me and you will get your life back! Your life has been stolen by mind numbing routines, bad habits, and a total disconnect of oblivion and robotic living. For 40 days, Jesus wants you to get away from all of that with him.
He wants this to be more than checking a box and doing things because you think you have to. He wants you to be close and see how he walks these uneven steps to the temple. Every move with intention. Focused and mindful. Available and aware. Not rushed. Not hurried. Not distracted. He says “learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
What would the unforced rhythms of grace look like in your life? This goes beyond our ordinary “I’m giving up chocolate for Lent”, then being miserable until you bite into that chocolate bunny’s ear on Easter.
God led me to 3 things today. 3 things to consider for these 40 days of looking at Jesus and learning the unforced rhythms of grace. Much like 3 very uneven and irregular stairs that force you to slow down and take each step with intention.
He told me:
You are rushed.
You are distracted.
You are addicted.
And he invited me to consider the steps with him that would change that over the next 40 days.
How can I protect my time so I’m not rushing?
What needs to be removed so I’m not continually distracted?
Where am I addicted and how will that be overcome?
Steps that are not my normal. Steps I can’t run up without my full focus. These are the steps Jesus is calling us to for Lent.
How can you get away with Jesus, even for 10 minutes today with these 3 questions to create your irregular and uneven steps to walk with him in preparation for Easter?
No, this isn’t something you get to rush through. This isn’t something you get to check the box on and play along like you’ve got it all figured out. Don’t you feel God grabbing your face with his hands and saying, “look at me.”
Look at him. He wants to show you how to get your life back. He wants to show you how to walk with him in the unforced rhythms of grace like never before. And with each uneven and irregular step over the next 40 days which takes you out of your normal routine and habits, you will be prepared for Easter and a complete revival of your Spirit!
Let this be our specific prayer today as we seek the steps Jesus wants to lead us to:
How can I protect my time so I’m not rushing?
What needs to be removed so I’m not continually distracted?
Where am I addicted and how will that be overcome?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Something has happened to you. Something unfair. Something unfortunate. Something you weren’t prepared for. However if you focus on what has happened to you here, you will lose sight of how God can now use you for his ultimate good.
Honey, this is bigger than what went wrong for you. This is bigger than the plans that fell apart. This is bigger than the disappointment you have endured and the problem you have encountered. What is beyond this?
The very wound you have experienced here can be used for God’s goodness next. The part of you that was hurt the most is now the vessel for God’s supreme power.
In Acts 27, we read that Paul was a prisoner on a ship that encountered a 2 week long storm. God revealed to him in a dream that the ship would go down, but none of them would die. Every one would survive this disaster.
And maybe that’s what you need to know right now. This storm isn’t going away overnight. The very thing that is keeping you afloat right now is going to fall apart too. But, you will survive. You will be saved. God has already declared you’re going to make it through this.
What God showed Paul was indeed the truth, the entire ship fell apart, nothing but pieces were left, but every last sailor and prisoner on the boat made it safely to the shore of an island called Malta.
That’s great. You’re going to survive. The ship might go down, but you will not. However, that’s not the lesson only lesson God asked me to share with you today. There’s more.
Acts 28: 1-3 “Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand.”
Well doesn’t that just suck. Now Paul isn’t only a prisoner, he’s a shipwrecked prisoner, and he is bit by a snake! Sometimes isn’t that exactly how life feels? You make it through one thing and here comes the next thing. If it weren’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have any luck at all.
Have you ever caught yourself making a list of everything that has gone wrong in the last 2 weeks of your life? First, the dishwasher stopped working, then you broke the screen on your cellphone, then the cat got sick, now you lost your debit card, and your teenager is being a jackwagon. Why can’t anything go right for you?
While you’re having your pity party, recounting all the ways life has been unfair, I want to remind you Paul has been falsely accused, arrested, and facing judgment, he has gone through a 2 week storm at sea where they didn’t eat the entire time and then the ship sank, now he’s on some strange island, still as a prisoner, and he is bit by a poisonous snake.
Okay, his 2 weeks might suck more than yours.
Sometimes don’t you want to just ask WHY? Why did this happen? Why me? Why can’t anything go right?
Those are fair questions, and typically there’s a really simple answer.
Why did the snake bite Paul? Was it an attack of the devil? Was it an evil plot of hell to take him out?
Well, actually scripture tells us exactly why the snake bit Paul. It says the snake was driven out of the wood because of the heat of the fire. And, that is completely natural. It’s natural for a snake to come out of the fire. And it’s also natural for a snake to bite anything they view as a threat.
Paul was bit by the snake because that’s what snakes naturally do.
And maybe you can calm down for a second and see the whole world isn’t stacked up against you, but maybe some natural things have happened here. When cell phones get dropped, they naturally break. Cars eventually have problems, that’s natural. Teenagers experience hormones that turn them into beasts you would rather eat than speak to, that’s natural. Companies go through hard times and jobs come to an end, that’s natural. People get hurt and they don’t know how to heal their hurt, so they start hurting other people, that’s natural. Our pets get sick, human lives come to an end, things change, that’s natural.
However, never forget as natural things happen, you are empowered by a supernatural God, and you don’t have to respond the way normal people would. Honey, you are not normal! Cancel your pity party!
Paul is bit by this poisonous snake naturally coming out of the fire, being all bitey and such because that’s what snakes naturally do. That sucks, but what are you going to do? Are you going to throw a fit and declare it’s unfair? Are you going to question why you when there were a whole lot of other worse people around the fire who could have gotten bit instead of you? Or will you do what Paul did in verse 5, “But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed.”
He shook off that snake. He shook off what he could have viewed as an unfair attack. He shook off the threat. He shook off the next thing piling on his list of everything that had gone wrong for him. He shook that off.
Sis, instead of letting this pile up on you as another thing going wrong in your life, you’ve got to shake this off. Why? Because you’re here on a mission. You’ve got a life only you can live, and a purpose to fulfill. Don’t let the natural unfoldings of life derail you and keep you stuck in overwhelm.
Here’s what happened next. Verses 7-10 “Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.”
Did you catch it? What did Paul use to heal these people? HIS HAND! Yes, the very thing that had just unfairly been hurt. Paul went from having his hand bit by a snake, to using that hand to heal people. The very thing that was hurt was now used for healing. If Paul would have been sulking in a tent, recounting the story of how unfair his journey had been, worried about the next unfair thing coming his way, he would have missed his opportunity to use what had been hurt for God’s healing power.
Is God telling you he now wants to use where you have been hurt? Is he prompting you to stop reliving how bad it was and offer it as a vessel for his power to flow through?
What could happen in your life if you canceled your pity party and got on your praise prance? (Play a little old school Mary Mary’s Shackles and prance out your praise!) What could happen in your life if instead of making a list of how unfair this is, you started making a list of all the ways God might want to use it for good next? What could happen in your life if instead of assuming everything goes wrong for you, you accept that some things are just natural, but you’re empowered by a supernatural God who has good plans for your life which reach beyond this problem. Ahhhh, that could change your entire experience! That could turn your hurt into healing. That could turn your problem into a purpose. That could turn your list of burdens into a list of blessings.
Now notice what happens after Paul uses his snake bitten hand to heal people on the island. He was honored and his needs were met for what was next on his journey.
If you will stop blaming everything and everyone else in bitterness and recognize not everything is an attack on you, sometimes things just naturally happen, then God can use that natural happening to create an opportunity for the supernatural next. The next step in your journey will be covered if you will be faithful to use your hurt for good here.
Paul’s snake bitten hand was used for healing of everyone on the island where he was shipwrecked. What could God do with your wound right here in this mess you never planned for?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As believers, we are referred to as the “bride of Christ.” I’m going to be straight up honest with you, that never made sense to me. I’m marrying Jesus? Some religions have twisted and perverted that, and we’re left with a bad taste in our mouth wondering what it would mean to be the bride of Christ.
But God revealed to me the concept of being his bride in the sweetest, most tangible way over the past few days, and I just couldn’t wait to share this with you.
Here on the island, there’s a site I see most every day. There’s a man out walking, pushing a homemade stroller of sorts. The seat is fashioned to recline, and there’s a white canopy for shade. Laying within the stroller is a woman. He pushes her for hours every day.
This past Friday, I came upon them face to face while out exercising. I saw they were likely in their mid to late 70s, both incredibly tanned from the warm island sun, him smiling so big he could eat a banana sideways, and her in a vegetative state. He and I greeted one another with a brief “good morning” and passed on by.
I soon came to my turn around point and saw them ahead of me again. My pace was catching them, he saw me, and stopped to seemingly wait for me. And that’s when a conversation unfolded.
I told him I see him out often and he said, “Yes, we do 6 miles a day,” nodding his head toward the woman laying in the stroller.
Not knowing if this was perhaps his sister, or his elderly friend he cared for, I asked, “and who is she to you?”
What followed was a sentence spoken with such passion it stopped me in my tracks.
He said, “Oh, she’s my wife!”
He then told me they had been married for 53 years and he cares for her completely. He dresses her up for holidays in full costume and pushes her all around town. I remember seeing them from the road on Christmas Eve and she was in a full blown Santa costume. He lovingly puts shorts on her so her legs can soak up the sunshine. This woman was clearly not a burden to him, she was his greatest blessing.
He told me how he had dressed her up for Valentine’s day last week, and he said with a tear in his eye, “she’s always been my valentine.”
I walked away thinking, “Gosh, I better start laying out my holiday outfits now, because I’m not so sure my husband would know what to dress me in.”
What a husband. What a love. What everlasting care no matter the circumstances. She has nothing left to give him, yet he continues to give his all.
And then God showed me, “THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY YOU ARE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.”
This is the way you are loved.
YOU ARE NEVER A BURDEN! No matter what, you are not a burden to Jesus!
That’s for someone today. Someone who feels so frustrated with themselves because they simply can’t seem to get their crap together and keep it together. Someone who is struggling. Someone who is questioning. Someone who feels they have nothing to offer. You feel like a burden. You feel like a failure. You feel like a disappointment. But Jesus is never burdened by you.
Honey, he will lovingly pick you up every single time.
He is honored to be the one caring for you. Here’s the thing, Jesus doesn’t HAVE to, he GETS to.
He GETS to love you.
He GETS to care for you.
He GETS to provide for you.
He GETS to save you.
He GETS to rescue you.
He GETS to heal you.
He GETS to restore you.
He GETS to, because you are his bride.
I can hear the man’s voice saying it again with such pride as she lay there in their homemade stroller “she is my wife!”
And Jesus says about you, “She is my girl. I choose her again and again and again. I will never leave her or forsake her. I will pick her up every single time, and I will help her get where she needs to go. She and I will walk endless miles together. I’m taking her on every adventure!”
Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”
You are his bride. His chosen one. The one he has promised to love forever, and honey if he needs to push you around in a stroller, he will do it with absolute joy. He will even dress you for the occasion.
This is his love for you. This is his care for you. When you can’t walk ahead on your own, he will carry his bride.
Remember the poem “Footprints In the Sand”? I think it hung in the house of all of our Grandma’s at one point, right?
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”
God doesn’t have to carry you, he LOVES to carry you. Jesus doesn’t have to walk with you, he GETS to walk with you.
Why? Because you are his bride. His love for you will never end. His care for you has no limits.
You’re not a burden to him and he’s not walking away from you when things get hard or when you fail. When you can’t do this thing on your own, that doesn’t mean your journey ends. It means you’re getting in the stroller, honey.
Let him carry you today. Let him care for you and prove he’s not leaving you when things get hard. He will carry you through this and never once will you be alone.
My friend will be out putting in some miles with his beloved wife today. He will have dressed her with care. He will have intentionally stretched her legs out for sunshine, while pulling the canopy to shade her face. She will know she is not a burden, she is a blessing.
May you know the same today. Your bridegroom loves you. He chooses you over and over again. He’s honored to carry you, push you, deliver you, guide you, and provide for you. You are chosen by Jesus, and you are a blessing to him.
This is love, and you are the recipient of it every single day!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Jesus came to give you a wide open spacious life. A life of freedom being exactly who you were created to be, confident in doing exactly what you were created to do.
But somewhere along the way we went about fencing ourselves in. We believed what “they” said over what God said. We allowed lies from the pits of hell to take root in our heart and become weeds in our mind. We took failure personally and adopted it as our identity. We took the offering of overwhelm, depression, anxiety and began wearing it like a badge. A badge that dismisses us from showing up for life.
Quite simply, we started playing little, and in the process, we’ve gotten stuck. Stuck in the monotony of a routine that was never intended to be our entire lives. Stuck as slaves to the rut of mindlessly watching life unfold on a little screen in our hands, as it passes us by in reality. Stuck in negative thoughts that suck the energy out of our souls. Stuck in the drowning waves of doubt, fear and indecision. Stuck in bad habits that ease the pain in the moment, then create a mountain of problems later.
And we settled where we got stuck.
Isn’t that us? Isn’t that where we find ourselves sometimes? We’re chained to a rhythm that’s exhausting and unfulfilling, and Jesus is here today to break those chains.
When Jesus said in John 10:10 “I came that you may have life and have it to the full”, I don’t think this is the full life he was talking about. Full of worry and fear. Full of bad choices followed by regret. Full of soul sucking nothingness. Full of mind-numbingly boring days. This is the opposite of full, it is empty. It is UNFULFILLING.
In fact, it looks a whole lot more like what the enemy came to do to our lives. In this same scripture, Jesus warned “The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.”
Well balls, girls, look around. Just look what he has done! This little life we’ve gotten ourselves stuck in is the work of our enemy. There’s so much more for us than this! Jesus came to give us a fulfilling life, and if you’re not living filled up to overflowing and fulfilled, then you’re not living up to your God given potential! Satan has been taking from you, and instead of settling for it, you should get mad as hell about it!
How far have we drifted from our potential? How much have we atrophied from who we were created to be, because we simply haven’t been using what we were given? You know you can sit around choosing not to use a perfectly good leg, and eventually that leg will stop working. The ability to walk will be lost. What God given abilities have we lost because we simply haven’t been using them?
Jesus did some pretty dang amazing things on this earth in front of the disciples, then he looked at them and said in John 14: 12-14 – “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
Through Christ Jesus, we are to be doing the same works he did here on earth, and even greater! He healed the sick, he showed people the way, he restored hope, he loved the unlovable, he did impossible things, he radically changed lives … are we doing those things?
Well that feels uncomfortable doesn’t it? Who are we to do the great things Jesus did? Let me tell you who we are … we are his Spirit bearers, his light carriers, his power vessels, his impossible made possible, his miracle parade and we better be marching forward, Sis! This whole playing little thing isn’t glorifying God in the slightest!
Have we forgotten we have been entrusted with this power and given full access to Jesus who is waiting to move on our request? Like a perfectly good leg going unused loses it’s ability to function, our ability to fully step into our God given potential and power is diminished when we don’t step up and use it.
Jesus said ASK ME. Have you been asking? He responds to your request. His power is allocated with your prayers. Where do you want to send his power today? Don’t waste what you have been given here. What a shame for the relationships in your life to sit stagnant because you won’t pray over them. There are impossible things in your midst which God has already declared as possible if you will pray over it in faith.
Jesus didn’t sacrifice his life for you to play little with yours.
It’s time to show up for your life and live it in the full power of Jesus Christ!
Unleash the power you have within you, the power of a living God who redeems, restores and renews. Walk in confidence today knowing every gift, every talent, and every ability you use today will be strengthened and multiplied for tomorrow. Be faithful with the little you have and it will increase. No more atrophy in your life. No more wasting and withering away because of untapped potential. Nope, we’re showing up and we’re using it all.
We can do better, we know we can, and today, we will do better.
Jesus is breaking the rhythm we’ve been chained to, and he’s setting a new rhythm. Hear that beat and follow that beat. See where he is leading you. Trust this journey. When God leads you to the unknown, step boldly into your destiny with faith, trusting he will provide exactly what is needed when it is needed.
It’s time to do what you’ve never done before. It’s time to step up your game and break some chains which have been holding you back.
Welcome to your BIG life – it’s wide open and spacious out here with massive potential and unlimited opportunities. This is what God has waiting for you when you stop settling.
Don’t settle for “good enough” when God has all of this available for you! Welcome to your unchained life of freedom to be exactly who you were created to be!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When it’s hard to love yourself, you’ve believed a lie. When you don’t want to look at yourself in the mirror, you’ve believed a lie. When you dismiss yourself from goodness, you’ve believed a lie. When you play little, you’ve believed a lie. When you feel hopeless, you’ve believed a lie.
Your heart has believed a series of lies, and from that confused and twisted heart has come a broken confidence, a troubled mind, a fearful future, and a little life.
The source of these lies is not your just negative tendencies. It’s not just toxic people in your life. The source of the lies you’ve let your heart believe is the father of lies himself. It is the enemy of your soul. The one hellbent on destroying every ounce of goodness in your life, and stealing your faith in the One who created you.
Jesus says in John 8:44 (MSG): “He (Satan) was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies.”
He has filled the world with his lies. Lies that God doesn’t care. Lies that God isn’t able. Lies that there’s nothing beyond this life. Lies that none of this even matters. Lies that people are bad and they’re only getting worse.
STOP BELIEVING THE LIES HE’S FILLED THIS WORLD WITH.
Now, has he filled YOUR world with his lies? Lies personally directed towards you, adopted by your heart as a truth. Lies that say you don’t matter. Lies that say God doesn’t care about you. Lies that say you can never change. Lies that say you’re too late for God’s good plans, you’ve already screwed that up. Lies that say it will be too hard for you. Lies that say you’re not good enough, you’re not worthy, and you’re broken. Lies that say this is all there is for you, and nothing more.
Oh, what has he done to our hearts, and what nonsense have our hearts convinced our minds of?
This week I have a challenge for the 542 women I currently mentor. It’s a challenge that literally requires less than 30 seconds per day, yet it’s a tremendous battle for many. It requires no physical effort, no change of habit, not even a denial of a craving. Yet, I would guess less than 25% of my girls have been able to talk themselves into this specific challenge.
The challenge is to stand in front of the mirror daily, look themselves in the eye and read these words:
God, you made me, and you do wonderful work.
Your wonderful work in me is not done yet.
I will just keep getting better.
Could you do it?
Would you do it?
Will you do it?
Why is this so hard for us to accept that God’s work in us is wonderful? Why can we look at a slimy octopus with purple skin and 8 legs covered in suction cups and declare it is magnificently wonderful, and we can’t look at ourselves and declare the same? Why do we see the miracle in someone else’s uniqueness, yet hate our own? What gives us the right to be so critical of a creation that isn’t even our own?
YOU DIDN’T DESIGN YOU.
YOU DIDN’T CREATE YOU.
YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THE INNER PARTS OF YOUR BEING.
YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE SO FREAKING MEAN TO YOU!
Psalm 139: 13-14 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
If you know that God’s works are wonderful, and you are a result of God’s work, then Sis, that means you are wonderful!
But you don’t feel wonderful, do you? You don’t see yourself as wonderful, do you? You don’t consider yourself wonderful, do you?
And why is that exactly? Let me tell you why. Your difficultly to accept and believe that you are wonderful is the direct result of the lies you’ve allowed your heart to believe. Lies from the Father of lies. Lies from THE Liar (capital L). Lies you’ve been hearing most every day of your life so you’ve allowed it to become your soundtrack.
What does your soundtrack say? You know the perpetual loop of talk streaming from your heart to your head, and back from your head to your heart.
Does it say you’re not good enough?
Does it say there’s something wrong with you?
Does it say you don’t deserve happiness?
Does it say you’re broken and can’t be fixed?
Does it say you’re not loved?
Does it say you will never change?
Does it say your best days are over?
Is that your soundtrack? Is that what your heart tells your head when you look in the mirror? Is that what your head confirms with your heart? Oh honey, these are the lies you’ve let your heart believe.
Lord, please reveal every lie the enemy has planted in our hearts. Please show us how those seeds have grown from our hearts and taken over our minds, creating negative thoughts, worries and stress. And Lord, please show us how to rip that crap out of our lives!
God’s work is wonderful, and it is his work that made you. That’s truth. YOU ARE WONDERFUL, not because of your past, not because of anything you could possibly do in your future, simply because of how you were created. But, recognize God doesn’t stop there. He’s not finished with you yet.
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Because of the good work God continues to do in you, you’re just getting better! You’re not confined to the choices you used to make. You’re not stuck in the life you used to live. God has a good work going on inside of you and he’s still working!
How about you partner with him in that truth? Delete the soundtrack of lies that has been playing in your heart and flooding your mind, and replace it with nothing but truth.
Honey, the truth is, God made you, and he does wonderful work. His wonderful work in you is not done yet. When you partner with him and let him change the soundtrack of your heart, you start hearing a different voice. Your thoughts change. Your confidence grows. Your actions are different. You begin to walk in alignment with the good plans the maker of your soul has for your life.
And honey, you keep that up, and you will soon be able to look in the mirror and declare without a single hesitation:
God, you made me, and your work is wonderful!
Your wonderful work in my life is not done yet.
I will just keep getting better.
That is the truth.
Let the truth rip up the lies your heart has believed. Let the truth saturate your mind and change your soundtrack. Let the truth shine through your eyes so your reflection in the mirror represents a girl God is doing a wonderful work in today!
I have the perfect song for you you. A song you should play while looking in the mirror. “Look What You’ve Done” by Tasha Layton.
The lies I believed
They got some roots that run deep
I let ’em take a hold of my life
I let ’em take control of my life
… Standing in Your presence, Lord
I can feel You diggin’ all the roots up
I feel Ya healin’ all my wounds up
All I can say is hallelujah
… Look what You’ve done
Look what You’ve done in me
You spoke Your truth into the lies I let my heart believe
Look at me now
Look how You made me new
The enemy did everything that he could do
Oh, but look what You’ve done
What does God want to do in your life? He wants to dig up every lie that has taken root in your heart. He wants to heal every wound, and he wants to make you new with a new soundtrack that confirms every day of your life that you are his wonderful work and he just keeps making you better!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Has life become all work and no play? All dread and no joy? All waiting and no now?
What are you waiting on? What are you dreading so badly? Honey, what are you working for? This one life you have been given is going quickly, and the day will come when you look back on all of this, nearing the end, and you regret all the “nows” you wasted. All the joy you forfeited. All the playing you saved for later.
Maybe you’re going through something in life right now that makes it hard to be joyful. There’s a real threat to your family. A real hardship covering your days. A real trial and you’re right in the middle of it. And here, where you are now, it seems impossible to play. It seems ridiculous to assume anything could possibly make you enjoy the day.
That’s fair. I don’t think anyone could blame you for being miserable in this. And what if God isn’t blaming you either, but he’s extending an invitation for something memorable instead of miserable?
Would you choose memorable over miserable? Regardless of circumstances, memorable is available today.
Over 2 decades ago, I was mopping the floors of a beautiful home we had worked so hard to buy. It was a home we couldn’t really afford, but we wanted it any way. This home became a constant stress to not only pay for, but to maintain. I rarely ever enjoyed the space, I was always cleaning the space. We didn’t enjoy the pool, we were cleaning the pool. We didn’t enjoy the backyard, we were mowing the backyard. Everything we had worked so hard to give our family had become nothing but stress, pressure, and more work.
Anyone? Anyone feel like this right now?
As I was mopping the floors of our beautiful home, I overheard Oprah on TV. It was the story of a young mom who had grown sick. She knew her time with her family was limited, so they started doing all the things. All the things, including the big trip to Disney. After this young mother’s death, Oprah interviewed her little boy and asked him, “what is the greatest memory you have with your mom?”
The little boy said, “I remember when my mom and I ate cheerios out of one bowl with two spoons. That was my favorite.”
Standing there with the mop in my hand, and children of my own about the same age, I realized I had been working so hard to give our family the equivalent of Disney, and I had been missing all the opportunities to share a darn bowl of cheerios.
What in the world was I doing, and why was I doing it?
Within a year, we walked away from that big beautiful house with the floors that took hours to mop, the pool that never seemed clean enough, and the lawn that stole every weekend from our grasp, and we moved our kids to the most humble little beach cottage where we sat in lawn chairs in our family room, we ate every meal together around our garage sale table, we taught the kids to surf, and we watched the sunset every night over the ocean holding hands.
We were making memories.
Memories that would actually mean something. We’re talking “one bowl, two spoons” kinda memories.
And this morning, I felt a prompting in my spirit to ask you, my sister, are you so busy making “more” that you’ve failed to make memories? Making more money, buying more, doing more of the busy things, but sacrificing all the memories along the way? It won’t be the big trip to Disney, it will be those little intentional moments you were there for fully.
There’s a lesson in the Bible on this. Can you think of it?
Luke 10: 38-42 “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’”
Mary had chosen the Cheerios moments. Martha was busy trying to prepare for Disney. Jesus made it clear which one was better.
Yesterday for Valentine’s Day, my husband gave me flowers, he bought me a beautiful new skirt (actually, I bought it, I just told him thank you), and he took me out to a fabulous restaurant for a fresh seafood dinner with live music. Those things are all great, and I’ll likely not remember any of them next year. But he gave me one gift that will be forever remembered. One gift that cost nothing, but I will treasure it above everything else.
He gave me a Cheerios in one bowl with two spoons kinda gift. He gave me a Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus kinda gift. He gave me a campout on our balcony. That man literally drug a mattress onto our balcony and slept outside with me, because he knew my adventurous spirit would be so happy. Did he love it? Probably not. But I can assure you of this, whichever one of us is left when Jesus takes the other one home, will cherish that campout forever.
I think Jesus is reminding all the Martha’s of the world to stop being so darn distracted in their busyness, and be present in the little moments we’ve been missing.
Choose memories over “more”.
Choose memories even when there’s mountains of laundry, mountains of worry, mountains of pain, mountains of stress.
Jesus says this is the better part. The better part is remaining in the moment. The better part is offering yourself fully where you are. The better part is often small and simple and never makes a whole lot of noise to get your attention, so you will have to be intentional to notice it.
What’s your “one bowl, two spoons” opportunity today? Choose it. Choose it over and over. Life is precious and life is short, and Jesus is reminding you to stop rushing through it. Make memories here.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today is a day of love. It’s the one day of the year, here the the US, set aside for intentionally giving and receiving love. It’s Valentine’s Day. The day where most every man in America woke up feeling already not enough for the woman he loves. The day women across the country wake up with high expectations, and go to bed with deep, unspoken disappointments.
So, ladies, let’s have a little talk. Let’s talk about those expectations. Let’s talk about the strings you tie to love today. Strings that say flowers show appreciation, dinner shows love, and gifts show every other unspoken thing he ought to be feeling. Bring on the massages, the hand written letters, the candles, the romance, bubble bath with rose pedals, and a customized playlist. He needs to show he’s been thinking about this big day for WEEKS! Ladies, you are doing one huge thing here … you are setting your man up for failure. He doesn’t speak “woman”, so quit getting so darn upset when you claim you don’t want flowers, but secretly feel butthurt that office delivery wasn’t for you today. He’s not making you a playlist, or truly enthused to watch a chick flick with you. Get over it!
Here’s the problem … you’re showing up to this relationship with a totally flawed human being, with a hole within you he’s expected to fill. He’s supposed to be your “person”, your “everything”, the one who “completes” you. BUT NO HE’S NOT!
That hole in you is a God sized hole which only God can fill. You were designed with it so all the days of your life you would need your Creator. Trying to fill God’s hole with anyone or anything else leads to a huge disappointment. Expecting anyone else to complete you, heal you, restore you … well, that’s a role no one was designed for other than Jesus.
Jesus isn’t showing up with flowers today. Jesus isn’t taking you to dinner tonight. Jesus didn’t write “Happy Valentine’s Day, my Love” on your mirror. Yet, he is the purest example of loving you WILDLY!
A wild love.
Have you ever thought about why I say that? Every day, at the end of each episode, I end with “I love you wildly.” What exactly does that mean?
Many years ago, God revealed to me his WILD love for me. A relentless love that would walk through fire for me. An unending love that would wait out my stupid wandering years for me. A natural love that wasn’t forced, but flowed freely without boundaries. I had an image of a wild horse. A horse that had been untamed. A horse not held by any fence or rope. A horse free to be his wild horse-self, running freely, unbroken, unrestricted, unbridled. And in this image of a wild horse, God showed me this is how he loves me, and this is how he wants us to love.
To love with no strings of expectation. No limits. No walls or fences. Freely. Openly. Naturally. WILDLY.
And this became my quest, to love wildly.
I love you without the restriction of you loving me in return. I love you without the string of you believing exactly what I believe. I love you with our differences. I love you with your flaws because I certainly show up with my own. And this love cannot, will not, be tamed. It will not be withheld. It will remain WILD.
Why is it so easy for me to extend that wild love to a complete stranger, yet hold back my love when my own family has disappointed me? Hmmmm, sit with that one for a moment.
God is asking for your WILD LOVE today, because this is his example to you. It’s what he gave you first, then he left the door wide open for you to come into a relationship with him when you’re ready. Are you ready? Your right relationship with him will change every relationship you will ever have.
Are you ready to receive the love that perfectly covers every mistake you’ve ever made? Are you ready to receive a love that divinely directs you without restricting you? Are you ready to receive a love that is guaranteed to never waiver for a single moment of eternity? Are you ready for a love that will give you immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
I know you’ve likely heard that verse a thousand times, so you automatically dismiss it with an “I know, I know already. God loves me.” No, girl, God loves you WILDLY! It’s ridiculous what he did for you. He gave his one and only son, Jesus, for you so that you wouldn’t waste away in this life.
Over 20 years ago, a stranger rang my doorbell in El Paso, Texas. I opened the door and he introduced himself. In exchange I told him my name. What followed next still impacts me to my core today. He looked at me with absolute holy confidence and unwavering faith, and he said, “For God so loved Pamela, that he gave his one and only son.”
This man didn’t know me. He didn’t know my past. He didn’t know my mistakes. He didn’t know the things I was wrestling with that very day. And none of that mattered, because absolutely none of that changed the fact that if I were the only person in the world, God would have given his son Jesus for me.
That’s a WILD love.
And this wild love of God is for you. If it were only you, Jesus would have still gone to the cross. Why? Because God SOOOOO LOVED you. That’s “so” with a whole lot of o’s … Sooooooooo much. That’s an arms wide open, holding nothing back and giving absolutely everything kind of love. And isn’t that what Jesus did? You wonder how much he loves you? He stretched out his arms on that cross and said, “this much.”
We adopted our girls from an orphanage in Mexico when they were 5 and 6. They came to us only knowing Spanish, and we only knew English, so it was a few months of playing the most messed up game of continual charades in our house. There were mistakes, like my inability to roll my r’s caused me to offer the girls a hot fart for dinner one night instead of a hot dog. They passed. But my favorite memories were of the girls grabbing our faces with their little hands, and with everything within them, they would say “Te quiero muchooooooooooo, Mommy. Te quiero muchoooooooooo, Poppy.” This new life was immeasurably more than they could ask or imagine.
Wild love. Unrestricted, natural, flowing, beautiful love as it was created to be, with no strings or expectations.
And today, your loving Creator is grabbing your face with both hands, and with everything within him he is saying, “Te quiero muchooooooooooo, my girl. I love you soooooooooo much.”
He has proven there’s nothing he won’t do for you. He gave his all. He gave his best. He gave his one and only son. And he did it knowing you would mess this thing up. He did it if it were only you. He did it not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
And then Jesus drops the big bomb in John 15:12 “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”
This wild love without boundaries, restrictions, or strings which I have given you, now I want you to go love like that! And let me be real clear on the US national day of butt hurt women disappointed in their men, this wild love starts at home, and it starts with you GIVING instead of expecting to receive.
You don’t get to go to the grocery store today and hand out compliments, without starting at home. You don’t get to be overly kind to your waitress today, while being a real hag to the people you live with. You don’t get to show up at the office with gifts and treats like you cherish them, if you don’t first cherish the ones God has entrusted to your care.
Love WILDLY today. Cut the strings. Drop the expectations. Love the unlovable. Not because of what they do, but because of who you are.
You are like that wild horse running freely, doing what wild horses do naturally because it’s who they were created to be. You were given a wild love with no walls, no fences, and no strings, now give what you have been given. Love as you have been loved.
Love sooooooooooo much. Te quiero muchooooooooooooo. Love WILDLY!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you likely saw the great commercial about erasing the mistakes out of your photos. The words on the screen said, “For years, our phones have captured our memories.” Images of candid, in the moment photos begin to roll, then you begin to notice the flaws in each photo. The mom and her baby sitting in the snow, with the dog pooping in the background. The perfect family photo on the beach, with the chubby guy in an orange speedo playing frisbee in the background. With each photo, the problem in the background becomes more apparent. Then the words, “Now, it’s time to fix them.”
And they reveal the magic of the new phone they’re advertising. Built in photo editing to remove little mistakes and big mistakes caught in the background of your memories. With a simple circling of your finger, the pooping dog is gone. The orange speedo man disappears from the beach. The ex-boyfriend, boom he just disappears.
And I can’t stop thinking about this commercial.
Isn’t this what we want? We want to be able to edit everything to make it look different than reality. We want to magically erase mistakes and display proof that it was never even there. We want our memories, but we want our edited memories, minus the mistakes.
It speaks to all of us, doesn’t it?
What would you erase? Who would you eliminate right out of the scene? What would you go back and change if you could? What part would you skip?
As I asked God why he keeps bringing this commercial to my mind, he revealed to me the teaching for today. In our pursuit of the perfect edit, we eliminate the reality of God’s divine presence in our lives. If you erase that mistake, you also erase God’s mercy that covered you in every step of that mistake. If you erase that problem, you also erase God’s provision through that problem, and the greater purpose of it today. If you erase that ginormous goof-up, you also erase God’s grace that never gave up on you once. If you erase the hurt, you also erase the healing.
Where’s the phone that can not only capture your memories, but reveal the truth in them? Where’s the edit that can show the unseen in every single moment of your life?
The hand of God that was holding you.
The mighty angels that were protecting you.
The blood of Jesus that was covering you.
The good plans of your creator that were guiding you like an unseen roadmap.
Imagine for a moment all those memories you would like to edit. Oh, the changes you would want to make. The steps you would want to redirect. The decisions you would want to reverse. The people you would want to eliminate.
And now imagine God there for each and every one of them. Imagine his eye on you like a beam of sunlight, watching over you through it all. Imagine his hand holding you at your weakest, most regrettable moments. It’s right there in your memory, you just missed it before. Imagine his hand shielding you from the fiery darts of the enemy, as you walked through that hardship. Imagine his shadow covering you. It’s always been covering you.
This is what we can’t see. This is what God wants to show us!
Not the elimination of the dog pooping the in snow or the chubby man in the orange speedo … No, he wants to show you what you’ve been missing as you focus on all you wish wasn’t captured in your memories. You’re wishing away the mistakes, and you’re missing the miracle. The miracle that you made it through. The miracle that somehow the way was made. The miracle that you didn’t lose your mind. The miracle that you weren’t successful when you tried to end it all. The miracle that you haven’t screwed this up beyond repair. The miracle that you’ve never been alone in this for a single moment.
Here’s what you can’t see … God has been there through it all for you.
Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
If only your phone could capture that. If only you could see that Mighty Warrior who has been saving you. If only you could see his face shining on you, not in disappointment or anger, but in great delight. He delights in YOU. His love doesn’t rebuke you, his love rejoices over you.
In your pursuit of editing your life to eliminate the extra pounds, the pooping dogs, the random orange speedos, the bad choices, the blemishes and imperfections, have you totally missed that God has been right there delighting in you? Could you look back over your photos, and try to see now how God was there with you? Could you search for evidence of his hand guiding you, even when you couldn’t see it? Could you find proof of his shadow covering you, even when you were hurting, even when you were wrong, even when you wandered?
It’s there. God has always been with you.
Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
God has PERSONALLY gone ahead of you in this. Right here, right now, God has already walked through this for you. He’s already made a way. You don’t want to edit that out. You don’t want to miss how he has never failed you before, he has never abandoned you once, and honey, he won’t start now.
If you struggle to come to terms with why God allowed some things in your past, you’re not alone. If he was always there with you, why did those things happen? If his hand could stop hell’s attacks, why didn’t he stop that one?
Those are hard questions. Questions I’m not qualified to answer. But God has asked me to tell you today, that he was there. He has always been there. And he has every plan to turn it all around to be used for good in your life. God will take every ounce of the enemy’s intended harm, and he will use it as a weapon turned against the enemy of your soul. God alone will strengthen you. God alone will be your guide. God alone will heal you. God alone will restore you.
Zechairah 9:12 “I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.”
You’ve had a lot of troubles? Well sis, get ready for double the blessings!
That’s what he’s doing right now. When the sunshine hits your face, that’s his eyes on you. When your chest fills with air, that’s his breath giving you life. When you somehow get up, when all you really wanted to do was stay down, that is his hand lifting you. When you start seeing a way where there had been no way before, that’s the beginning of his double blessings as repayment. When you start being healed, when you start finding strength, when joy begins to return, that’s God’s presence all around you!
You know those sunbeams that show up in your photos sometimes? Yeah, don’t edit that out. You know those shadows in your photos? Don’t edit those out. You know those seemingly random things captured in the background? Don’t edit it out. God is there. He is with you.
Look back and see him there. You will. He’s always in the background.
Don’t delete the background. It’s building your story.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Look around today. God created all this out of nothing. He started with absolutely NOTHING. The first sentence in our Bible says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Guess what was in the beginning … nothing. Nothing was there to work with. Nothing was there to grow. Just nothing.
I most love a big open night sky. I love to stand in the mountains and stare up into the vast magnificence of our galaxy. God did all of that out of nothing. Yes, but even much, much, more.
Scientists estimate there are hundreds of billions more galaxies in the universe that we can’t see. Each one of these galaxies has billions of stars which bring the grand total number of stars in the universe to about 10 billion trillion. That is a 10 followed by 21 zeros. That’s more stars than the number of grains of sand on the Earth.
And the size of all of this? Well this blows my mind. The only size I can understand is the size of the Earth. The Earth in comparison to each one of these stars is a tiny dot. We live on this itty bitty dot surrounded by 10 billion trillion ginormous stars.
And it all began with NOTHING.
God required absolutely nothing to make the entire universe! Nothing.
If God made this amazing, beautiful universe out of nothing, don’t you think He can take all that you don’t have, all you can’t do, all that isn’t enough, all that is broken, all that is hopeless, and all you’re totally uncertain of, and turn it into a BIG Life?
Remember, out of NOTHING, he created 10 billion trillion stars that are so huge they make our Earth look like a tiny dot.
God is BIG, really BIG, and he does BIG things!
Oh, girl, why have you been limiting him? Why have you assumed just because you don’t have it right now, you will never have it? Why have you believed no one in your family could ever do it, so you wouldn’t be able to either. Why have you believed what little you can do will never be enough? God doesn’t require it to ever have been done in your family before. He doesn’t limit your potential because of your past. He doesn’t dismiss opportunities because you don’t currently measure up.
You think God needs your life all neat and tidy before he can make something of it. Honey, your works here are not required. He needs absolutely nothing to begin his amazing work. Nothing, other than the space.
God began with empty space, and he created the heavens and the earth. Now, lets talk about the empty space in your life and what he can create in it.
Let me speak into the empty places in your life. Where is there void? Where is there an ache of loneliness or want? Where is something missing? God wants to fill that void for you.
Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 says “now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” I believe the Spirit of God is hovering over you at this moment, ready to create in your life. Ready to fill your empty places. Ready to give form to that which you don’t see.
God is ready to move in your life. Do you believe that today?
Are you ready for God to fill you up? Are you ready for him to create opportunities? Are you willing to fully surrender your life to the creator?
It is in our moment of surrender that God says, NOW I CAN DO SOMETHING WITH THIS. Why? Because now he has space!
On the first day, God created light and he separated the light from darkness. And the same God who created the very light which still lights the Earth today wants to bring light into your darkness. He wants to show you your true worth and your God given potential. He wants to banish the darkness of depression and anxiety and show you a world of hope and beauty. Won’t you let his light shine in your dark places?
My family deals with darkness too. I know you hear my overly peppy, highly excited voice and it’s easy for you to imagine my life must be pretty darn perfect, and you would be wrong. My life is filled with grace and mercy, along with threats of darkness coming from the pits of hell. There are lies tearing apart relationships, authored by the prince of darkness, intended to pull precious souls into his plan. But, that’s not all …
There’s God in our family too. And God says “let there be light!” Let the truth shine on that darkness. Let there be no dark corners remaining for the enemy to hide. God separates the light and the darkness.
If you’re dealing with a darkness, ask God to separate it with his light. That’s what he does. This is what changes lives. This is what causes the overwhelm to be contained. No more Satan. Your dark shadows of deception are forced out by the light and truth of our savior Jesus Christ!
On the second day God filled the earth with water, then he separated it to create sky and dry land. Where are my girls at that feel like they’re drowning? You’ve been treading water for so long just trying to keep your head above water. You work and you work and nothing seems to change. You fight and you claw your way through life and it still doesn’t seem like enough.
God’s getting ready to separate the water which drowns you. You will see blue sky. You will be safe upon the shore. You’re going to get out of this. God’s making a way for you. You don’t have to see the way. You don’t have to feel the way. The way doesn’t even have to exist at this moment. But our God is going to MAKE a way for you.
Remember the story of the Israelites fleeing from the Egyptians, and they came to a dead end. The enemy behind them and the Red sea before them. With no where to go, God showed up and made a way for them. He parted the sea and made it stand on it’s ends. God, we need you to show up and do some sea parting in our lives today. We feel there is no way. We feel attacked and surrounded. We feel the threats of drowning. MAKE A WAY HERE. Part this sea before us.
All you see today, every living being, every tree, every blade of grass, EVERYTHING, all of it was created with God’s word. God spoke this into existence. He speaks and so it is. Did you ever think that maybe God has been trying to SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE, but you’re so darn busy you won’t ever hear him?
When is the last time you got still and stayed quiet while fully awake and just LISTENED FOR GOD. Isn’t it funny how the only times we’re willing to drop to our knees is when we’re knocked there. That used to be my story, until I learned to start every day on my knees. It seems I don’t get knocked there nearly as much now.
I believe that’s the very reason some of the storms of life come, so we will get still and hear that still small voice. God knows we wouldn’t without the trials.
So today, won’t you be still long enough for God to SPEAK into your life? God creates with his word. As you intentionally listen for him, what could he create in your world? Where could he show up where there is absolutely nothing and start creating something magnificent that has never been before? Where could he bring his light? Where could he separate the waters and make a way?
God’s word creates. There’s an entire book of his word. Will you read some of it? Will you read Genesis chapter 1 and 2, the story of creation? Will you use that quiet time to honor God’s miraculous creation of this world and YOUR LIFE? Will you trust that he can and will create something where there seems to be absolutely nothing in your life?
I’m believing God will take all you don’t have and all you can’t do and he will FILL YOU UP. He will create in you. He will bring his light to the dark places and he will bring fullness to your empty places.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There are some things in your life you can do something about, and you should. There are other things, no matter what you try and how long you keep trying, it’s simply not happening. You’re going to wear yourself out trying.
So, how do you know the difference? How do you know when the ball is totally in your court and the next move is yours to make, versus the only move left here is God’s move and you’re counting on it.
Dang, that’s a tough question. One I don’t feel quite qualified to answer. But God started speaking to me this week about a few things that have opened my eyes to my past, and therefore changed how I see my life now and my future ahead.
Here’s what God started showing me … There are some things I can take credit for. I showed up. I pushed through. I tried again. I made myself do freaking hard things, and I made myself keep doing them. I forced myself to make friends with being bad at things long enough to get good at them. I made some good choices. I remained faithful.
Then God revealed to me some things I can take zero credit for. Some of the key, most pivotal moments in my life were not of my own doing. It wasn’t my hard work. It wasn’t my great plan. It wasn’t my faithful step. It was absolutely nothing more, and nothing less, than God’s undeniable GRACE.
It was his grace that gave me parents who taught me how to make ordinary things so fun. I still use that to help others every day. That was grace.
It was his grace that brought me a young man at 15 who would love me for the rest of my life, and protect me from how completely innocent, naive and mold-able I was to anyone who would have paid attention to me. Oh, the regret he saved me from. That was grace.
It was his grace that put me in the office of a retired Army medic at the very moment a blood clot would lodge in my brain stem, creating a massive stroke. My life was truly saved that day, as I should have been home alone instead of at my office before it even opened. That was grace.
It was his grace that positioned me in front of the desk of a very successful, influential older man who would look me in my eye and tell me I had more potential than I was living up to. It was him who pushed me to my limits and insisted I speak in words what I really wanted to be, and out of my mouth flew “I want to be a motivational speaker.” In that moment, I was so embarrassed I even said such a ridiculous thing, and this successful man never batted an eye and said “Yes, that’s it. Now, why aren’t you doing it?” That was grace.
It was his grace that brought me my first 20 people to “motivate” when I had no clue what I was doing and how to do it. They should have never trusted me, but they did. That was grace.
I didn’t do anything to deserve these things. I didn’t work for these things. I didn’t even choose these things. These things, and these people, seemingly chose me. It was divine timing I couldn’t plan. It was ridiculous blessings I didn’t even recognize at the time. And now, looking back, I see it was God’s GRACE overflowing in my life.
Can you see where God’s GRACE could be the only explanation for some things in your life? You didn’t earn that. You didn’t align that. You didn’t make that happen. Think about that now and make your compelling list of examples and proof of God’s grace covering your life.
GRACE: The spontaneous, unmerited gift of the the divine favor of God. The divine influence of God for our revival and anointing.
I hesitated to share my own list of God’s grace over my life, in fear that it would cause you to compare and say, “Why didn’t God’s grace have me born into that kind of family? Why didn’t God’s grace bring me true love the first time around? Why didn’t God’s grace save my loved one the way he saved you?”
I can’t answer those questions. But what I can tell you for sure is God’s grace has shown up in your life in very specific and poignant ways, now it’s up to you to look back and recognize them. Look what he did for you that you couldn’t have done for yourself. Look how he was in the details even when you couldn’t see it back then. Look how he saved you, and know there are a thousand other times he saved you so darn well you were never even aware of the threat.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Meaning, God’s grace is the perfect covering for what you could never do. God’s grace is for all the things you could never make happen on your own. God’s grace is for the things you’re so overwhelming frustrated over. God’s grace is for the things so big you haven’t dared to even dream them yet. God’s grace is for what all your good works could never earn.
Now, here’s why God prompted me to look back on my own life and consider the work of his grace, and why he asked me to encourage you to do the same. YOU MUST BE AWARE OF THE POWER OF GOD’S GRACE IN YOUR LIFE AND KNOW HE’S STILL DOING RIDICULOUSLY GOOD, TOTALLY UNEARNED, DIVINELY PERFECT THINGS FOR YOU!
Perhaps the very thing you’ve been so discouraged over is the exact thing that will require nothing short of God’s grace. And perhaps God has already aligned his grace and you just can’t see it yet.
Remember, God’s grace is spontaneous. It comes out of nowhere. It happens when you least expect it. It shows up in the middle of storm as well as in the quiet whispers of stillness. That’s what God did for you before, honey, now why wouldn’t he do it again? Remember how he swooped in and did that for you? Remember how it required split second perfect timing to save you before, and now you’re stressing over this delay? Girl, he knows what time it is! His grace is divinely timed!
Going back to the definition of grace, it is unmerited, meaning you can’t earn it. God has done things for you that you straight up could have never worked hard enough for. You couldn’t have planned. And yet, he chose you for it all anyway. Now, don’t you think he’s doing it again, for you, his girl? Oh, I know he is! If all your good works and best efforts still aren’t good enough, God’s grace says keep showing up because I can do what you can’t, AND I WANT TO!
Where you are weak, disappointed, stuck, without options, overwhelmed, counted out and cornered in, this is exactly where God’s power is made so strong. This is where GRACE does it’s finest work!
Grace is the divine influence of God for our revival and anointing. It’s his grace that is going to make you more than enough. It is his grace that is going to meet you right where you are and bring some things back to life again. It is his grace that is going to relight the flame within you that has gone out. It is his grace that is going to set you apart, strengthen and empower you, and guide you through open doors in your future you would never have the courage to walk through today.
That’s what God’s GRACE does. And you already have proof of it in your life. Now, trust, you have a promise of that same mountain moving, chain breaking, wall crumbling, water parting, totally life changing, grace for every day of your future.
My life is proof of God’s grace, and so is yours. My future is covered in God’s grace, and so is yours. Impossible things are being made possible. Divine alignments are being ordered. Miraculous moments are being set in motion. And it’s all grace that brings it spontaneously into your life when you could have never earned it on your own!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you ever feel like God is taking entirely too long to show up? Like he’s delaying, and as he is delaying, things are only getting worse? Have you ever watched life completely fall apart and felt like God was absent in the process?
Knowing he has the complete power to turn every detail around in this very moment, to radically change every circumstance in your life, and set stagnant things in motion … and yet he hasn’t … that leaves us to question. Does he not hear? Does he not see? Does he not care?
Faith requires us to trust what we cannot see. We cannot see how he is working. We cannot see what he is doing in the middle of our mess. We cannot see the eternal impact of the very things we’re trying to pray away. But we must believe he is here. He is in action. He does care. And nothing, not one detail has been overlooked by our mighty and powerful God.
Where’s God in this problem? Where’s God in your loss? Where’s God in this confusion and frustration?
Answer … HE’S ALL OVER IT.
God is at work using every single detail for good. He wastes nothing. Someone’s life is being positively impacted through our hardship. Eternal repercussions are in our midst, and this side of Heaven, you simply cannot fathom what your hurt has healed for someone else. You can’t imagine it, but you can trust it. And for me personally, I know I can go through Hell if I know it’s for something good.
If there’s a purpose in the pain and a destiny beyond the delay, I can stay in the game.
Right here where you are facing another painful delay, God is reminding you he has a purpose and your destiny is ahead. Your job is to stay in the game. Don’t give up. Don’t check out. Don’t stop here.
The enemy works hard to cloud our minds with overwhelm. He tries to frustrate us in the continual waiting game. But all he’s doing is trying to distract you from the mighty and eternal work of our God through your circumstances.
Listen to me … God isn’t out to punish you. He’s not withholding his power or his healing out of punishment. He’s not trying to be mysterious or difficult. God is simply being MERCIFUL.
In everything God does, he is being merciful.
The delay is because he is giving time. And in that time he is working. Work you cannot see is happening as you walk in circles over this delay. God can make things happen in an instant, however he’s dealing with free willed spirits that are defiant and rebellious, and he responds with such mercy to give us time. Time to get it wrong so then he can help us get it right. Time to experience all we don’t want in life so we will then turn the other way and fight for what we do want. All while God is being merciful. Not forcing his children, but lovingly guiding his children.
He is here today with his mercy for you, for your spouse, for your children, for your loved ones.
While I’m frustrated saying “God, fix this – change this – this needs to happen now!” God is saying, “My mercy is at work here.” It is his mercy that creates true change. It is his mercy that we need, not a quick fix.
I’m here today saying I DON’T WANT A QUICK FIX – GOD I WILL WAIT. Will you say the same? Will you trust God’s timing in this? I’m over quick fixes. I’m not looking for a bandaid. God, I will wait for the real deal!
Lamentations 3: 22-23 says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
God’s love is steadfast. It is resolute, it is unwavering, it is relentless. While you’re playing stupid, God’s love will wait you out. While your children are being young and dumb and doing their darndest to royally screw up their lives, God will wait them out. He is steadfast. His love will NOT get worn out. He hasn’t give up on you and he won’t give up on them.
He’s here today with a dumptruck of mercy. Mercy with your name on it. Every single morning, you receive new mercy. Mercy that is more than enough, covering every area of your life.
Oh how God is faithful to show up again and again with new mercies for all we are facing. New mercies that strengthen us when we are weak, guide us when we are overwhelmed, and protect us when we are surrounded. Receive your mercy today.
God is merciful. He is compassionate. He is moved by your circumstances, but he is not shaken. He is never stuck in indecision over you. He’s never backed into a corner with no good options to help you. He sees it all – ALL OF IT – he knows every detail of what is happening, and even all the details you don’t see, scenarios you have never imagined, and he’s covering it all.
Remember, 1 Corinthians 2:9 says “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” You simply cannot imagine, your mind cannot fathom, how God is using every detail of your life for eternal impacts. You have no idea what he has been doing.
He’s not delaying. He’s being merciful. He’s not too busy to work in your life, he’s just busy being merciful. You only see the here and now, God sees the end from the beginning. He knows exactly where the missing puzzle piece is, it’s never been lost to him. You’ve never been lost to him. She’s never been lost. He’s never been lost. His eye is firmly planted on them … on you. And he’s working. His mercy is at work here.
He’s allowing time. He’s allowing missteps. He’s allowing delays. He’s allowing detours. BECAUSE HE IS GOD OVER IT ALL AND HE IS WORKING IN LOVE. He is working in ways you do not know.
Receive his mercy today. This is what you really need.
You don’t need answers. You don’t need details. You don’t need a big plan. You think you do, but you don’t. You just need a merciful, relentless, loving God to cover you … and that’s exactly what he has done.
You are covered. Covered by his care. Covered by his love. Covered by his power. Covered by his grace. Covered by his mercy.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What this world most needs is people showing up for every day life being their true and best selves, doing the things that make them come truly alive. Yes, this world needs you truly alive, doing the things you were created to do. Your family needs you alive like this. Your life is desperate for you to show up and do these things and live like this. And when you’re living anything short of truly alive, giving your true and best self, you feel unfulfilled. You feel empty. You feel bored. You’re left wanting and searching for something more.
If you feel a tinge of unfulfilled longing wondering if there’s more to life, this could be a sign you’re not living fully alive doing the very things you were created to do.
Romans 12:5 (MSG) “Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.”
What were you made to be? What did the creator have in mind when he made the one and only you? On the journey to discover and living your life’s purpose, you must first discover YOU. Who are you? If you don’t know YOU, how will you ever know your specific purpose?
Have you been so busy trying to get through life that you failed to realize the shoe of purpose you’ve been trying to wear doesn’t fit you? Oh what misery it is to wear a shoe that’s too small for you. And how awkward and clumsy we are in shoes too big for us. But a shoe that fits … ahhhhh yes, Cinderella, it feels so good. And so it is with your life purpose. It’s not a one size fits all. You must first know YOU so you know what fits you.
You were created for a purpose. The definition of purpose is the reason for which you were created. You didn’t come off an assembly line. You weren’t mass produced. You are a hand crafted, one of a kind masterpiece and within you are special gifts and talents that make you the perfect gal to fulfill a specific purpose. Does anyone else hear Liem Nieson in Taken saying “But what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.”
Girl I’m here to tell you that what you do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills that make you the ideal girl to fill your specific purpose in life. Skills, gifts, talents and passions given to you by a creator with a great big beautiful plan which you fit so perfectly. Who you are today is a result of your life experiences, and none of it is being wasted. Without God it’s all just a series of random unfortunate events, with a few disasters and a few beautiful messes along the way, where nothing makes sense. But with God, it’s all part of a great big design to equip you for your life’s work. Preparing you to become YOU.
Each of us have a different design with a different purpose. We weren’t made to be the same. All this time you’ve been trying to fit in when you were made to stand out. You can spend your entire life searching for your big purpose, but what you must remember is it begins with WHO YOU ARE.
Romans 12: 6-8 “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Do you see that list? It’s a list of things you likely dismiss so quickly as unimportant, but God felt it was so important that he specifically included it in his word. Encouraging is a gift. Giving is a gift. Leading is a gift. Being kind is a gift. Serving is a gift. Teaching is a gift.
So God has given us different gifts and talents for doing certain things really well. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT … you weren’t left out. You weren’t skipped over and somehow missed when God was passing out these abilities. What he has given you, he expects you to use it with faith, use it well, take it seriously, and do it gladly.
I have a friend who is honestly just a really good mom. Wow how she shepherds her children. As she has taken her gifting seriously and used it with faith, she now has over 50 children and run the 99+1 Mission house we partner with! And she thought she was just good at raising kids? God saw serious potential in that!
I have a friend who is truly just so generous. She would literally give you the shirt off her back. When she started using her gifting of generosity, God started filling her cup so full she couldn’t keep up. The gifts she has been able to give in just the first 37 days of this year are beyond anything she could have possibly imagined. And she just thought she was generous and always taken advantage of before. God knew better!
I have a friend who is a grammar Nazi. She can sniff out a typo or misplaced comma a mile away. Guess how she is now using her special gift? She’s helping edit the ‘Holy Peptalk’ BIG Life Devotional you will have in your hands this year!
I’m just a girl who is a cheerleader at heart who could pep talk a rock. When I got serious about using my pep and my words, God got serious about using me to speak to YOU.
What are you good at? GOD WANTS IT!
Don’t tell me you’re not good at anything. What a cheap shot to your creator. I’m not buying that crap and you shouldn’t either. Stop playing little in your own life. When you belittle yourself, you’re not only diminishing your value and worth, you’re cheating your entire world of what you are here to give. Stop that. You are a masterpiece because you were made by the master. When the master made you, he made you by design with a purpose.
If you were making a coffee cup, you would give it a specific design. Qualities making it perfect for holding your coffee. You can examine the qualities of an object and determine what it was designed for. If the object is sharp and has a handle, you know it was made to hold and cut. If it has a lid, it was made to contain. If it has a cord, it was made to plug in and turn on.
By design, we too are created for a purpose. Your purpose can be found in WHO YOU ARE.
You’re not born into your purpose. You’re born into the person that will GROW into your purpose. It’s all a journey of growth bringing you to your purpose and it begins with who you are and using what you’ve been given.
Do you empathize with people? Do you have the patience of a saint or are you a cut the crap, tell it like it is person … both are gifts, don’t miss that. Are you good with numbers or good with creating fun? Are you organized or are you Creative? Are you Strong or are you Sensitive?
I encourage you to start asking yourself what you’re good at and what life has brought you through. How were you designed and could it all be for a purpose? The enemy will try to tell you this is foolish. He’s been telling you your whole life that you’re nothing special and the gifts and talents you have are insignificant. Oh yes he has … and Satan is a liar from Hell. Refuse to listen to his nonsense today. Honor your creator by honoring his creation.
Rise up and claim the gifts and talents God has given you. Rise up and declare what you are good at. Rise up and boldly use the growth you have experienced. What is your design and who were you created to be? No more playing little in this BIG Life. Let’s show up boldly for this day of life and be exactly what we were made to be!
Today, be aware of the gifts you have been given, and start using them intentionally as part of your purpose.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Every day of your life is held in the mighty hand of God. Every moment of your future is securely protected by the One who knows everything. Even when the enemy’s intended harm touches you, God says that harm will be turned around and used for good. Even when fire comes in and destroys your dreams, God doesn’t even flinch because he always had beautiful plans for those ashes.
Oh, how we are loved. Oh, how we are held. Oh, how we are divinely directed to a future immeasurably greater than we could ever ask or imagine. And oh, how we really, really DON’T SEE IT RIGHT NOW.
You don’t see the “immeasurably more” God has aligned for you when you’re staring at what can’t possibly be enough right now. You don’t see how tightly you are held when your whole world seems to be spinning out of control. You don’t feel relentlessly loved when you struggle to even look at yourself in the mirror. You don’t feel divinely guided when you seriously don’t know what the heck you’re going to do next.
BUT, HONEY, YOU ARE.
There’s a future being written for you by the hand of God that goes so far beyond the difficulties of today that you won’t even be able to see this in the rear-view mirror. There’s a good plan for your life that miraculously takes the details of your “now”, and creates a “next” that you never saw coming.
This is what the finger of Jesus does … he writes a better story for you.
Have you ever thought about the time when Jesus knelt and drew in the dust with his finger? What he was doing and why he was doing it was never explained in scripture, but I’ve been studying and seeking to understand what Jesus was doing then, and what he is doing now.
The story is found in John 8, verses 3-11: “As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
What was Jesus writing in the dust? When asked about the sin of this woman, why would he stoop down and begin writing with his finger? When asked about her punishment, why would he begin writing again?
What he wrote was not revealed. Think about this, what if he was writing a new story for this woman? What if it was the finger of Jesus who wrote a story of her forgiveness, her redemption, and her totally new life from this day forward?
And what if he wants to write a new story for you too?
What if you don’t need to walk in guilt or shame for one more day? What if your struggle isn’t intended to burden you beyond this point? What if your addiction, your affliction, your condition, meets a line drawn in the dust at your feet where Jesus says, “this will be no more.” And what if this doesn’t get to be drug with you into what God has for you next.
The accusations ended right there for this woman. Jesus settled it. Her accusers all walked away and only Jesus was left. Jesus was left with this woman who still felt guilt. She still felt shame. She was still accusing herself. But then Jesus said, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Her next step was the first step into the future Jesus had written for her. It was the first step into a life without condemnation. The guilt was gone. The shame was lifted. Her life had been not only saved, but it had been redeemed of every wrong.
Honey, don’t you know Jesus is writing a story for you with his finger? He’s drawing in the dust, making plans that reach far beyond today’s problems. He’s writing it out on your behalf, drawing lines that declare this will not continue, and making a way for new things in your future.
Did the woman know what Jesus was writing? Did the accusers know what Jesus was writing? Because of their tradition, they must have assumed Jesus was writing her name and the sin she had committed. It was their law that anyone caught in the act of adultery must be brought to the temple gates and stand judgment. The sentence for this offense was death by stoning. The priest was to write down the law that had been broken and the names of the accused, often times, this was done in the dust of the temple floor.
So stopping to write in the dust in this situation was nothing new. But this was the finger of Jesus writing now. There’s tremendous power in that hand. Jesus is God made flesh. And we’ve heard about the finger of God writing before. Where was that? Do you remember? It was the law. The 10 Commandments. Exodus 31:18 “When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God.”
And remember what the accusers of this woman said to Jesus, “The law of Moses says to stone her.” It was God’s finger that had written, “Thou shall not commit adultery”, and clearly this woman was guilty. But now, God’s finger is made flesh in Jesus and he is rewriting her entire future. A future no longer limited by her past. A future reaching beyond her sin. A future made possible only by the grace and mercy of a loving savior who said THIS WILL NOT BE THE END OF YOUR STORY!
And he says that for you too. What you did, what happened to you, what you went through, this will not be the end of your story. Romans 8:1 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
This is what Jesus was writing in the dust. Not her sin and her guilt. He was writing that she belonged to him. He was writing his name over her transgression, and her future filled with hope.
Jesus is saying to you today, “my girl, there is no condemnation for you because you are mine. I’ve rewritten your story. I’ve changed the rules for you. What was impossible has been made possible. All that has held you back before will not pass the line I draw here today. This ends here, and your story goes on.”
This woman was sure her life would end that day with the writing of her name and her sin. Instead, everything changed that day when the finger of Jesus wrote something totally different. I wonder what she did with her life from that day forward. I wonder what freedom and forgiveness she must have walked in. I wonder how many other adulterous women she helped overcome their guilt and shame and live free from their own sin.
And I wonder what you will do with a life that has been radically changed because instead of condemnation, you have received the story of a life that continues with an unlimited potential. Who will you help now? How will you use your story? What freedom will you walk in today because the finger of Jesus has drawn some lines on your behalf, and you won’t be moving forward with that burden for one more day.
Jesus has been writing in the dust for you, and it’s the story of a life that is immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine! All you have to do is receive it and partner with him in doing life different.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes does it feel like you do everything right, yet things still don’t go right for you? You follow the plan, and the plan doesn’t work. You do the work, but you’re not rewarded for the work. You give extra, but extra never seems to come back to you.
Oh, girl, do I ever have a message for you today!
This is a message to my sisters who feel like they are under appreciated. Like their slow progress doesn’t equal their continued effort. Like their time will never come.
Maybe you’re discouraged this morning. Maybe you’re just tired. Tired of doing all these things that seem to never be good enough. I get it. Me too. I’m on a passionate journey to health this year. I’ve committed to losing 25 pounds, returning to running, completing a half marathon, and treating this body like the temple it was created to be. Each Friday I weigh in to track my progress. Y’all, after a full week of staying 100% on plan, running, denying my cravings, and busting my butt, I gained .7 pounds.
Sometimes don’t you want to just scream, “what the actual heck is this?!!!!”
You clean all day, and in a matter of 15 minutes the house is a mess again.
You show up early to work and you’re the one who always stays late, yet someone else gets chosen for the promotion.
You do everything for your family, yet someone else is always the favorite.
You have been nothing but kind, and your kindness is taken for weakness and you’re taken advantage of again.
You do the work, but you don’t get the praise.
You do the same thing someone else is doing, while you watch them succeed and you stay stuck.
What the actual heck?!!!!
Don’t you just want to give up? I mean really, what’s the point? If you’re not going to be promoted, if you’re not going to be chosen, if you’re not going to be appreciated, if you’re not going to move forward, why would you keep working so hard?
I get it. I think those same thoughts and feel those same feelings. And here’s what our sweet, sweet God does for us right when we need it most … He leads us to a story in the Bible we’ve likely never even noticed before, and he shows us how HE is always watching and plans to honor our commitment.
It’s the story of a young woman named Rebekah and a bunch of camels. A story of a woman who was willing to do the hard work without expectation of anything in return. A woman who was ridiculously kind, not because of what she would get out of it, but because of who God created her to be. And what happened as a result.
Abraham was the father of Issac. Issac was a prized and precious son because his parents had waited on him their whole lives. His mother, Sarah, was barren. When Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100, God miraculously gave them the son he had promised. When you have a child like that, and that child grows up, you don’t want them to marry just anyone. You’ve got one shot at getting the right daughter-in-law to give birth the next generation.
Abraham desired a wife for his son from his homeland. So, he sent his servant on a journey with 10 camels hundreds of miles away to find the woman God had set apart for his son. This woman would return to Canaan to marry Issac, but it would be no easy task finding the right woman who would be willing to leave her family and travel with this stranger for hundreds of miles on camels to spend the rest of her life.
Now the servant has arrived in Abraham’s hometown after his long journey and we pick up in Genesis 24: 11-20:
“He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.
“O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”
Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”
“Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.”
Admittedly, when I read this story, I envisioned setting out a dog bowl for the camels to have a little drink. That’s not what happened here. What Rebekah offered to this complete stranger was hours of hard work. I did the research. Thirsty camels after a trip like they had just made, can drink 20 to 30 gallons of water. There were 10 camels. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. Do the math. Rebekah has offered to carry anywhere between 1,600 and 2,400 pounds of water from a well to a watering trough.
And we know there was running involved. It says she RAN back to the well to draw water for ALL of his camels. And she would give them not just a sip, but water until they had had ENOUGH to drink, meaning all they wanted. And she did all of this for a man she didn’t know with zero expectation of anything in return. She gave because it was who she was.
And sis, when you give because of who you are, who you are will be recognized. Maybe not immediately, but eventually all you do from this genuine place of who you are, will come to light. God sees everything you do. He knows your effort. He knows your kindness. He hasn’t missed seeing a single thing you’ve done. And honey, your time is coming!
Rebekah did all of this because of who she was. And that was exactly the kind of woman Abraham’s servant had prayed to find as the perfect wife for Issac.
Verse 21 “The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission.”
What if today, there is someone who has prayed God would show them who to choose for a fabulous opportunity, and what if God is showing them YOU! What if all you have been doing is about to come to light and be seen? What if all your efforts that seem to have been in vain are for a time such as this … a time when your character will be on full display showing who you are.
Rebekah returns to Canaan with Abraham’s servant and marries Issac. Verse 67 “He loved her deeply.”
She was chosen. She was loved. She was set apart to be part of something special. 40 generations later, from this woman who was simply willing to water a stranger’s camels, came Jesus!
God is looking for someone who will be faithful, someone who will be kind, someone who will be generous, someone who will keep showing up even when progress is slow … and when he finds that someone, he has a special invitation to make her part of something she simply can’t imagine.
Let it be you.
Let it be you that keeps working. Let it be you that keeps giving. Let it be you that keeps being kind when others aren’t. Let it be you that does good because of WHO you are, not because of what anyone will say or do in return. Let it be you that keeps doing the right thing while surrounded by the wrong things.
I wonder how many times Rebekah had gone to extreme measures to show kindness to others and absolutely nothing happened for her? God had been watching. All this time, God knew, she was the one who he could trust to be in the lineage of Jesus.
And all this time, God has been watching you. Watching you through the disappointment and the delay. Watching you through the hurt and the hardship. Watching you through the struggle and the setbacks. Let him see you are faithful through it all!
So, whether you’ve been working your butt off and the scale still isn’t moving …
Whether you’ve been giving your all and no one says thank you …
Whether you’ve been making major sacrifices and still see no benefit …
Whether you’ve been stepped on while you’ve been kind …
None of that matters. God is watching. You keep doing the right thing. You keep showing up because of WHO YOU ARE, and just when you least expect it, God is going to bring an opportunity to you that will blow your mind!
Water the camels today. It might just lead to a life greater than you could have ever imagined! God does awesome things like that for his faithful girls.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What is the point of life? Is the point of your entire existence to accumulate stuff and make yourself as comfortable as possible? Really, at the end of your life, will you look back and say, “Wow, I sure felt comfortable.”
How much of life are you sitting it out on all in an effort to protect your comfort and safety? You sit in your little bubble, doing the same exact things you’ve always done, only seeking that which is guaranteed to be safe, going after the low hanging fruit of life that is easy to grab, then wondering why you feel an empty ache within you that desires more.
Girl, you weren’t designed for comfort and safety. Your bones heal. Your hair grows back. Your heart skips a beat, then starts back up. Your entire being was made for risk and change, overcoming and rising above. It’s who God decided you are, and how he decided your life would be. Risk takers. Change makers. Dreamers and doers. Chain breakers. Water walkers. Impossible things made possible because of the space God designed within you to hold his Spirit.
Then here comes the enemy. He can’t defeat you because of the Spirit that is within you. He can’t lessen your power. So, here’s what he does … he tries to make you forget your power.
Do you realize how the Devil makes you forget your God given power? One way is, he makes you comfortable!
As you become comfortable in life, you become soft. You experience a little ease, then you crave more ease. And here in this place of comfort and ease where threats seem to be held back, the real threat is happening within. Within, you are atrophying.
Atrophy: The wasting away of a body as a result of not being used.
You have muscle. If you stop using that muscle, it will atrophy and eventually get to the point of no longer being usable. You have strength, you have courage, you have willpower. But Honey, if you don’t use it, you lose it. And you better believe your enemy knows that!
Let me tell you what the enemy did to me. He offered me the promise of a guaranteed paycheck, while the prompting of a greater purpose wasted away within me. He offered a big beautiful home with a maid, while my adventurous spirit quietly died in the corner. He offered comfort on my couch, while my confidence was smothered by my lazy weight gain. He offered buy it and have it now, while I dug deeper ruts of debt that would hold me back from the freedom I desired.
The real me, the woman God created me to be, was at a total state of atrophy. I was wasting away with a big paycheck, a big house, a comfortable life, and all the stuff a girl could ever hope for.
Understand, this is why you can sometimes arrive to the destination in life you were working so hard for, only to feel empty inside. This is why everything can look so darn good on the outside, while you’re wasting away on the inside. You weren’t designed for a comfortable, easy, safe, plannable life. You’re trying to plan it all out, and Sis, that’s simply not the way it works! Your plans are sucking the life out of you! Your pursuit of safety is creating misery in the process.
God created those bones of yours to heal because he knew they would get broken along the way. Just because something can get broken doesn’t mean you put it on a shelf and never use it. Your life is here for living, and if it gets a little messed up, you have a Creator who is also a Healer, a Redeemer, and a Restorer. Go ahead and take a risk, make a change, step out in faith. Your hair will grow back!
Where are the stories in the Bible of people who played it safe? People who didn’t take any risks. People who chose comfort over a calling. There aren’t many, because the truth is it’s the ones out there living and taking risks that are written about! It’s the ones showing up and doing things that we read about.
We read about Moses, we read about Peter, we read about Daniel, we read about David. Their stories live on. We know their names!
But there is a story of an unnamed man in the Bible. A man who missed his opportunity. You need to know about him. In Matthew 19, there was a rich young man who encountered Jesus, and Jesus told him in verse 21, ““If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The next verse says, “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
And that was the end of his story. We never hear about him again.
Do you realize Jesus was giving this man an invitation to be his disciple? It was the same invitation he gave to all the others, “Come, follow me.” Because they were willing to leave everything they had, they experienced life with Jesus like no one else. They not only saw the miracles, they were part of the miracles. They were vessels used to write the words we still read today! But this young man just couldn’t accept the invitation and went away sad. Why? Because he had so much.
Let me tell you something, the enemy doesn’t just come to take from you, he also comes to give you so much that you miss the entire point! If taking it all away will get you stuck in a dark pit of depression, then he takes. But if giving you comfort and ease will get you stuck in the busyness of life while refusing the invitation to the purposes of God, then game on, he gives!
He gives you a comfortable job where you completely lose your identity.
He gives you the money that makes you greedy to only focus on getting more.
He gives you so much to take care of that you miss God’s sweetest opportunities.
And we are tricked with ease. We are tricked with comfort. We are tricked with safety. We are tricked with more.
But honey, “more” from the pits of Hell cannot possibly compare to the “more” from the heavenly realms!
Yes, the devil has more for you. More to distract you. More to overwhelm you. More to make you settle in to a little existence where life has become predictable and comfortable. All for the purposes of making you miss out on Jesus’ invitation to life.
Jesus says, “Come, follow me.” Well, girl, what’s holding you back?
What could life be without those ties? FREEING!
What could life be without those comforts? UNCOMFORTABLE …. And soooooo much bigger.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “I came that you might have life, and have it to the full.”
Life with Jesus is fulfilling. It is not easy. It is not comfortable. It is not predictable. It’s more like a wild ride where you are holding on tight with whiplash. But dang, is it fulfilling.
There’s no atrophy in a life with Jesus. There’s risk and chance and change. There’s uncertainty and challenges and a few broken bones that are promised to heal along the way. And there’s a fullness to life like you’ve never experienced in that bubble you’ve been trying to find and hide in.
If you’ve been missing the excitement in life, could it be because you’ve opted for safety over fully following Jesus? That rich young man turned away from Jesus and went back to his life of comfort and stuff. He had no idea what he was missing out on. He missed out on water walking lessons. He missed out on healings, and miracles, and a calling that would radically change the trajectory of his life.
You don’t want to miss out on this, Sis.
Is God prompting you to let go of something to pursue him more? Is he stirring a desire within you that will require a change? Is he extending an invitation to you right now for something more, but it will require you to make space first?
Remember the WWJD bracelets we used to wear? What Would Jesus Do? Jesus took risks. Jesus sought his calling over his comfort. Jesus chose eternal over easy. That’s what Jesus did. Now, what will you do?
When you’re old and dying, don’t you want to look back and say “Wow, I’m glad I went for it”, instead of “Wow, I’m glad I was so dang comfortable.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What significance is this day of life for you? Is it of any value? Of any great importance? Will today’s date be remembered in any way in your lifetime?
For some brand new souls taking their very first breath, today is the beginning of life for them. Babies are being born today. Life is beginning. All that God has been creating in unseen places is being revealed today, and their existence will be seen. It is the day God assigned for their birth, and here they are. How absolutely glorious!
But that’s not you. You’ve already been here for a while. This is my 17,277th day of this life. Go ahead and go to daysold.com and discover what day of life this is for you. Today’s date does not mark the beginning for you.
For some souls who have completed their journey on Earth, today is the end of this life for them. They will take their final breath today. I was there with my Daddy as the veil between Heaven and Earth grew so thin. I heard him letting out deep belly laughs and saying “Oh, Jesus is so funny.” Then he would smile with such peace and say, “everyone is so happy here.” And then came his final breath with us, followed by his first in an eternal paradise. It was his end date. Today’s date will be that end marker on some lives.
But what about the rest of us? If this isn’t the day life begins, or the day life ends, is this day just somewhere in the middle with no tremendous value or importance? Is this day lost in the dash between the beginning and the end?
No, let me tell you exactly what this day is for the blessed souls who have a little living already under their belts, but haven’t arrived to the end yet: Today isn’t the day we begin, and today isn’t the day we end, today is the day we CONTINUE.
We continue to live. We continue to show up. We continue to receive and give and allow life to flow through us.
It can all get lost in that dash between the two big dates our lives will be remembered by, but today is the day we CONTINUE. If you are alive today, which I know you are because you’re hearing this, today, you continue!
Oh, how important it is for you to continue. No matter what the circumstances may be, your life continues today.
Acts 17:28 “For in him we live and move and exist.”
What Paul was saying in this scripture is our God is a living God. He is not some statue or idol that sits still. He is alive, he is moving, and it is in him that we live. This word ‘live’ is a translation of the Greek word for the physical vitality of life. There is a distinctive energy of God that rises up and gives us life. We don’t move and we cease to exist without God. Your entire existence depends on the one who Created you. The only way you CONTINUE to exist today is because God has declared this exact day of life for you.
This means there’s meaning and purpose to this day. It’s not just a blank dash between the day you were born and the day you die. It’s a precise day ordained by God for your very existence. It’s a day God declared your life would continue because he wants you here.
So, how could you ever declare your life as unimportant? How could you ever dismiss yourself as not enough or unworthy? You are wanted by the Almighty. You are specifically chosen by the One who created the entire universe to be here today. He has breathed life into you and presented a new day with opportunities this morning, with the intention that you would live, move and exist in him.
Today, your life CONTINUES!
Deuteronomy 30 has 4 paragraphs with the title “Choose Life or Death” in my Bible. This is a book written by Moses. Remember, baby Moses floating down the Nile river in a basket, rescued by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter, then raised in the palace. Remember, Moses who stood up to Pharaoh and demanded “let my people go”, then led the Israelites out of captivity to take them on a journey to their Promised Land. Moses who God used to part the Red Sea. Moses who went up on a mountain and came back down with 2 stones inscribed by the very finger of God known as the “Ten Commandments”.
Yeah, that Moses. He knew a thing or two about life and death. He had experienced a whole lot of God’s promptings leading him to very uncertain and uncomfortable places to do things he didn’t feel qualified to do, and he had seen God’s power doing impossible things right before him. And Moses says, let me tell you about this dash you have between the day you’re born and the day you die.
Verse 11 and 14: “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.”
Basically Moses is saying, what I’m about to tell you is not impossible for you. What you need to do today is already within you. It’s not something you have to go search for. Your Creator has already made this know to you. You’re not dismissed because of any of your problems or excuses. THIS IS FOR YOU TODAY.
Verse 19-20: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses, between prosperity and disaster. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.”
Today, this day, you have a choice to make. It’s a choice between life and death. Yip, right here in between, in your dash called your lifetime. Here sits today with a choice between blessings and curses. Between prosperity and disaster. Which do you want? What do you choose?
If you want life that comes with blessings and prosperity, there is a key, and that key is the choice to love God, obey him and commit yourself firmly to him.
It’s a choice, Sis, and it’s a daily choice. Today, as your life is offered to CONTINUE, will you choose to love God? Will you choose to obey him? Will you choose to commit yourself firmly to him?
It’s when we act like greedy, spoiled brats that we create chaos in our lives. It’s when we demand our way, and our way right now, that we make a mess of things. It’s when we fail to seek God first and start making choices under our own power, then we realize we weren’t not possbily obeying God because we weren’t asking God. It’s when we make a commitment, but we don’t stick to that commitment and we waiver because we just didn’t “feel” like following through with that commitment today.
This is the curse. This is the disaster. And we miss that today, in the middle of life, we have a choice. That choice determines our experience.
Remember, Moses was sharing this lesson with the Israelites who he was leading out of captivity in Egypt to the land God had promised them. If they would just CONTINUE living by loving God, obeying him, and sticking with their commitment to him, they would live in blessings and prosperity.
But, they didn’t. They didn’t obey. They grew impatient. They grew grouchy. They grew ungrateful. They grew fearful. And even though God had made a way for them to continue, they didn’t. They stopped on their journey before their destination, and there in the desert, they died.
Why? They forgot the key to life. The key to life God had given Moses to teach them, and now teach us so we don’t make the same mistake.
And it’s not a command that is too hard for us. It is not out of our reach. We literally have no excuses. God has already put the ability within us to live exactly as he has told us. We not only have the ability, but honey, it’s what we were built for. We were built to love God. Our very existence depends on him. We were built to obey God. It’s why there’s a little something within us that makes us feel yucky when we don’t and great when we do. We were built to be committed firmly to him, because we are held so perfectly in the palm of his hand every single day of our lives.
So today isn’t the beginning of life for you, and if it’s not the end of life for you, then you’re in the all important “CONTINUE” part of your life. You continue living today. Today is of tremendous value and importance, and you have the key to living it in a way that brings blessings over curses, and prosperity over disaster.
Love God.
Obey God.
Stay committed to God.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
It’s the final day of the first month of this year. You made it. And maybe you not only made it through this month, but you actually made progress. Oh girl, good for you!
I had a zoom call last night with some women who shared their breakthroughs in the month of January. Big battles fought and victories won. Major obstacles overcome. Hard work creating success and new found confidence. Oh there is simply nothing more beautiful on a woman than the sense of knowing she just did what she said she was going to do. I saw it on their faces in that zoom. A new spark. A revived purpose. A powerful force.
And maybe that’s you. You showed up this month and you did what you said you were going to do. Now maybe it wasn’t perfect, but you’ve made progress. You’re ending January better than you began. Sis, that’s a victory.
Now, first, I want you to recognize anytime you end a month better than you began, you’ve been beating the enemy. His plan is to always hold you back and make you sink a little deeper into that rut. His plan is always to make you feel a little worse, and a little more stuck in little ways of living. He’s done that to you before, right? You know that feeling. So honey, if you’re not more stuck than you began, you’ve been winning. If you’ve even made a little progress, you held him back.
But, you need to know, there’s so much more in you. God has put more in you than just the strength to hold the enemy back. He put the strength in you to defeat him. Remember Romans 8:37 says “overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
OVERWHELMING VICTORY is God’s plan for you. This is what he has equipped you for. This is what he set you up for. And until you’re walking in overwhelming victory where the enemy’s attacks are completely demolished, you’re still on your victory journey. On this journey, don’t stop and settle for just holding your ground. Don’t assume small wins are all you have in you. No, you have been set apart for overwhelming victory.
You know what overwhelming victory looks like in your life? It looks like you not only overcoming this attack from the enemy, but it looks like you then turning that attack on him and using your victory to help others in the same battle. It looks like you overcoming so you can show others it’s possible. It looks like you being a totally different person living a radically different life because you overwhelming beat this!
Overwhelming victory is God’s plan for you in this. However, that victory requires something of you. It requires you to keep showing up. It requires you to not back down when the next attack comes. It requires you to keep fighting for the purpose for which you were created, and settle for absolutely nothing less along the way.
For many, we started this new year of life with a resolve to change some things. And I’m seeing proof of a whole lot of people still showing up for those commitments. I’m seeing evidence of victories won and progress made. But, now what?
What do you do after you’ve made progress? What do you do after month 1 where you managed to overcome some bad habits, but you know the threat of their return is always on your heels? What do you do when this month is over and a whole new one begins? A new month with circumstances you have not yet navigated. Problems you’re not prepared for. Temptations stirred up in the pits of hell to derail you.
Yeah, you need to know it’s coming! Just because you won a little in January doesn’t mean the devil is waving the white flag and forfeiting the fight for 2023. It means he’s scheming the next attack because he knows your continued growth, your continued change, your continued forward momentum will be an even bigger threat, so he’s gotta shut that down! Get that girl back in bondage. Get her back in the darkness of depression. Get her back in the overwhelm of her excuses. Get her back in that regret and shame.
Yes, Sis, Satan wants you back! He wants you back where you were stuck. Back where you didn’t know the power you have within you to fight his temptations. Back where you were playing little in your own life. Back where you never felt enough or worthy.
After this month, are you going to let him take you back?
YOU CAN’T!!!!
This morning I began studying the battle stories of Elijah. 1 Kings 18, God had rained down his power for Elijah through fire and given him a great and impossible victory. After this victory, verse 42, “Elijah bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” He knelt in prayer.
If you’ve had any amount of victory here this month, kneel in prayer. Give honor and praise to the one who is worthy. The one who has strengthened you. The one who has given you every single opportunity you’ve ever had. The one who made a way when there was no way. You are here with your little spark again, with your confidence growing, with your progress, now remember you didn’t do this alone! God enabled you to overcome. He empowered you to make those changes. He guided you in your choices. Bend down to the ground, put your face between your knees, and thank him!
Seriously, that needs to happen TODAY!
This is what we do at the end of a month when we’re realizing even the tiniest victories in our battles. Thank you God, I know I couldn’t have done this without you.
My mentor told me there’s a lesson in everything. A lesson in what to do, and a lesson in what not to do. Both are valuable.
Elijah showed us what to do after a victory. But what comes next is a lesson in what not to do. Let’s learn the lesson so we don’t dare repeat the mistake. I believe you will quickly see this is a mistake we’ve made in the past that has stopped our progress.
After God’s power had literally rained down in fire giving Elijah victory over Baal and in his prophets in 1 Kings chapter 18, we read a very different story in the very next chapter. Chapter 19 tells us of an evil woman named Jezebel who threatened Elijah. And this time, instead of calling on God for victory, verse 3 says, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.”
He ran. Forgetting the power that came through fire he had just seen giving him an overwhelming victory, he ran with the next threat.
Why do we do that?
Why would we forget all God has brought us through in the past? Look back. See what he has gotten you through before and know he will get you through anything that is next. If God strengthened us in January, he can strengthen us in February! If we overcame negative circumstances this month, why would we worry about what might derail us next month? Why would we run? Why would we assume we can’t overcome this threat too?
Elijah ran and hid in a cave. But God didn’t want him hiding from his problems, just like he doesn’t want you hiding from yours.
Verse 9, God says, ““What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Essentially he’s saying, boy, haven’t I given you victory before? What are you doing here hiding from this threat? Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know what I can do for you and through you?
Verse 15, God says ““Go back the way you came.” God called Elijah out of that cave and told him to go back. Go back to the problem you ran from. Go back and face this. Facing it is the only way you will receive your victory. And remember, God doesn’t have just any victory planned for you, he has overwhelming victory aligned for you!
Will February be easy? Probably not. Will you always feel like doing the next right thing? Nope. Will the enemy come at you and make you want to run and hide? Yes. But God is continually calling you out. Out of the pit where you got stuck last time. Out of the cave where you want to hide from it all. Out of the darkness where you just sit it out and let life pass. Out of the excuses that have been sucking the joy right out of you. Can’t you see what the enemy has been doing here? GET OUT OF THIS! You can beat this!
God has an overwhelming victory planned for you here and you will need to show up for it! Claim what is yours by using what has been given to you!
You can keep moving forward in victory. You can overcome every obstacle in your way. You can continue to get better, change, grow and improve in February. Make the commitment now that no matter what threats the enemy may bring, you won’t run and hide. You will remember what God did for you this month making these little victories possible, you will thank him for it, and you will proceed with confidence!
You can beat this! God is already showing you how.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If you will change the way you perceive things, your entire experience will change. At this very moment, you have immeasurable goodness and blessings in your life, however if you’re not intentionally recognizing them, they go unnoticed.
The enemy has been working overtime on your perception. What is your perception? By definition it is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through your senses. He has you so overstimulated with all the distractions of your noisy world, that you’re numb to the constant quiet presence of God. You’re chasing without recognizing you already have what you think you still want.
You and I are much like Eve. Eve lived in literal paradise. Every day was pure delight. She had never needed or wanted for anything. In one moment, the enemy came in and messed with her perception. He changed the way she saw her paradise. With one little twisted suggestion, he made her want the one thing that was never meant for her.
Genesis 3 in my bible is titled “Paradise Lost.” How was paradise lost for Adam and Eve? How did the enemy trick them, and is he tricking us still today?
Verse 1-13 ” The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man[a] and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
The serpent was the devil, our enemy, and he tricked Eve. Notice verse 6 says “The woman was convinced.” She was convinced what she had wasn’t good enough. She was convinced what she couldn’t have would be better.
The truth is, today we have little pieces of paradise, immeasurable goodness and blessings, and if we’re not careful, we too can be tricked into the enemy’s twisted plan. Tricked into trading all we have already been given, for what we think would be better. Where has the enemy been trying to convince you?
You have a husband, but you think a different husband would be better. Oh, Sis, be so careful. Is that the enemy trying to convince you into overlooking all you have and make you want what is not yours?
You have a house, but that house is already not good enough.
You have clothes, but Amazon and Shein surely has something you must have.
You have family, but Facebook shows you a better family and suddenly yours doesn’t look as good.
You have the job you once prayed for, but now you dread getting up to go to that job.
You were saved from God only knows what, healed from diseases you didn’t even know were a threat, and now you look at your body in the mirror with harsh and unloving eyes.
There are people who have poured into you, now your expectations of the continual pouring have made you bitter towards them.
Your prayers were answered and you have what you asked for, but now your blessings have become a burden and you just want a break from it all.
You have been convinced. Convinced what you don’t have is what you need. Convinced what you can’t do is what is still missing in your life. Convinced if you could just change this one thing, then life would be good. But the truth is, honey, we’re just like the woman we came from. We are about 120 generations from Eve, and we’re still struggling with the same exact thing. We’re losing paradise.
If absolutely nothing changed in our lives but our perception, most everything would change. You and I could receive the same exact thing, but the difference in our perception would create a radically different outcome. Here’s how ….
Every single one of us received a new day of life today. It’s the great equalizer. No matter where you live, no matter who you are, no matter what you do, you received 24 hours today, just like me. But, how you received today from the moment you woke up has changed your entire experience.
If Monday is greeted with a sense of anxiety, overwhelm, and dread, then those senses create your perception. Proof of every reason to be anxious, overwhelmed and filled with dread flood your awareness. With this perception, your energy levels respond, your mood aligns, and you show up to today looking for proof of what you suspected from the moment you woke up. And sis, “seek and ye shall find.” You will find it!
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Just because the enemy points it out to you doesn’t mean you have to be convinced. Just because the temptation is there doesn’t mean you have to take a bite. Honey, paradise is here for you today, you don’t want to lose this!
You can literally train your brain to dwell in gratitude. You can direct your thoughts toward the proof of paradise, and if you do, your entire experience will be different. You will be so convinced of your blessings, that the enemy’s offer of burdens simply has no space to dwell. You can be so focused on the immeasurable goodness in your life, that the lure of what you still don’t have is completely overshadowed.
Eve’s mistake was allowing the enemy to trick her into believing what she didn’t have would be better than what she already had. Oh, Eve, you live in paradise, but if you take a bite from this one forbidden tree, you will be even happier in paradise. WRONG!
You and I woke up to the promise of God’s mercies being brand new today. We woke up to a world held perfectly in the palm of God’s mighty hand. We woke up to more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine being miraculously aligned for us.
But, if our perception is off, we woke up to another reason to be offended. We woke up to something that is totally unfair. We woke up to work we have to do with people we just want to change. And Sis, we become bitter! Bitter women, living little lives, teaching the next generation to do the same.
And this perception has become our reality.
God is all around us, but we no longer perceive it. It’s all being made possible, but we’re not stepping into it. We’re wildly rich and ridiculously blessed, but we don’t feel like it.
We have been convinced.
Convinced people are bad, so we miss just how good the souls around us really are.
Convinced we don’t get what we want, so we miss we already have so much of what we wanted.
Convinced life isn’t fair, so we miss how darn lucky we are that we don’t really get what we deserve.
Convinced this is too hard, so we miss the unstoppable power we have been offered.
No, Satan, you will not convince me. You will not cause this girl to lose the paradise she already has!
Life is good and I’m preparing for an eternal future of perfection.
People are good because they carry Jesus in them.
Here is good because I know all God brought me through to get me here, and I know he’s not finished with me yet.
Today is good because this the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it, regardless of circumstances.
This paradise is protected with a mind set on the immeasurable goodness and blessings I already have!
Genesis 3:23 “So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.”
We woke up in our garden this morning. A garden that may not be perfect and we may not have it all, but dang girl, look at all we do have. Let’s not be banished from our garden because of our jacked up perception. Let us not be convinced by the enemy’s tricks which twist our blessings into burdens.
I’m here in my garden this morning, and I’m so grateful. Aren’t you? With the right perspective, it really is paradise.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Exactly 10 years ago today I was getting ready to step out in faith and do something simply because God told me to. Not because there would be financial gain, popularity, or increase of absolutely anything. I felt I had nothing to gain by doing what I was about to do, but I knew God has asked me to do it.
What was I doing 10 years ago today? Preparing to host my first ever devotional. And I was NOT excited about it in the slightest.
Our 3 kids were in middle school and we had just sold everything we owned and moved to a little beach cottage in Southern California. We had drastically simplified our lives and stepped away from the cluttered rush life had previously become. The last thing I was looking for was something more to add to my plate. The last thing I desired was a long term commitment that would stretch me so far beyond the confines of my comfort zone that I would lose sight of what was once even comfortably normal.
But that’s exactly what would happen.
It was one of the few times I can tell you I heard the voice of God. Not in an audible sense, but it was deep within my spirit, and it said something I know I would have never said. This voice within said, “Start leading devotionals.”
Now you see, I wouldn’t have said that because honestly, I didn’t even know what a devotional really was. I didn’t read them and I certainly didn’t write them. This didn’t come from me, but it was directed to me. Start leading devotionals.
I was 100% convinced it was God, and I was also convinced he was wrong. So, I made a deal. I agreed to lead a devotional call for 1 week out of obedience, with the intention of proving I wasn’t the girl for the job. I would dismiss myself from the calling as soon as God saw I wasn’t capable of whatever this “devotional” thing was.
One week, God, you get one week.
That day my husband took me to Barnes and Noble and I found the Christianity section. That was new to me. I had never been in that section before. A little green book with trees on the front stood out to me. It was a 365 day devotional by Joyce Meyer, titled “Power Thoughts Devotional”. I walked out with my example of a devotional in my hand, and I went home to figure out how I was going to write 5 of these for the next week, and be done with it.
I opened the book and found words I could have never written. Scriptures I didn’t know. Teachings that spoke to me, but I could never speak them myself. So, with a deadline of 5 am the next morning nearing for my first live devotional, I did the only thing I knew to do … I plagiarized.
That morning, 10 years ago, I dialed in to host the first ever live devotional on conference call. There were about 20 others on the call, waiting to hear what God had given me. I would love to say I at least added my own stories and examples to it, but I didn’t. I didn’t know how. I was in way over my head, trying to be obedient to answer a call I was certain had the wrong number.
I 100% read the first devotional, word for word, and cried my way through it. I prayed a prayer I felt totally unqualified to pray. After 7 minutes of sheer misery, I ended the call and said “God, I told you I’m not your girl. Do we really have to do this again tomorrow?”
I continued to plagiarizer from Joyce Meyer’s book for a few weeks. And let me tell you what eventually started happening … the words I was reading started getting down into my soul. Those “Power Thoughts Devotionals” started changing my thoughts, and I started believing maybe God wasn’t looking for the most talented girl in the room, maybe he was looking for the available girl in the room.
10 years later, I can tell you that is all God has ever asked of me. To simply be available. Not to know all the answers. Not to always get it right. Not to always feel like it or even be great at it, but to always be available.
What could God do in the life of a girl like you if you would declare your life as available? Oh, Sis, you just have no idea! You have no idea what he could strengthen and empower you to do. You have no idea what gifts he could stir up in you that you didn’t even know you had. You have no idea how his power could flow through you to do things you’ve never done before.
But, don’t you want to know? Don’t you want to know what your life could become if you were just available?
You may have been so busy telling God you’re not it, that you’ve completely missed the fact that he can make you it! God’s spirit within you can give you more confidence than you ever imagined possible. You could start seeing his Spirit at work within you, and you could be completely blown away that somehow this is coming through you!
Do you need a special degree? Do you need a long list of talents? Do you need experience? No, Sis, you need one thing … an available space for God to fill. That’s it, just availability.
Consider your life like a big building. You have different rooms in this building for different purposes. Now suppose one of those rooms is empty and you decide to lease it out. A tenant moves into the available room, now they are part of the building. If they’re blasting music, the whole building hears the music. If they set fire to their room, the whole building could burn down. That one room eventually impacts your entire building.
God is just asking for one room in your busy life. One little space to come in and occupy. That’s all I gave him. I gave him a 1 week commitment to do these devotionals, when I didn’t even know what a devotional was. I gave him 15 minutes of my day, with a short leash. And pretty soon, he took over my whole building. My whole life was changed. All because I made a little space available for him.
Hebrews 13:21 “May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.”
I know this much for sure, every single time you make yourself available, he will equip you! He will produce good things in your life through the power of Jesus working in you, and they will be things you could have never done on your own.
Honey, this isn’t about how good you are, this is solely about how available you are! God is only looking for an available vessel for his power. His power will do the equipping in any life with space for him. Any building that offers him a room will be radically transformed, one space at a time.
And here’s the crazy thing, once you start experiencing God’s power working within you to do his good works, you actually start desiring those things. I had no desire to wake up at 4 am and write devotionals. I had no desire to speak to 20 people live on a conference call, let alone millions of people around the world at this point. I was NOT the girl to pray out loud because I would cry my way through the entire thing, and y’all, I’m an ugly crier. Now, 10 years later, only God could convince me to not get up and do this today!
No, I didn’t want to be doing this. I had no clue what in the world I was doing. (Well, actually that’s not true, I knew for the first few weeks I was plagiarizing off good ol’ Joyce, and I’ve repented of that.) I showed up for no other reason than to prove God had called the wrong girl. But every time I showed up, God proved he would equip this girl.
And my friend, he will do the same for you! Every time you show up, he will equip you. And as he equips you, the craizest thing will happen. Your desires will change!
Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
I dare you to show up for God today! I dare you to declare available space in your life today! Watch and see him not only equip you, but to change your desires!
This is what changes the girl who once only desired another drink, to desire helping other women find their sobriety.
This is what changes the girl who once lived in bondage, to show others how to live in freedom.
This is what changes the girl who once never had enough to make it through, to be the girl living in abundance with the most ridiculously generous heart you’ve ever seen.
God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases him. And all he needs to do all this work is an available space in your life.
Won’t you simply declare, “God I am available.”
I have 15 minutes of available space for you. Start there. Let him occupy that space and rock your entire life!
That’s exactly what he did for me, and he wants to do it for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You’re facing something right now that appears impossible, but God has already declared it possible. You’re wondering how in the world you will ever get through this, all while God has already designed the way.
But here’s the problem with the way forward for you … it may not look guaranteed. In fact, it may look highly unlikely and very uncertain. It may look sketchy and risky and totally not what you would expect from a God who parts mighty seas for his people to proceed.
I mean really, where’s your sea parting? Where’s your dry path to move forward? Where’s your certain way in the face of impossible odds? You’re not seeing it, are you?
And here’s why you’re not seeing it … you’re expecting to see God’s movement only after the end of the story has been revealed. It doesn’t look the same in the middle of the story. You want to know exactly how this is all going to work out. You want to know how long it’s going to take and how hard it’s going to be, before you ever take the first unsteady step. Life doesn’t work that way.
We know God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape from the Egyptians who were chasing them down to kill them. We know they walked through an impossible dry path while the sea stood on it’s end on both sides of them and they made it safely across. We know their enemies were swallowed by those same waters as they followed them. So we stand at our own impassable seas with threats chasing us down and say “God, where’s my escape? Where’s my rescue? Where’s my way through?”
But here’s what we may have missed in the story of the parting Red Sea. We missed the uncertainty of it. We missed the excruciating amount of time it took. We missed how dark and scary it must have been. We just know the sea parted and they passed.
Exodus 14: 21-22 “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”
Miraculous indeed, and easy for us to wish God would do the same in our lives, but we’ve been seeing this story with such confidence because we know the end. What if you were in the Israelites shoes and you didn’t know the end? What if this really looked like a death trap, because really, wouldn’t it?
Scripture tells us there were 600,000 men, plus women and children who followed Moses out of captivity in Egypt. That’s a crowd of about 2 million people. 2 million people on the run from an enemy chasing them down in chariots with the sole intent of killing them.
Imagine being a mama in that crowd trying to protect her children while fleeing. Imagine the fear and exhaustion. Now, here it is late at night, and you come upon an impassable sea. Not only a sea, but a wild wind blowing the water.
I’ve spent this month on Pensacola Beach where the waters are the prettiest color of turquoise and the beach is the softest white sand. It’s paradise. Paradise, until a storm blows in. The wind turns these calm waters into a raging sea of ferocious power. I wouldn’t get in that water. I certainly wouldn’t lead my family into that water.
But here you are, in a crowd of 2 million people with your family, running for your lives, and you come to the edge of the Red Sea when the winds are wild, and you see the crowd in front of you is entering the waters! They’re walking in! What would you do?
Standing on the beach looking at the horizon, you see approximately 1 mile. That’s on a clear and calm day. This wasn’t a clear and calm day. This was at night with a wind so wild it caused the water to stand on it’s edge. The Israelites had over 4 miles to travel to the other side of the sea. They couldn’t possibly see what was ahead of them.
My friend, this is what God making a way looks like. We have it all wrong in our head. We imagine a 6 lane highway magically appearing with flashing signs directing us. No, it looks like a death trap. It looks like total uncertaintity. It looks terrifying. It looks like the craziest possible option, and you’re walking in with no guarantees.
Now, think about this, with a crowd this size, there’s no possible way everyone could have seen the moment when Moses stretched his hand over the sea causing this clearing. There’s no possible way everyone could have heard the instructions to move forward. Let’s do the numbers. With 2 million people, if the crowd was moving forward in a group that was 100 people wide, that group would be 20,000 feet long. 20,000 feet is over 4 miles of people. This means even if they were walking through the sea bed at 100 people shoulder to shoulder, crowded with only 1 foot between one person’s chest and the next person’s chest, that line would be over 4 miles long. People would literally be just stepping onto the sea bed while others had already crossed.
You think there wasn’t panic? Heck, have you seen people fighting in line at the Chic-Fil-A? Imagine a 4 mile long crowd thinking at any moment that water will come crashing down on them. Crashing down on you and your family, in the dark, surrounding and overwhelming you. Imagine that for a moment.
They hadn’t seen the miracle for themselves. They were 4 miles away from the sea when the power of God worked through Moses to make it part. They weren’t there when they heard Moses with complete confidence give the orders to march on. They were just following along in the dark, doing really crazy things, with absolutely no promise they would make it to the other side.
And this is exactly what it looks like to step into the miraculous guidance of God.
Total uncertainty. Total risk. Total dependence. And a whole lot that simply doesn’t make any sense.
It looks like taking a job on the other side of the country and moving your family when it was so comfortable where you were.
It looks like stepping up and doing the right thing, when you know the right thing will cost you greatly.
It looks like showing up when you feel totally inadequate, with a complete dependence on God to do what you know you can’t do.
It looks like staring down the odds and deciding to live fully any way.
It looks like going unsure, proceeding scared, moving forward while still questioning, and knowing there’s absolutely no way this will work if God doesn’t do something big here.
It’s so easy for us to read the short story, “So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”
And then we wonder where our short story is. Why is this dragging on and on? Why is this taking so long? Why is this so hard? Why am I still so uncertain of the way? Why won’t God just tell me for sure what to do and how this is all going to work out? Well honey, you’re not reading your story yet, you’re living it. You’re in the long story where you don’t see the end, you just have to trust there is one.
You have to trust when it’s finally your turn to go, there will be enough for you. You have to trust God will hold those seas on their end for you to pass too. You have to trust in the middle of the darkness, there’s a way through it, so take the next step.
What next step, the one he guides you to. Yes, even when that step looks uncertain and unreliable. Even when you don’t understand it or see it all. Even when there are absolutely zero guarantees this will work. You move forward with God. This is how you pass through impassable seas in your life. And you won’t see it until you look back, but this really is all working together for your good.
God’s guidance and provision often looks like “Holy crap, what am I walking into!” If you’re seeking to follow God, sometimes you just have to walk right into it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
At some point, you arrive to a stage in your life when you look back and find the greatest discovery. The discovery that all this time, God was the author of your destiny. That through it all, he was leading you to his good plans, and they are plans you couldn’t dare to dream.
If you’re there, you know. You know the sweetness of looking back and seeing how God’s promise of working all things together for good were absolutely true for you. You see exactly how the hardest of times lead to unexpected growth, and that growth brought you to opportunities you would have totally dismissed yourself from.
I mean really, if you would have known all the details, you would have been too scared to show up, so guess what your loving Creator did just for you … He hid the details and revealed just enough to get you to take the next step. All while having a destiny aligned that you would have never felt worthy enough to pursue. One step at a time, he nearly tricked you into living a life bigger than you ever imagined.
Now, you look back and see all he did to bring you here, and it’s so clear he was always the author of your destiny. He was always writing your story with such beautiful detail, even when it appeared so hopelessly messy.
Some of us are there and we see it. We know it. We live it.
And some of us are still on that journey and we haven’t quite gotten to the reveal.
And most of us are a mixed bag of seeing it and living it in some areas of our lives, and still deep in the messy process in others.
I don’t know where you are, Sis, but I know this one thing is for sure, God is the author of your destiny.
Psalm 139: 16-17 “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”
Before your very first step, the step you are questioning today was already aligned. Before you ever knew what you were doing, the wisdom for you to do what is next right now was allotted for you.
Every day of your life has been recorded in God’s book, including this day. Including this season of your life. And God’s precious thoughts about you have all of this covered. He knows exactly what you’re facing. He knows every emotion you are feeling and every fear you wrestle with. He’s already thought about all of this, and per-written the way through it to a destiny promised to be good.
Sometimes, that’s exactly what you must cling to. You cling to a destiny promised by God to be good. A destiny that will one day make sense of today’s journey through the wilderness. A destiny that will be more than you could ever ask, think, or imagine, and make it all totally worth it.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Ephesians 3:20 “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
And honey, if you can’t see it in your life yet, you’re guaranteed it’s coming! How? God’s power working within you to align you with his plans for your future!
Sis, you’ve got to get that down deep in your soul. God’s power is working within you to align you with his ridiculously good plans for your future. Plans that are more than you could ever ask, think or imagine. That’s always been his plan, and his plan hasn’t been cancelled.
Realize God went all in for you. He bet EVERYTHING on you. He gave it all for you, confident that his good plans for your life would be worth it. How could he know? Oh honey, because he’s already written it all. He’s the author of your destiny and every day of your life has already been written in his book.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you’re a puppet on a string, or a robot programmed to take predetermined action. You have a part in this. You accept his invitation, or you don’t. You step into all that God has declared as possible in your life now, or you delay it greatly as you hesitate and question.
This life you are living is a partnership between the creator and his masterpiece. You are the masterpiece, he is the creator with a good plan. The masterpiece has a destiny, and the creator has aligned everything to bring the masterpiece into that destiny.
The masterpiece may get a little broken along the way. The creator is okay with that. He still knows her value.
The masterpiece may get a little lost along the way. The creator will always come looking for her. He’s willing to leave everything to rescue her and bring her back.
The masterpiece may stop feeling like a masterpiece, but that never changes anything. The creator has declared her worth from the very beginning and given his best to rescue her.
Isaiah 43: 1-4
Listen to the Lord who created you.
The one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.”
The same God who created you gave his son Jesus for you, all because you are precious to him and he loves you. All because he will stop at nothing to bring you to the destiny he has planned for you. All because he knows how this story ends, and he will go through anything and everything with you to get you there.
In some areas of my life, I can look back and see everything he brought me through to bring me to the fullness of today. I can see his hand at work in the details. I can see how he had to trick me into the next step, because if I would have known then what I know now, I would have totally dismissed myself from every opportunity because I didn’t feel worthy of these big plans.
I bet you can look back and see the same in your life, can’t you?
There are other areas of my life that are frustrating and confusing and honestly still a hot mess. I don’t see where all this hardship is leading. I don’t know how in the world God is going to work it all together for good. I’ve seen no progress. But in this, I am reminded God will go right through it with me, and he is leading me to a destiny that is more than I could ask, think, or imagine. I’ll get there and I will then see how he was always in every detail. Until then, I choose to trust him in the process.
Won’t you do the same? Won’t you trust him with all you can’t understand right now? Trust he’s done it for you before and he will do it for you again. He’s made a way when there was no way, so he will make a way here too. He’s opened doors before, he will open doors again. He’s turned the enemy’s intended harm and used it for good in your life in the past, he will do it again in your future.
Isn’t it an amazing discovery to realize God has always been the author of your destiny, and he’s still working!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How good does your life look on the outside, and how increasingly empty is it feeling on the inside?
Do you feel stagnant in life, having lost your passion and energy?
Are you an all-or-nothing type of person, and lately it’s been more nothing?
Have you been so busy just living that you’ve forgotten to be ALIVE?
Have the tasks and chores and the things on your to-do-list overshadowed the sheer fact that you woke up to the greatest gift today? The gift of a new day of life.
So the challenge is to find balance. To be living and be fully ALIVE. To be productive while being grateful. To care as much about your zest for life as the appearance of your life.
It’s easy to lose our balance, in fact I would venture to say it’s darn hard to maintain our balance. When life is out of balance, we quickly experience burn out. Hey sister, if you can’t find joy on the journey to your goals, you’ll likely never make it. And if you do, you’re going to be miserable and how long will you be able to force yourself to continue on in misery?
I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to sacrifice my happiness for a goal weight. I’m not willing to be miserable for the next 11 months to achieve anything. I’m not willing to skip out on living now to become someone I think I want to be next.
And here’s the great news … we don’t have to! We can achieve our goals, we can become more than we ever imagined, we can walk in the fullness of life like never before, and we can do it all without misery.
What’s the secret?
BALANCE.
Most of us are either too focused on work and forget the play, or we’re all about the play and the work doesn’t get done. Which one are you?
Do you recognize how this imbalance is not serving you? Do you agree that becoming your best will require both work and fun? What good are the size 8 jeans, the $20,000 in savings, and the clean house if you forget to be ALIVE? You can’t just go through the motions here. You gotta throw your whole body into this thing.
Many of us are walking around feeling stagnant. Our lives on the outside are beautiful, picture perfect, you may even have all the things you once prayed for – but inside we’ve lost our passion and energy for more. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had women come to me and say, “my life is really good, I just can’t figure out why I’m still not happy.”
For my girls here at the retreat with me, life has been ridiculously good together the past 5 days, right? We’ve lived big, we’ve created memories that will last a lifetime. We’ve done things we’ve never done before. We’ve breathed in life. We’ve laughed and cried and had tremendous breakthroughs. And today, you go home. You go home to a home that hasn’t changed. You go home to a family that is still the same. This energy and zest you have within you today will be met with a reality threatening to suck the life out of you. Plus you carry home a bag full of dirty clothes, no chef to cook for you, and quite possibly crappy weather.
How will you protect this feeling you have inside right now when it comes crashing into your real life that hasn’t experienced the same?
For everyone that’s at home, everyone that hasn’t had an adventure in a long time, everyone that wakes up to the same boring reality on a merry go round that lost it’s merry a long time ago, let me say this … it doesn’t have to be this way. If life is boring, you’ve just gotten busy living and forgotten to be ALIVE.
Maybe on the outside things look good, but on the inside, are you losing your passion and energy?
This is how the enemy often attacks us. He allows things to look good on the outside so you will silently struggle alone. Perhaps even worse than having nothing is having most everything, and still feeling empty. Guilt and shame set up shop inside and convince you something is deeply wrong with you in the middle of a life that looks so darn good on the outside.
No one knows to reach out to you because you look like you’ve got it all together. All while the enemy is working away at you on the inside, attacking your passion and zest for life. Teasing you with the easy way out. Tempting you with checking out of the game and settling for watching everyone else, convinced you’re just not good enough. And so the game goes on and on, he wins and you lose, and your potential goes untapped. Life may look good on the outside, but on the inside, this isn’t working.
And so the very thing you were created to do in this world goes undone. The impact only you can make sits on a shelf and your worth goes down the drain. The blessings destined for you become burdens, and you just can’t figure out why you’re not happy.
Jesus warns us in John 10:10 that this enemy of ours came to kill, steal and destroy, and you must understand he will attack you on the inside just as much, if not more, than on the outside. He will take all that is good, and make it overwhelming. He will take all that is a gift and make it a task you just have to get done. He will create imbalance so you’re too exhausted to enjoy the very thing you once prayed for.
So my question to you today is, do you see where the enemy has been working on you? Working to keep you unbalanced? Working to steal your passion and energy? Working to make you dread your reality? Working to turn your blessings into burdens? Working to just keep you bored and unaware of the gift of life?
Job 33:4 tells us “The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
The spirit of God made you, my friend. It is the breath of the Almighty that gives you life. His breath gives you life. Have you been breathing shallow lately? Going through the motions, feeling drained? Skimming? Staying surface level in your own life and rarely ever digging deep? I know exactly what we need … we need the one who gives us life to breathe life back into us! We need the breath of the Almighty to do some resuscitation in our lives and bring us back in balance.
Won’t you ask God to breath life back into you? Won’t you ask him to bring back your passion and energy? Won’t you ask him to open your eyes to the beauty of life so that you may soak it in fully today?
Take a big deep breath with me right now. Mouth closed as you breath in through your nose, then release through your mouth. Again.
Almighty, breath life into us.
Do you realize the very air you breathe is the breath of God? He wants to fill you up. He wants to help you create balance in your life.
Your goals are fantastic. God is excited about your goals. Yes, go for it. But don’t forget to live and enjoy this gift.
God, help us to create and maintain balance in our lives.
No more stagnant days. No more walking around in a life that looks good on the outside but feels so empty on the inside. No more allowing the enemy to poke around in your blessings. This is your life, and it will be balanced by the Almighty.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There may be things you have done before that simply have no place in your life now. There may be old thought patterns that served to protect you back then, but honey, they gotta go now because they’re really limiting your ability to step into the big, beautiful, overflowing plans God has for your life.
You were created with the unique ability to learn, grow and change. Unlike other creatures, you have been given the divine right to abandon that which is no longer beneficial, and do something totally new. And you can do that today. Now, let me give you 6 words of pure power to speak in the face of every single bad habit, negative tendency, or hurtful pattern you’ve got going on in your life.
I DON’T DO THAT ANY MORE.
I don’t need to justify it. I don’t need to examine or explain it. I’ve just decided I don’t do that any more.
It sounds like this:
I used to give up at the first sign of struggle, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to drink to cope, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to jump into relationships to avoid being alone, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to make impulsive decisions, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to say the meanest things to my own self, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to believe the whispers of the enemy that tell me I’m not enough, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to play little over fear of rejection, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to over-commit and completely exhaust myself, but I don’t do that any more.
I used to fret and worry, but I don’t do that any more.
I SIMPLY DON’T DO THAT ANY MORE.
Why?
Romans 12:2 – I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind.
When you decide you don’t do what you used to do, your life begins the process of transformation. That simple decision allows healing to begin, chains to be broken, patterns to be changed, and a totally new path to be formed. That path leads to the abundance of the life your Creator always envisioned for you. The life he so desperately hoped you would choose.
Honey, it always starts in your mind. When your mind is renewed, you change. When you change, things start changing.
Do you know the definition of insanity? It’s doing the same thing, expecting different results. If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you will certainly keep getting what you’ve been getting. It would be crazy to assume anything different would come from the same patterns.
Yet, that’s exactly the thought process the enemy tries to keep you stuck in. Keep thinking these same thoughts, and lose another piece of your soul as absolutely nothing changes. Keep doing these same things, believing one day it will all be different for you, then dwell in sheer disappointment when the same old stuff you’ve been running from chases you into every tomorrow.
At some point, you have to stand up as the chosen daughter of the King and say, I DON’T DO THAT ANY MORE! Reclaim your mental space, reclaim your daily choices, reclaim your dreams and desires, and stop letting them be bombarded with the ploys of the devil.
YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH.
YOU ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE.
YOU CAN FINISH WHAT YOU START.
YOU ARE DESERVING OF GOOD THINGS.
And all that crap you used to believe, you used to do, and you used to fall victim to … well, you don’t do that any more.
There are some families that need to gather around a table and declare, the fighting stops. We don’t do that any more.
There’s a sister who needs to look in the mirror at the girl she has allowed to be so beat down and declare I don’t do that any more.
There’s someone who needs to log out of Amazon and stop wasting her money and declare I don’t do that any more.
There’s someone who needs to pour out the alcohol that’s slowly been gaining a hold in her life and declare I don’t do that any more.
There’s someone with a toxic relationship you know is going no where good, and declare I don’t do that any more.
There’s someone who has been hitting the snooze button and creating chaos in their mornings, and they need to declare I don’t do that any more.
Use the power God has given you to change what needs to change, and decide it changes now! Decide no matter how long you’ve been doing it, and regardless of the deeply ingrained habit it has become, through Christ, it STOPS NOW.
You need to get fired up and spicy about all the enemy has taken from you. How dare he invade your mornings and bombard you with such negativity. How dare he step foot in your home and attack your family from within. How dare he poke at old wounds thinking he can hurt you all over again. No, girl, you are healed in the name of Jesus! The devil deserves absolutely zero space in your head, evict him with aggressive authority!
You’ve been wrapped up in those negative thoughts, bombarded by whispered lies from the pits of hell, convinced what you’ve done is what you will always be stuck doing and nothing will ever change for you … WELL YOU’RE WRONG. YOU DON’T DO THAT ANY MORE!
You have that power in Christ. The power to change. The power to stop. The power to receive truth. The power to evict lies. The power to be positive. The power to take action. The power to go in a radically different direction and never look back.
Now, how about a firey little song to go along with that new 6 word sentence?
The song is called “Hey Girl” by Anne Wilson and it goes like this:
Letting everybody and their mother try to tell you what you’re worth
Oh, what you’re worth
When did you forget that the one who made you told you what you’re worth?
Repeat after me
I’m a blood bought, battle fought, all my shame long gone
Made new child of the King
I’m an amen, testify, holy water baptized
Went down and came up clean
I’m a soul been saved by that amazing grace
And now there ain’t no way, girl, can’t take that away, girl
Don’t forget you’re free
It’s who you’re made to be, hey girl
Oh yes, you used to believe you weren’t worthy, but you don’t do that any more.
You used to give up on the things you really wanted, but you don’t do that any more.
You used to make some world class screwed up choices, but you don’t do that any more.
You used to be stuck in worry, indecision, and overwhelm, but you don’t do that any more.
Your life is being transformed by a renewed mind!!!!! You simply don’t do what you used to do. That’s over!
Colossians 3: 9-11 “You have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us!”
Hey girl, remember your worth comes from the one who made you, and he has already declared you are worthy! Worthy of goodness that will blow your mind and good plans you can’t possibly imagine. And everything that has held you back in the past, well you simply don’t do that any more!
The enemy will try to convince you that you don’t have that power, but girl, you do!
What do you need to declare YOU DON’T DO ANYMORE, then receive power from God to be radically renewed?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Why does God allow our struggle? Why does he watch from above, knowing we’re about to face a problem, and not unleash his power to prevent it?
The struggle you’re in right now could have been avoided. The problem you’re dealing with today could have been solved before it ever got to your doorstep. You could be blissfully unaware of every hardship that was ever headed your way, because God COULD have blocked it all. But he didn’t. Why not?
Why wouldn’t he use his power to make everything peaceful in your life? Why wouldn’t he block what has caused you pain? Why wouldn’t he clear every obstacle so you could just move forward with ease?
If he can, then why doesn’t he?
If you’re new to this faith thing, or if you’re smack dab in the middle of a mess you wish you could have been spared from, you might be wondering why God withholds his power and chooses not to stop struggle and allows life to hit so hard sometimes. It’s a fair question. In fact, it may even be a question that has held you back from a fully surrendered life to God, because deep down you don’t trust his goodness to be good for you.
Think about this … while God sits above with a higher perspective on everything we encounter, he not only sees what has been and what is, he sees what will be. He knows how this story ends. He knows of the victory before the battle even begins. He knows of the breakthrough before the breakdown. He knows of the healing before the first hurt. He knows of the growth before the pruning. He knows of the future beauty before the ashes.
But he sees much more than that. He not only sees the realm of time from beginning to end, but he sees what is within. He knows exactly what he put inside of you. And God, in all of his wisdom, knows what is inside of you must be under pressure to come out.
A diamond is simply a piece of coal that has been made good under pressure. Who did that? That was God. God’s design decided the same carbon that would form the dull and black coal, would create valuable clear jewels within the earth’s mantle under extreme pressure and heat. Same material, different environment, over millions of years.
So what could he be doing with you and the pressure you’re under? Oh girl, he could be revealing what he designed you for! He could be making you more valuable than you ever imagined. He could be using all he put within you to totally transform your life.
But you want it without the pressure, don’t you? You would prefer to skip the problems and avoid the struggle. No heat, please! And time … can we skip that process? We all would prefer things to be easier and faster. That’s our human desire. However, God’s desire is higher and greater than our own, and he’s willing to allow his girls to face the darkness to receive the clarity of the diamond.
Perhaps you’ve seen the image going around social media that shows the shadow of a giant up against a tiny warrior with a sling shot. It says “If God puts a Goliath in front of you, He must believe there’s a David inside of you.”
Ohhhh, I like it! Tapping into the warrior that’s inside while staring down impossible obstacles that overwhelm us. It’s the true bible story of David and Goliath, of course. David was just the shepherd boy showing up to the battle lines to deliver lunch for his brothers. And there he encounters the enemy’s giant named Goliath, standing over 9 feet tall. An enemy who had held his people hostage in fear. An enemy who kept them from moving forward in the battle. And little David boldly steps up and says “your servant will go and fight him.”
1 Samuel 17 tells us the entire story. David slays Goliath with nothing more than a stone and a slingshot, and the Israelites were victorious and free to move forward.
What a great story … but why would a loving God allow Goliath to stand in the way in the first place? Why would he allow this threat? Why would he position him as a problem for David to have to face?
Isn’t that the question you’re asking in your life? Lord, why would you even allow this problem? What is the point of this struggle? Why this hardship here? Why wouldn’t you just clear the way for me to easily move forward? If you love me, why won’t you make this easier for me?
Oh, because you have to experience this to understand God’s love on a whole new level. Ephesians 3:18 “May you have the power to understand … how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”
How you understand the overwhelming enormity of God’s love for you is to see it in action. To see his power unleashed within you. To see him strengthen you to overcome. To see him give you victory when defeat was almost certain. To see his light where there was once only darkness. You simply don’t understand that God is always for you without the battle to proceed. You don’t understand the power of victory without the threat of defeat. And you simply don’t have a clue what’s inside of you until you face the giant in front of you.
God designed the diamond to come from the same carbon of coal under pressure. He designed David to turn from a shepherd boy to a warrior from the pressure of Goliath. And he designed your life to become so much more under the pressures you face today.
This isn’t to punish you. This isn’t to stop you. This isn’t to overwhelm and defeat you. This is to reveal what God has put within you and help you become exactly who he created you to be.
And don’t forget, my sister, that we face a true enemy in this world. An enemy who targets you with the intentions to kill, steal, and destroy. Some of the Goliaths you face are a result of his attacks. But God knows what he has put within you will make you more than a conqueror!
In the end, the enemy’s attacks will be turned on him, and all that was intended to harm you will be used for good! You will walk away knowing exactly how wide, how long, how high, and how deep God’s love is for you, and you will know without a doubt of his power working within you.
It’s not the way we would have designed all of this, but God truly does know better than us. He gives us diamonds from pressure, and he gives us victory in battle. He gives us strength from within when there’s problems all around. This is how he proves his love and his power.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I read a great analogy on life that really puts everything into perspective. It’s deep. Grab your pen, I think this is for you today and you will want to write this down.
Life is like a helicopter.
I don’t know how to operate a helicopter.
Gosh, life can be complicated and confusing sometimes. There has to be a button you could press to get out of this tailspin, but you’re not sure which button is the right one. You’re staring at a dashboard of flashing lights and sirens warning you of immanent danger, but you don’t know what to do to get out of this.
Maybe right about now you want to hit the eject button. You want to get out of this. You want to jump from the disaster. But here’s the problem, helicopters don’t have eject buttons, and neither does life. You can’t just escape this. You can’t wish it all away. This tailspin in your life is seen by God, and he is equipping you to handle it. Now, Sis, handle it.
You don’t have to continue to spin out of control. You don’t have to be stuck in the same ol’ round and round going down. You have been given the power to change things in your life. You have been given authority over every choice you make. You don’t think you know how to fly this helicopter, but God is asking you to learn. He’s asking you to take responsibility for the choices you make, take control of your thoughts, and demand better of yourself.
How do you live this life well? You look to the example given to you!
2 Peter 1:3 MSG “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God.”
When you get to know Jesus, you get to see how to start living your life better. He starts showing you how to take control of this helicopter and stop the tailspin. He shows you how to take your wild thoughts captive and make them obedient. He shows you how to forgive and move on. How to fight and conquer. How to love and let be. How to seek and find. How to move forward and overcome. How to rise up and break through.
Jesus has miraculously given us absolutely everything needed to live a life God can be pleased with. You are lacking nothing! You think you don’t know how to operate this life, but actually, YOU DO. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, including fly this helicopter of a life you have been given to live.
This confusing and complicated life is yours to live. As you grow closer to Jesus, he will teach you how to better live and stop the tailspin. Your answer is Jesus. Seriously, he is the one who will show you how to raise those wild banshees you call your kids. Jesus is the one who will show you how to love your husband and yourself enough to no longer enable this behavior. Jesus is the one who will guide you to make the choices you don’t know how to make. Jesus is the one who will strengthen you to make the changes you know need to be made, but you’ve been avoiding. Jesus is the one who will take control of this helicopter and set the course … if you will ask him.
When you get to know Jesus, things start changing.
How do you get to know Jesus? You simply start seeking him. Start talking to him. Start reading about him. Start listening to others who know him. Start studying his words.
Getting to know Jesus not only changes your circumstances, but it changes YOU. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
Your life becomes different because honey, you’re different. You’re not who you used to be. Getting to know Jesus changes how you see things. It changes how you show up. There’s nothing in your life that won’t be positively affected when you get to know Jesus more. A totally new life is possible when you’re growing closer to Jesus.
I met a podcast listener at our New Year Retreat who told me the life she was once living was busting the gates of hell wide open. She was living all wrong and she was doing it big time. She created sheer disaster in her wake. She was carrying around hurt and shame and living in complete fear of what others thought about her. That girl’s helicopter was out of control.
Then, she met Jesus. And she not only met Jesus, but she got to really know Jesus. In the process of getting to know him, her life radically changed. Life stopped spinning out of control and she leveled out. She changed her choices and habits. She fixed some messes. She accepted grace and mercy, and made space for the new life Jesus offered her. Now, she uses her story to shine the light in the darkness which has surrounded others. A familiar darkness she once lived in, but Jesus got her out of.
For my sister listening today who is in a tailspin of disaster, please hear me now: JESUS CAN CHANGE THIS!
This doesn’t have to be your story for another day. This life doesn’t have to crash and burn. If you will take one step towards Jesus, I promise he will take a thousand steps towards you. He will show you how to regain control and stop the tailspin. As you get to know him, he will show you how to make better choices and change your habits. He will renew your confidence and strength so you no longer settle for less than his best for you.
With Jesus, you have absolutely everything it takes to live a life God is fully pleased with. With him, he makes all things new and your life is changed.
Yes, life is like a helicopter. I don’t know how to operate a helicopter.
But I know how to lean in to Jesus and he can show me. Getting to know him is the ultimate answer!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today is one of my favorite days of the year. January 18th – the day Lonnie and I celebrate our anniversary. Not our wedding anniversary, but our becoming a couple anniversary. 32 years ago, on this day in 1991, with my big poofy bangs and him with the stripes shaved in the side of his head, we became the Lonnie and Pamela Duo. He asked me out, I said yes, and then followed the biggest kiss of my life. Yes, I was 15 and I’m pretty sure I fell in love right then and there.
I share this with you this morning to tell you how God hears our prayers, delights in our prayers and moves in mighty ways.
It all began the summer before. The summer of 1990 when I suppose I had officially exhausted the short list of boys in our tiny town and had either dated them all or was related to them and so what’s a desperate girl to do but turn to God. I prayed a very specific prayer. GOD PLEASE BRING NEW BOYS TO OUR SCHOOL.
Now I didn’t know it, but about this time, a family was uprooting from Dallas, TX and setting out in a UHaul to find a fresh start. They just “happened” to come across a small farm for sale in tiny little ol’ Ava, Missouri and buy it. Ava just happened to be the school where a young girl with big poffy bands was praying for a new boy to come to town.
Now, what’s important to know here, and applicable to you whether you’re 15 and looking for a boyfriend, 30 and hoping for a husband, or 50 and tired of yours … PRAY ABOUT IT. Not just about a man, but about everything. Pray about it. Why would we ever choose to worry about it instead? Why would we turn to our best friend and complain about it instead of turning to the one who can actually do something about it? Why would we post on Facebook and ask the world for input when we can ask the one who created the whole world for input?
Have you prayed about it?
Psalm 5:3: “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
Meaning, I wake up and the first thing I do is I talk to God about it. He is my first resort, not my last resort. Why do we treat praying about it like the least we can do when it’s really the best we can do?
Did you know, this morning, I talked to God about you. Seriously, I did. On my knees, I asked for your healing. I prayed for these circumstances to change. I prayed that the fear inside you would flee. I prayed a breakthrough would happen for you today. I prayed for miracles over your life. I prayed for restoration and revival, in Jesus’ name. And while my prayer for you may not seem to carry much weight, I am beginning to understand it’s greater than anything else I could have possibly done. It’s greater than me being able to sit down and have lunch with you today. It’s greater than me showing up at your door with a new car. It’s greater than me giving you the best advice you’ve ever received. I talked to the Almighty about YOU and it’s the best I could possibly do.
Power is unleashed and directed to you in that moment. Divine alignments are being arranged. Doors are being opened. Impossible things are being declared possible. Simply because the request has been laid before God on your behalf.
Now, Sis, start laying down those requests every morning, and watch things change in your life. Watch the tides turn. Watch breakthroughs happen. Receive your answers. Be guided and directed as never before. Praying is the best thing you can do, so do it first!
And when you’ve prayed about it, wait in expectation.
What does this mean? It means KNOWING God is moving. From the moment you brought him your request, divine power has been allocated in that direction. I prayed over you this morning, and I have no doubt God is in action as a result. Psalm 56:9 (The Passion Translation): The very moment I call to you for a father’s help the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee. This one thing I know: God is on my side!”
The tides of your battle are turning. Enemies are fleeing. I am certain, because I asked. Now, why aren’t you asking?
If you’ve asked, why are you allowing the wait to discourage you? You must place every detail in the mighty hands of God. You must fully trust his timing. Honey, just because you’re still waiting doesn’t mean God isn’t working on your behalf.
Don’t allow the wait to steal your expectation of God’s movement in your life. If you’ve asked, he is answering. If you’ve laid it at his feet, he is picking it up. If you’ve surrendered it to him, he is preparing a victory.
You cannot see what God can see. You cannot possibly anticipate what God has planned for eternity. Therefore, today’s answers do not always make sense to our limited vision, but we can trust he turns tides when we make our requests.
I truly believe my prayer as a 15 year old girl moved an entire family. I believe God is so incredibly sweet to turn tides and make crazy things happen for those who will boldly ask him. So, my sister, go ahead and ask him and expect him to answer!
Daniel 9:18: “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.”
When I prayed that prayer asking for God to bring a new boy to my school, I hadn’t even accepted Jesus yet. I didn’t attend Church. I had never really read my bible. I had no clue about this God I was talking to. I was totally unrighteous. But God doesn’t answer our prayers because we are righteous – he answers because of his great mercy.
You can stop trying to clean yourself up before you talk to God. He’s waiting on you, as is. This isn’t about you deserving God’s blessings, you will always fall short on that scale. This is about a loving heavenly father who cares about every detail of your life. About a creator who takes delight in YOU.
When I prayed that prayer, I didn’t really expect a family to be packing up in a UHaul and heading my way. I believed God, but my unbelief was bigger than my belief. Can God answer the prayers of a little faith or does it require big mountain moving faith?
In Mark chapter 9 we read the honest confession of a man whose son was demon possessed. He begged Jesus for healing of his son, but when asked about his faith, he confessed, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” This man wasn’t fully convinced Jesus had the power to save his son, he wasn’t sure he was asking right, he wasn’t even sure Jesus cared enough to do anything, but he asked anyway.
You may not fully know if God wants to answer your prayer or how he would answer your prayer, but I encourage you to pray anyway. All you need is a tiny bit of faith. Remember faith the size of a mustard seed is what moves mountains.
You may feel discouraged because you’ve prayed before and nothing happened. Ahhhh, Sis, you think nothing happened, but you really have no idea of the seeds that were planted as a result of that prayer, or the demons that were halted. You just don’t know. So now, go ahead and ask again! I dare you to ask again.
Pray with your tiny bit of faith and a whole load of questions. Pray scared. Pray uncertain. Pray before you clean yourself up. Pray and trust him with the details and the timing. Pray not because you are righteous, I promise you’re not – but because he is merciful, and I promise he is.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Your problem is big. God is bigger.
Your faults are great. God is greater.
It seems impossible. God does the impossible.
Have you forgotten the power which resides within you? You are HIS creation. His spirit lives within you. Through him you ARE capable and you will be MORE THAN a CONQUEROR.
What problem are you facing today? What impossible is knocking on your door? Retreat girls, what reality are you going home to today? This is your battleground. It’s time to boldly proclaim “IT’S GOING DOWN.” Rise up warrior. It’s time to fight for the life you want and the life you were created for. Tap into the inner strength which comes from your God and move forward.
Jeremiah 32:27 – “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind, is anything too hard for me?”
Nothing is too hard for our God. Nothing is beyond his scope. Your impossible is 100% possible with God. God sees it all. He sees your faults. He sees your struggles. He sees your problem. He sees your impossible. AND HE LOVES YOU TOO MUCH TO LEAVE YOU ALONE.
So what will your response be to this amazing, loving God of yours? What will you do with your problems today? Oh there are many options.
You can pile up your problems and take inventory.
You can talk about them.
You can wallow in them.
You can focus on them.
You can work yourself into a full blown anxiety attack.
Those are always popular options.
Or maybe you’re more like me and you tend to do the opposite. You ignore your problems. You try your best to pretend they’re not there, as if your avoidance of the truth will somehow change it. And so the problem grows bigger as we bury our head in the sand and life spirals out of control.
Life is not perfect … let us not live in la la land.
Nor is it hopeless … let us not live in doom and gloom.
Within you is creativity, wisdom and strength and it’s EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TODAY. You can do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU. Whatever it is you need to do today, you CAN do it.
I have a theme song for you, it’s called “She Is a Warrior” by Alita. We stood on the beach together at Retreat this weekend and God sure moved a lot of hearts with this one. It says
Ready to battle, gonna take that enemy down
She fears no evil, in holding her ground
She is a warrior
Ain’t nothin’ gonna slow her down
She is a warrior
She’s taking this battleground
The enemy has been trying to take something from you. He’s been trying to take your joy, your passion, your future. It’s time to hold your ground!!!!!
In Judges chapter 6 we read about Gideon. He was a man who felt defeated. A man who’s circumstances caused him to lack faith in himself and in God. He was discouraged and fearful. Then in verse 12 it says “When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.’
God called him a mighty warrior not because he had been winning, not even because of his great faith, but instead because of what was in him. There was a warrior inside of him because that is exactly who he was created to be. He had just forgotten.
You too were created to be a warrior, but perhaps your circumstances have you feeling defeated. It’s time to remember who you are through Christ Jesus, and rise up, sister.
Within Jeremiah 33:3 is a sweet promise from God for you today “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
I don’t know about you, but I have some problems that I don’t know how to navigate through. I’m not sure of the next right move. But God has promised me if I call to him HE WILL tell me great things I do not know.
So that thing you’re facing today where you honestly don’t know what to do … do you stay or do you go, do you do this or do you do that, do you go here or there, do you keep doing what you’ve been doing or try something else?
For this exact thing God says, “call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Yip, the answers you couldn’t find on the Google, those are unsearchable … God has your answers! The next step to pull you forward, God has that. The path to your all-in life is found in God. The way you discover your true, authentic, BA self is already worthy, loved and fully enough. The way you breakthrough and live in your calling. The way you ride the waves, yet live in peace. The way you focus, commit, thrive, and live your story as only you can, God has promised if you call to him he will answer you and tell you the things you can’t find the answers for!
So here’s our action plan this morning girls.
CALL TO HIM.
Could it be that simple?
Oh yes, it could be and it really is. The answers you seek are already in you. When you call out to God for help it releases all the creativity, wisdom and strength you need for the next step. Then it’s a matter of REPEAT. Call out again and receive for the step after that.
You don’t have to be discouraged today. You don’t have to be filled with fear. God is ready, willing and able to HELP YOU. Oh how he loves you. His love can move mountains … yes, your mountain.
What’s your impossible today – We boldly proclaim “it’s going down!”
Rise up mighty warrior. Feet on the floor. You’ve got some marching to do today.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
The threat may be pressing in, but there are unseen boundaries protecting your life. God has determined where these waves can touch, and where they cannot. He has established protections over you which absolutely nothing can break through. You are safe in his arms, you just can’t see his arms.
God has clearly defined how far this can go, and while you cannot see that line, it is an impassable line which always holds strong. Oh, Sis, the waves may build in this raging storm, but there’s an eternal boundary which God holds on your behalf.
Jeremiah 5:22, The Lord says, “I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.”
I may not know what your roaring waves are, but I know the one who has declared a boundary of protection for you, and an everlasting barrier those waves cannot cross. God has said, “this may be loud and overwhelming now, but I’ve already created a barrier for these waves and they will be held back. You, my girl, are divinely protected.”
What he has asked of you is to trust him as the waves roll. Trust him as calm waters are stirred. Trust him as you feel tossed in the ups and downs. Trust there is a barrier for these waves, a barrier which you cannot see now, but it was determined by your loving Creator since the beginning of time. There is a point which God has said, “here, and absolutely NO FURTHER.”
Here at our New Year Retreat in Pensacola, Florida, I’ve spent most days on a beautiful white sandy beach, watching the gentle waves roll in on turquoise waters. Last week, a storm completely changed our blissful beach into a wild raging threat of dark gray. The waves were massive, making the roar of the waters a constant reminder of how things had changed.
But even then, the waves were declared they could come so far, and then they must return to the boundary God has set for them. Don’t you see, the same is true in your life? These waves can only come so far. The boundary has been predetermined and what you’re experiencing now will not consume you. You will not be overwhelmed in this. That is not your destiny. You’re forever protected by a barrier set by an everlasting God who has eternally good plans for you.
The biggest waves aren’t born that way. Naturally, winds at sea average 10 feet high. Storms can stir those waves to 30 feet. However, the biggest waves can be over 5 stories high. These waves aren’t created by storms. What creates them?
Land.
A wave approaching a shoreline meets shallower water, slowing the waves edge. Now all of the energy which has been propelling it forward has no where to go in this shallow water, and forward momentum turns to upward momentum, and the wave grows taller. Honey, the tallest of waves are near the shore which God has declared as the boundary for these waters.
If the wave in your life is big, it’s not because you’re stranded in the deep, it’s because you’re nearing the barrier God has set to slow this wave down and send it back. Now isn’t the time to give up. Now is the time to look for shore. The water is shallower here. God is bringing you through to the safe space he has declared would always be protected for you.
These waves are just waves. With Jesus, we dance on these waves.
At Retreat, we’ve heard a song on repeat called “Dancing On the Waves” by We the Kingdom. Listen to these words like a love letter from your God:
I’m reaching out, I’ll chase you down
I dare you to believe how much I love you now
Don’t be afraid, I am your strength
We’ll be walking on the water, dancing on the waves
God never promised there wouldn’t be waves in our lives. He simply promised he would be with us through those waves, and he would set boundaries for their end.
If you’re in a wave, know that God is right here with you. Jesus walks on those waters, and he invites you to come out and walk with him. Walk on the very thing that has threatened to overwhelm you. Walk on all that has filled you with fear. And as you get used to walking with him, then you’re invited to dance.
Dance on these waves.
Psalm 30: 11-12 MSG “You did it: you changed wild lament (deep sorrow) into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can’t thank you enough.”
May God turn your deep sorrow into a whirling dance, and may it be on these waves. May it be with Jesus, on top of the ups and downs of life, never being overwhelmed by circumstances, but always lifted by the promise that these waves have boundaries! You will not be consumed by this. You will not sink. You will not be washed away. You will be carried in.
Carried in to a shore that has always been there for you. A safe shore where these waves will bring you. But don’t be surprised when the biggest waves come just as you near the shore.
You’re equipped to dance on this!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Smells Like Hell
You are on a mission, yet you’re battling distractions sent by the enemy. God has called you to live different, yet you’re being taunted by the same ol’ things. Check the source of the things stealing your attention and occupying your mind space. Honey, if it smells like Hell, recognize that’s likely where it came from.
The devil can’t steal your destiny, but he can most certainly distract you from it. He can keep you so wrapped up in chaos that you miss your calling. He can keep you so busy with negativity that you overlook the opportunity. Your mind is the battleground, and if you’re always bombarded by the next squirrel to chase, the next pot to stir, or the next person to talk about, YOU ARE LOSING THE BATTLE.
I’ve noticed when I’m stepping in alignment with God’s good plans for my life, suddenly there are distractions popping up everywhere. Drama to the left. Chaos to the right. Regret chasing me down. Overwhelm up ahead. But when I stop reacting to everything around me, and take an intentional pause with a big deep breath, I get a whiff of what’s really happening. What I smell is Hell!
That drama, that chaos, that regret, and that overwhelm, they’re all distractions from the pits of Hell, directed by the enemy of God’s good plans. And every time you stop your forward progress toward the life you were created for, to entertain the drama or be pulled in by the chaos, the enemy wins! It’s another day you don’t live up to your full potential because you’re dealing with nonsense.
Honey, you could be living up to your destiny already, but you’ve been distracted. You’ve been over here talking about her, worrying about them, stirring up crap in this circle, assuming the worst of these people, overwhelmingly too busy to change a darn thing, and digging ruts of mindless habits doing it over and over again. Smells kinda like Hell, to be honest.
That all comes from the pits of Hell where there are plans to kill, steal, and destroy every ounce of goodness in your life. Take a whiff and see, Sis, that’s not from God!
When I’m on the edge of breakthrough, just on the cusp of stepping into divinely aligned, purpose filled destinations, that’s the time the distractions hit. Drama and difficulties. Craziness and chaos. Tempting invitations to derail and dabble in the distractions. But then, I smell it. I smell the residue of where it came from. I smell the source, and that source is Hell. Handcrafted attempts of the evil one sent to distract me from what I’m here to do.
But I haven’t always stopped to smell it. I haven’t always resisted the invitation to detour into the drama. I’ve been sucked in by the chaos before and missed my exit. I’ve failed at this enough times to know, I don’t want to go down that road again!
How about you? Are you noticing just when you start getting on the right track, the arrows start flying? Have you made the connection between your next step towards destiny and the drama erupting to detour you?
Exit from those conversations now. Bow out of that conflict and let them accept the crown of victory. You don’t want to win in a Hell orchestrated contest anyway. Evict that same story from playing in your head, and reclaim your mental space. If someone is bringing drama, close the curtain. If someone is constantly stirring the pot and creating chaos, give them the pot.
You steer into whatever you’re looking at. It’s why cars run into the crash on the side of the road. They were looking at the accident and steered right into it. And you think the devil doesn’t know this chaos will cause you to steer into it and crash? Of course he does!
In order to reach your destiny, you’ve got to get good at ignoring things.
You have to stop being so darn impressed by the size of your problems.
You need a good stiff arm with the enemy.
Have you ever seen a football player running down the field with the ball, and just as the defense comes in for the tackle, the ball carrier puts out a stiff arm and holds them back. Now, a stiff arm doesn’t work if you stop running. It only works if you keep running full force with positive momentum toward the goal, while that arm is out stiff, holding back the attacker.
You’re on a mission and you need a stiff arm. A stiff arm that holds back your attacker and doesn’t allow him to distract you. And you still have to move forward. Now is not the time to sit and entertain what you know has come at you from Hell. You have a ball to carry and a goal to focus on. KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
They want to talk bad about you … stiff arm.
They want to stir up drama … stiff arm.
You’re invited to a pity party … stiff arm.
The conversation turns negative … stiff arm.
Chaos is brewing … stiff arm.
The enemy figured out he can’t destroy you, so he’s unleashing every demon in Hell to distract you. And here’s the thing about distractions, they never look like distractions until they’re finished distracting you.
It looked like something you needed to be involved in. It looked like something you needed to know all about. It looked like something you should be talking about. It looked like something you should be offended by. It looked like something you should get all up in the middle of. But when you do, you’re distracted. And once the distraction has distracted you, then you look around and realize this all smelled like Hell and you got sucked in.
1 Corinthians 7:35 “I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”
Today, you eliminate the distractions. You end the conversations. You step away from the gossip. You let the circus take back their monkeys. You stiff arm everything that smells like Hell and you keep moving forward so your life is best lived for God.
Remember Peter out walking on the water with Jesus. He’s literally in the middle of a miracle. When did he begin to sink? When he was distracted by the waves.
Honey, these are waves. Don’t be distracted by them. They will cause you to sink. Keep your eye on Jesus and what he has called you to do, and you’ll be walking in a miracle with him!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes you’re straight up not going to see it, or feel it, you will have to just believe it. Sometimes the mess you have on your hands today is in the beginning process of becoming something greater than you could have ever imagined, but first you will deal with the mess. God has this worked out, but what he is working on hasn’t been revealed to you yet.
As you await the reveal, will you trust the process? As you handle the mess, will you believe in his promise? When it feels like every single thing is stacked against you, will you remember God is for you?
When God has a plan for your life, circumstances will not change that plan. God is bigger than your circumstances. He is greater than the problem you face. He has already prepared a path right through this to the other side, now he’s asking you to go through it with him.
Yes, go through it. Not avoid it. Not hide from it. Face this harsh reality and circumstances as they are, and grab God’s hand as he leads you through it. You can’t get through this on your own, but with God, you will!
Think of the Hebrew mother who had a baby boy at the worst possible time. A time when the Egyptian King had ordered all Hebrew baby boys to be killed. What terrible circumstances. For the first 3 months, the mother hid the baby, but how many of us know you can’t keep a 3 month old baby quiet for very long?
In complete desperation, she made a basket that would float, she put her baby boy in the basket, and knowing the King’s daughter bathed in this river, she set her baby floating down the river, and sent her daughter Miriam to watch closely.
Exodus 2: 5-9 “Then King Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female servant to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Then Miriam, the baby’s sister, (remember she’s strategically watching from the river bank) asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him.”
Would you look at this? Not only did God protect this Hebrew woman’s baby, but she ended up getting PAID to nurse him. This was her own baby! This scenario went from ‘I’m going to lose my child’, to, ‘We are being fully provided for!’
You have a situation that seems absolutely hopeless, but in God’s hands he can radically change it. He can give you back what you feared losing, and make it better than ever before.
I spent the past 5 days with a beautiful woman named Katy at Retreat who had lost her marriage to her husband’s addiction. They had been divorced for 2 years and she felt like she had lost everything. But, this wasn’t too big for God. This wasn’t impossible in the hands of the Almighty. Her ex-husband got sober, they began dating each other, and now they are engaged to be remarried. She never imagined it could be this good. Better than ever before.
Oh what a mess it had become, but this mess was in the process of becoming something greater. She still had to go through the mess. She still had to deal with the problem. And through it all, God led her down a redeeming path of renewed hope.
So, let’s talk about your mess. Your unwanted situation that all you really want to do is avoid. Can you trust God enough to hand it over to him and let him work? Can you dare to believe that, in God’s hands, this could all work out?
The Hebrew mother had to let go of her baby and let him float away in a basket down the river. God would return her baby to her with payment to care for him! Only God can do that!
Katy had to let go of her marriage and let him hit a rock bottom in his addiction. God would restore her marriage to more than she ever dreamed it could be before. Only God can do that!
And here’s what we see … God works when we trust and let go. God’s plans unfold when we surrender our own. God can make impossible things possible when we are willing participants in the process.
God is for you. He is for your family. He is for your future. And God will work in your ‘right now’ through the hardest of circumstances to get you to the good future he has planned for you. He will march right through this mess, holding your hand, for the sake of your family. He won’t give up on you in this process, so don’t you give up on him.
That baby boy floating down the Nile river in a basket, well that was Moses. Moses, the man God would work through in powerful ways we still know about today. The man who led the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity. The man who parted the Red Sea with his staff. The man who met with God on a mountain and came back down with 2 tablets inscribed by the finger of God called the Ten Commandments.
God saved him as a baby because he had big plans for his future.
God saved Katy’s marriage because he has big plans for their story to be used.
And God is saving you. Why? Because he has big plans for you beyond this.
He’s saving you in this mess. This mess that threatens to overwhelm you and make you quit. This mess that makes you question if you’re enough. This mess that scares you. This mess that has made you dread and fear what may come next. This mess is where God is working! This mess is where God’s power will be on full display. This mess is where you will look back and see the fingerprints of God on every detail to carry you through and give you a story of his glory in your life.
I don’t know when, and I don’t know how, but I know with God this is going to work out for you. And maybe, it will work out even better than you can possibly imagine right now. You can’t see it, but God can, and if you will just take his hand and follow where he leads, he will get you through this mess and lead you to your promised land!
As you await the reveal, will you trust the process?
As you handle the mess, will you believe in his promise?
When it feels like every single thing is stacked against you, will you remember God is for you?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if that uncomfortable situation in your life is exactly where Jesus wants to release his power? You’ve been running from discomfort for so long, avoiding any hint of awkward and unknown scenarios, that you now find yourself in a wilderness God never intended for you. You’re lonely, you’re bored, you’re unfulfilled, and honestly all this comfort is sucking the life out of you.
GOD WORKS IN THE UNCOMFORTABLE!
He will lead you to the smack dab middle of the most awkward situation where every alarm in your body is screaming ‘run’, and He will ask you to stay. He will allow the very thing you avoid to unfold, then ask you to wait for him here instead of run from it.
Where are you uncomfortable? What have you been desperately seeking to avoid, yet here it is in your face? Stay and let God do his work here.
It never fails, in the days leading up to one of our BIG Life Retreats, I start having nightmares of forgetting to feed people. It’s always the same crazy scenario, everyone is gathered in the retreat house, it’s meal time, and suddenly I realize I forgot to buy food. I wake up from my nightmare and add more food to my shopping list.
The disciples faced this uncomfortable scenario in real life. A crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, had gathered to see Jesus. They stayed all day as Jesus taught them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14: 15-17 “As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
Awkward! It’s my nightmare in real life. A hungry crowd with no food. I avoid this scenario like the plague with my continual obsession of providing twice as much food as any group could ever eat.
If you read the account of John, another disciple who was there, he is clearly uncomfortable and not only counts the supply, but expresses those loaves of bread and fish were SMALL too. He’s freaking out, just like I would do. The need is way too big and the supply is way too small.
Are you facing an uncomfortable situation like this in your life right now? You have a need that is way too big for the way too little supply you have. You feel grossly insufficient. Way under-qualified. So ridiculously outside of your comfort zone your anxiety is through the roof and the fight or flight is kicking in, and all systems say FLIGHT. RUN. AVOID THIS. GET OUT OF HERE!
You are convinced you’re not enough. What you have is not enough. What you can do is not enough. And you’ve had enough.
But Jesus says, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
And what this means to you today, in your uncomfortable situation on your anxiety overload, is, you don’t need to run away from this! Jesus will work here if you will just use what you think isn’t enough.
What, you think Jesus was surprised by this uncomfortable situation? Do you honestly think he didn’t know in advance of this need that far outweighed the supply?
Honey, he not only allowed it to unfold, he led them head on into the discomfort! Why? So they could witness for themselves his power when things are uncomfortable.
So, you’re uncomfortable right now, huh? This is way outside of your comfort zone and what you really want to do is run away. IF GOD BROUGHT YOU HERE, STAY FOR A MINUTE.
Before you run again, breathe. Let God speak to you. Let him calm you. Let him show up and do impossible things for you here.
Yes, stay in the discomfort and allow God to do his work. He may just be working on the very breakthrough you’ve been seeking, but if you run, you will dismiss yourself from the goodness he has for you here.
Matthew 14: 18-20 “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”
The highly uncomfortable situation of a hungry crowd and a grossly insufficient supply of food, turned into a miracle with Jesus. And what if your uncomfortable situation, with all the things that are way outside of your comfort zone, is scheduled to turn into a miracle with Jesus? And what if you running away from it will dismiss you from the miracle?
What if God has planned to show you his power in your discomfort? What if he led you here, to this place where you don’t want to be, so he can show you the potential of where he will lead you next?
Will you trust him here? Will you trust him enough to stop running and avoiding, and look for what he is aligning for you?
You see, God not only provides enough for the uncomfortable situation, he provides MORE THAN ENOUGH. Honey, you will have leftovers if you stay right here and let him work. More than you could have ever imagined is what you get when you’re willing to stay in the discomfort with your way too little supply, and turn it over to Jesus.
Notice, what the disciples gathered after feeding the crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, was 12 basketfuls of broken pieces. All of this from just 2 small loaves and bread and 2 small fish!
How many disciples were there? 12. How many baskets were filled with leftovers? 12.
Once again, God working in the details to show each one of us, individually, his power in our personal circumstances. There’s a basket for you here on the other side of this uncomfortable situation. Stick around for it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Are you listening today with a frustrating situation in your life that seems hopeless? Are you listening today from a broken place that doesn’t make sense? Are you listening today in a state of dread over the reality ahead you must face?
I believe God wants to redeem this for you. He wants to make it right. He wants to heal and restore. He wants to bring your brokenness to a place of wholeness. He wants to renew you.
Would you trust him to do that today? Would you trust him to be the redeemer he promised he would be, personally in your life?
I often share the story of Abraham and Sarah, the couple in their 90’s unable to have children and then God shows up and says “ahhh, no … that’s not the way your story will end. I will give you a child and many nations will come from you.” But do you know the rest of the story? What happened after Abraham and Sarah have their promised child? Life was now good, they have what they want. Their son Issac is growing up and he’s a good boy. He’s everything they ever imagined.
Maybe that’s where you are in your life right now. Your reality today is what you once prayed for. God has been faithful. He has provided. He has made a way when there seemed to be no way. Look around you today and I bet you’ll find answered prayers surrounding you. You live in the house you once prayed for, or you get to go to the job you prayed for. Maybe you woke up next to the man you prayed for and fed the children you prayed for. Ya’ll I even have the dog I prayed for!
Now, what if God asked you to give it all up? What if the very thing he gave you was required as a sacrifice?
I’ll be honest, I don’t even want to touch that topic with a 10 foot pole.
Understand, that’s exactly what God asked of Abraham and Sarah. This child for whom they had prayed, this miracle which God had given them, their hope and their future was now at risk.
Genesis chapter 22 in my bible is titled “Abraham Tested”. I wonder if the current chapter in your life could be titled something similar. You’re being tested.
Verses 1-2 says “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Yes, the son which Abraham had waited 100 years for, his pride and joy, his hope for the future is now being requested to be sacrificed by God. How do you even come to terms with that. What God? You want me to give up the single most precious thing you have given to me?
Now imagine being the mama in this story for a moment. Imagine looking out the kitchen window and seeing your husband gathering wood. Wood for a fire. A fire that would burn an offering to God. A sacrifice. She must have known. She must have wanted with every ounce of her to run after her husband and son as they carried the wood to a mountain to build the fire.
What a mother Sarah was. What an example for us today.
She was willing to sacrifice the best she had for the greater good in full trust that God would redeem it. What if she would have held on too tightly? What if she would have done what every single one of us would want to do – go slap your husband, call him crazy, and grab your child. Then become bitter at God for even asking.
But she didn’t. She watched as they walked away carrying the wood. She trusted God would follow through with his promise to not only give them a son but build nations from him. And if he took it away, he would redeem it.
I wonder if we hold so tightly to that which God has given us that we restrict life from fully flowing through us. I wonder if our grip is so tight on our blessings that life can’t fully flow through our blessings as God intended. I wonder if we treasure the gift so much that the gift itself becomes more precious than the giver. I wonder if we really truly trust God with the very things which he gave us first.
How tight is your grip?
Oh I must admit, I have a death grip on some gifts in my life. I cling so tightly to that which I treasure and I sometimes hold back when God is telling me to let go. I have to wonder how much bigger and more beautiful some of the things in my life could be at this point if I would have loosened my grip. If I would surrender. Why do I have to have it my way? Is this a lack of faith?
What has God given you? Are you willing to let him fully have his way with your life and all that he has given you? Do you believe that God will fully redeem EVERYTHING for you? That’s what our God does. That’s who he is. He is a redeemer. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
As God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, God knew fully well he himself would sacrifice his own son for anyone who would believe in him. Why? Because he wanted nothing more than to redeem us. And God still redeems today. In every situation of every life who will seek him, he will redeem.
Yes, God sacrificed his only son to redeem us. Then he redeemed his son. He raised him to life again and placed him at his right hand forever in eternity. That’s full circle … that’s redemption. We don’t always get to see full circle redemption, but we must trust it’s in the process.
This is a word for someone. Redeem: To get back and renew again. To overcome the power of something detrimental. To release from blame, guilt or debt.
And we have a redeemer! One whose purpose has always been to redeem what you couldn’t. To overcome every single attack of the enemy and bring you back to a state of fullness.
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Redemption is in process for you. Right now, it’s happening. Say that and believe it for yourself. Redemption is in process for me. God is redeeming this in my life.
Sarah watched her husband walk off to the mountains with her only son and a stack of wood to build that fire for a burnt offering. She trusted in a redeemer.
Abraham bound Issac and laid him on top of the wood, trusting God would redeem. That’s when God stepped in. He saw his faithfulness. Abraham passed the test. Then God provided a ram for the offering instead and Abraham called that place on the mountain “The Lord Will Provide”.
Isn’t that where you and I are standing right now? On a mountain called “The Lord Will Provide”. A place where we are being called to be faithful. A place where we must loosen our grip. A place where we must surrender. A place where we must trust. A place where God will redeem. And indeed a place where the Lord will provide.
Psalm 78:35 “Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer.”
God, I trust you. Redeem this.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
As a little girl, I watched The Price is Right with my grandma. The audience would be filled with hopeful people wearing big name tags, eagerly anticipating the next name called. The camera would pan over the crowd as if looking for just the right person, then Rod Roddy would announce one lucky name. Pamela Crim, come on down. You’re the next contestant on The Price Is Right.
I always wanted to be in that audience. Imagine the excitement of knowing someone was going to be chosen, and it could be you! Your name could be called next. You could be “coming on down” as the next contestant. Oh the anticipation of knowing your name was in the drawing. It could be you!
I also loved watching the game show Let’s Make a Deal. People would dress up in the cheesiest costumes and be all extra in hopes of being chosen to pick a curtain or make a deal.
Oh, to be chosen. To have an opportunity to play and win. To be the one selected in the audience to come on down, to step on up, to make the deal.
Did you know you’re currently in the running for the opportunity of a lifetime? Did you know you’re in a crowd where someone will be selected and that someone could be you. And the prize available is an absolute game changer! Better than a car. Better than a tropical trip. Better than a lump of money. You could win immeasurable strength to do impossible things!
2 Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
Here we sit in an audience of hopefuls, awaiting the invitation to come on down and have our shot at winning, and God is scanning the crowd. His eyes are searching the whole earth. He is looking. Looking for just the right one to offer his strength that changes absolutely everything.
I want you to imagine God has prepared for this New Year. He’s set the stage. He’s aligned blessings and opportunities. He’s created paths and doorways to dreams that have been sought after for years. He has made a way where there has been no way. He has prepared healing and restoration. He has aligned breakthroughs for what has never been broken through before. He has worked out the details, for higher levels than ever imagined before.
Can’t you just see God preparing? Can’t you see him aligning the opportunities? Can’t you see the stage has been set and names are about to be called.
Now, his eyes are searching the whole earth. He is searching for the ones who will receive these breakthroughs. The one who will respond to the promptings.
The one who will be stirred and go.
The one who will be intentional.
The one who will surrender.
The one who will jump.
The one who will make space.
The one who will give the energy.
The one who will just show up.
The one who will be vibrant with life.
The one who will be ever so grateful.
The one who will be faithful.
The one who finally knows she is enough.
The one who will be reignited.
The one who will be steadfast.
The one who will trust him.
The one who will renew her hope.
The one who will protect the balance.
He’s looking for the girls who will appreciate the blessings, seize the opportunities, and make something out of everything he offers. He’s looking for those who will take it and run with it. Those who will not delay. Those who will not complain. Those who will focus. Those who can be trusted.
Will it be you?
His eyes are looking. They are looking. And today, they are looking at you.
Can he call your name to come on down and receive his strength to do immeasurably more than you could ever ask, think, or imagine?
What will he see today when he watches you? How did you receive the gift of this day of life? You see, how you received today is a good indication on how you will receive tomorrow and the next day and the next. It’s easy for us to believe when circumstances change our actions and attitudes will change as well.
God knows better.
Could the very opportunity you seek be locked up and untouchable to you because you haven’t been faithful with what you already have? Yes, absolutely yes! God instructs us to be faithful with little, then more will be given to us. But if we can’t be faithful with little, we will never be faithful with more. We can’t be trusted. We can’t be called. The opportunity can’t be offered. We can’t be trusted with his supernatural strength.
Understand, today God is creating paths and doorways to dreams, he’s aligning blessings beyond your wildest imagination. He’s stockpiling opportunities that would blow your mind. And he is watching you closely to see how you will respond to this day of life. How will you handle the choices you have today? What will you do with the opportunities in front of you right now?
His eyes are wandering, they’re searching the whole earth, and he’s looking to strengthen the one who is fully committed to him. He WANTS to make it happen for you. He wants to partner with you in making 2023 the year things change. God is ready … the question is, are you?
Is your heart fully committed to him? Are you so grateful for the gift of today that you wouldn’t dare waste it? Are you all-in in living this life you have been given? Do you refuse to wish it away, sleep it away, or waste any bit of it wallowing or complaining? That’s the kind of girl God is looking for. That’s the kind of girl he wants to strengthen. Will it be you?
But it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t end with your name being called and your opportunity to come on down. Now you play. Now you make the deal. Now you win or you lose. Read the rest of the verse.
2 Chronicles 16:9 in full says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”
There was a King who had always looked to God for guidance and he had experienced great victory. However now, when under attack again, he looked for guidance from others instead of God. This is why he is described as a fool and is now at war. He stopped looking to God.
Have we too been foolish? Have we failed to seek God? Have we jumped into making grand plans and writing big goals for 2023 and failed to seek God? We’re being warned here, this is how we bring war upon ourselves. This is how we create a mess. Have we caused the turmoil we find ourselves in? Let us correct that now!
This new year of life is full of potential and possibility … don’t miss it. Decide now that you won’t waste a single opportunity that comes your way. Decide now you will do what you said you would do. Decide now you will follow through, you will show up, and this time you won’t give up.
God is an ever faithful partner on this journey, and he’s asking you to be faithful too.
How many times have we stood him up?
He wants to strengthen you, enable you, equip you and move you forward … won’t you be faithful enough to show up for it?
When you fail to show up today, you lessen the opportunities you will receive tomorrow. Let God know those opportunities won’t be wasted on you! Another chance won’t go unused if it’s given to you! If he chooses you (which by the way, he has), will you be fully committed to him? Will he get your best effort? Will all those old excuses be dropped? Will you feel the fear and move forward any way?
God’s eyes have been searching the whole earth looking to supernaturally strengthen the girl committed to him, and he has called your name. Now, come on down. Make the deal. Give it your best shot. Dare to see what opportunities he has aligned for you, and what he is declaring as possible now.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Have you ever noticed your track recording of screw up and beat up? You mess up, then you dwell in that mess and convince yourself you can never do better. You miss one day, and that one off day creates a downward spiral that leaves you worse than when you started.
Your inner critic is savage. She’s always looking for the opportunity to point out you’ve once again failed to get it right, which means you ARE a failure. She beats you down and whispers her nasty insults, poking at your wounds.
Inner Critic:
You forgot to pray this morning. I knew you wouldn’t stick with it. You were silly to even try.
You screwed up your meal plan yesterday. You know you’re going to screw it up again later today, so why not eat that doughnut now?
You’ve already started yelling again. So much for that new calm, peaceful you setting the thermostat in your home. You’re not even capable of change.
You’re not good enough.
You never stick with it.
You will never get better.
Do you remember the Loony Toon cartoons of the 80’s? Sylvester the cat was always chasing after Tweety Bird, but could never quite catch that little rascal. Sylvester would often have a moment of conflict where a little devil would appear on one shoulder and a little angle on the other. The devil would prompt him to do bad things, and the angel would encourage him to do good.
Gosh, don’t we have that little devil on our shoulder? It’s that inner critic voice pointing out the screw up and beating us up to keep us down. Recognize the source of that voice. That’s the enemy slipping through cracked doors, weaseling his way into your mind, prompting you to do bad things. Bad things like just give up. Bad things like excuse yourself from trying. Bad things like believe you are unworthy, you are broken, you are too far gone, you are hopeless, and you will never be good enough.
Pshhhhhhhttt, devil, get on up out of here! You may taunt, but I don’t have to listen. You may poke, but I don’t have to be pushed around. You may insult, but I don’t have to receive.
Now, here’s the thing, if you’re already empty inside and void of anything filling you, what the enemy is dealing will be received. He will fill the empty spaces of your heart and mind, convincing you of his negative crap filled lies. The voice of that little devil on your shoulder, prompting you to just give in and just give up, will always overwhelm you if you offer him the space.
Why would you give him your shoulder? Why would he have a place in your life? Why would his voice be a valid consideration at any point?
Little devil, with your little insults and jabs, trying to make me settle for a little life far short of the BIG life Jesus came to give me, you are OUT! My shoulder isn’t available to you. My ear will not listen. My mind will not be your playground. You get ZERO space in my life.
Now think about protecting space. If you have an empty room, and there’s an enemy trying to beat down the door, he might just get in because the only thing holding him back is the door. However, if on the other side of the door where the enemy is trying to barge in, you have a full room, he not only has to fight the door, but he has to fight everyone behind that door creating resistance.
Girl, fill your room with the angels! I’m talking about all the truths of God. All the eternal promises of the Almighty. All the mountain moving strength guaranteed to you through the power of Jesus Christ. You fill your room to capacity with the things of God, and no devil will be able to bust through that door. If the door isn’t strong enough to hold him back, the army stacked up against that door will create an impenetrable barricade.
Receive that image now. There’s an enemy at the door. He’s trying to beat down the door. You know he may just be successful, so you call an entire army to come push up against that door with you. Hold the enemy back. Grab every piece of furniture and barricade that door with force. Create such a strong resistance that he will never be able to get in the room.
What room am I speaking of?
It’s your mind. Your thoughts. The enemy’s playground.
If your mind is empty, it is vulnerable. The personal insults and crappy suggestions of the devil will invade your thoughts and convince you to give up, check out, and settle where you are. But, if your mind is filled already, the door is reinforced with power to keep the enemy out!
Today, you fill your mind. You flood that space with promises and truths. You create an overflow of power that presses up against the doors the enemy has been knocking on. You leave no empty space of the devil to invade. You leave no opening for his suggestions.
Want to know why I never hear the devil telling me I’m a failure and I should just give up? BECAUSE I HAVE AN OVERFLOWING ABUNDANCE OF GOD’s TRUTH AND PROMISES FILLING MY MIND AND THE ENEMY CAN’T GET IN THE DOOR! Anytime I’m dealing with someone who is filled with doubt and fear, and constantly giving up, I realize it’s because the enemy has gotten in the space of their mind and he has been playing. What they need is more Jesus. More truth. More promises. More power.
Here’s the thing, YOU NEED JESUS. For the changes you seek to make, for the growth you desire, for the life you were created for, you need Jesus. And Jesus is completely okay with you constantly needing him. He’s okay with you continually coming back and saying “Jesus, I screwed this up and I really need you today.” He’s okay with you failing and needing more of him. He’s okay with you doing this thing totally imperfect and seeking his grace to cover your shortcomings.
He’s not only okay with it, it’s what he came for!
So, think about this, every time you come to Jesus and say, “helllppppppppp, I’ve fallen down again and I can’t get back up”, you’re really just providing a place for Jesus to fulfill his purpose.
Jesus, I’m here to give you space for your purpose. My life is your space. My mind is ready to be flooded by you. Come fill this space and barricade these doors the enemy has been trying to break through.
Paul asked the Lord to take away his problem, and this was God’s response. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Because of your need for Jesus, his power can rest on you. Ahhhh, girl, receive that.
When that little devil inner critic voice tries to sit on your shoulder and tell you there’s really no point in trying again because you will always screw this up, you remind him Jesus’ power is made perfect in your weakness and his power is resting all over you!
Now devil, get off my shoulder! There’s no space for you in my mind. I am overflowing with power through the truths and promises of God that tell me I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus, I am a mountain mover in faith, I am a chosen daughter of the Almighty King, I am a Spirit carrying warrior. And every time I mess up, it’s just space for Jesus to fulfill his purpose in me, cover me in grace, and replace my weakness with his power!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Within you is greatness. Sheer, utter, mind blowing, greatness. You have the ability to do great things. You have the power to change hard things. You have the strength to get through any thing.
This is who you are and how you were created. When God formed you, he designed you as a vessel to carry this greatness within. His Spirit dwells within you, making you more than ordinary, you are extraordinary. Through the power that lives within you, all things are made possible.
So, why aren’t all the things happening? Why are you still waiting on your breakthrough? Why are you still struggling? Why is this still so dang hard? Why do you still have this hardship, this habit, this unknown?
Here’s why … with God, everything follows a process. There is an unfolding that he will not rush. He holds all time, and he is not stressed or pressured in the moment. Isaiah 46:10, the Lord says, “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”
God already knows how this is going to all work out. He has already seen how these broken pieces you hold today will come together to make something beautiful. The master has a Master Plan, and it will not fail.
But why do we assume the Master Plan must be mysterious and immediate? Why do we put God’s works in a magical box with an expiration date?
God works in our lives through a process. A process that in our human experience takes time, however on God’s level, it’s already happened. This 3 month unknown period you find yourself in has already been held in God’s hands. This 10 years of wilderness where you feel lost and stuck was already figured out before you ever wandered your way into this mess.
God sees beyond this. He holds the time and space after where you are now, with great care and full knowledge. His providential wisdom allows him to guide you through the process instead of rush the experience. You see, when you already know the blessing of the journey, you don’t rush to the destination.
God has blessings for you on this journey, and your destination will be reached, but it will not be rushed.
Think about the creation of this world. Everything was created by God’s word. He said “let there be light”, and hot dang if there wasn’t light. He said “let there be land”, and boom, mountains formed out of the seas and the waters made way. He said “let there be creatures in the sea and birds in the air”, and just like that, we have massive humpback whales and tiny hummingbirds.
But have you ever wondered why God didn’t just speak it all at once and create everything together? Why didn’t God, with the power of his word, command everything to be created in an instant? I believe it’s because he is showing us the flow of process. The rhythm of life.
Scripture says he took 6 days to create everything, then he rested. 6 days. Now remember, God’s time is different than our time. 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
He may have taken a thousand years to create the sun and the moon and the stars. Is it any less of a miracle? He may have taken the next thousand years to create every living creature. Isn’t this still totally remarkable?
So, girl, why are you stressing when things are taking time in your life? Why are you frustrated when progress is slower than you had hoped for? Why are you already giving up just because you haven’t seen a breakthrough yet? Isn’t it still miraculous that God has a plan and it’s guaranteed to unfold? Isn’t it remarkable that today has been fully accounted for since the beginning of time, and God’s plans include and extend well beyond this?
What is the divine flow God is inviting you into? What is the rhythm of this season of your life? I assure you, it is not rushed. It is not stressed. It is not overwhelmed. It is filled with purpose and carved out in this destined time in the eternal. It is aligned with a process which God has determined is good.
It is good for you.
Ahhhh, can you receive that today? This process you find yourself in right now has been determined as good for you.
For the pregnant little mama who found out this week her husband lost his job, this process will be good for you. For the woman who has invested over 20 years in a marriage that is now falling apart, this process will be good for you. For the woman who aches for her child who is running a hundred miles an hour down the wrong path in life, this process will be good for you.
How can that be possible? The same way God created the vastness of the Universe out of a complete void. Through a process. A process that won’t make sense to us. A process that won’t be on our timeline. A process that will look ridiculous at times. A process that will unfold in a rhythm to create beauty beyond our wildest imaginations.
Greatness is your potential. Greatness unfolds in a process. The process follows a rhythm. The rhythm invites your participation.
You wake up to a new day, expectant. Expecting God has gone before you. Expecting God has made a way. Expecting you will be equipped with every single thing you need to live well. Expecting to be guided.
It’s the beginning of the day’s rhythm.
Then you flow. You flow with doing what you can, where you are, with what you have. You flow with the promptings of his Spirit within you. You flow with tapping into supernatural strength and faith. You flow with believing all things are working together for good.
And as you flow, you partner with God in the process. This process has you becoming more and more like who he created you to be. This process unleashes the greatness within you. This process is the Master’s Plan for your life, and you get to participate in the unfolding.
This flow brings you to the end of the day where the rhythm slows. You look back to find his fingerprints on the details of your day. You receive peace. You rest. You trust.
Then a new day is offered. New with mercies and blessings and provisions divinely aligned all over again. And you flow in the rhythm with God again. Some days you see progress in the process, and some days you don’t, but each is guided just the same. Guided by a Master Plan that is good.
It will take time. Not because God requires time, but because God works in time. He is patient. He is detailed. And he is FOR YOU.
2 Peter 3:9 using God’s Word Translation, “The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.”
You see this process, the very one you want desperately to rush and just get through, it is a process God knows is good for you. A process that brings you to him and changes the way you think and act. A process that puts you in step with his rhythm, and in his flow where the greatness within you is revealed.
The Master’s Plan for you is GOOD, and this process will be good for you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If you getting better and living bigger in this new year is all based on you, this is going to be a struggle. If it’s all about who you are, what you have, what you can do, and what you want, you are gearing up for an impossible battle.
This isn’t all about you. This isn’t all about what you can do. If it is, you will be limited by the same exact things that have limited you in the past. Nothing will change. Nothing will stick.
You weren’t created to live this life without the personal involvement of your Creator, so if you’re focusing on you, honey, this is going to be a hot mess! You are going to be sorely disappointed over your lack of progress and continued struggle with the same ol’ things.
But, girl, let me tell you, if you are doing these things through the power of Jesus Christ, NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE! If this is about becoming who God created you to be, and living up to his good plans for your life, there’s not a single wall, sea, chain, or mountain that can hold you back.
When your focus is on God, walls crumble. When your thoughts are centered on the Almighty, impassable seas part. When you are worshiping Jesus, chains break and prison doors are opened. When your faith is in God, mountains obey your command and move.
So, are you focusing on God, or are you focusing on your problems?
Are your thoughts centered on the Almighty, or are you thinking about the overwhelming changes required?
Are you worshiping Jesus, or are you worrying your way through another day stuck here?
Is your faith in God, or are you counting on your hard work to be enough to change things this year?
If this is all about you, then your grit will eventually run out, and you will come to a grinding halt. But honey, if this is about what God is doing in you and through you, then there are zero limits on the possibilities here!
2 Timothy 1:9 “God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
When this becomes all about your works, you are plugged into an extremely limited power source. You will get tired. You will grow weary. Your willpower will waiver. You will get frustrated. You will fail. Why? Because you’re human. You are not the power source. You are a carrier of the power source. Sis, this isn’t about your works, this is about the One who will work in you!
I travel with a portable power pack. With this power pack, I can charge my electronic devices anywhere at any time. However, eventually that power pack will run out of power. It will go dead. It must be plugged into the direct source of power to be recharged. Once recharged, it has power within it to give again.
We are the portable power pack. We can do things. We can make progress. We can achieve goals. We can make changes. However, never forget, Sis, WE ARE LIMITED. We are not self-sufficient, stand alone creations, meant to give and never receive. We aren’t meant to work and never worship. We aren’t meant to show up with power without receiving power.
God is our source. We carry his power, but we continually need to plug into him to receive what we then give. You are filled to be spilled, but you must first, and continually, be filled. If you only focus on what you can produce, you will eventually run out of power and production will stop.
Remember when you used to produce? Remember when you were once showing up with so much power? Yeah … was that because you were plugged in then, and you forgot to plug in now? You’re on low battery, Sis. You forgot you weren’t created to do this on your own.
Get this straight right now at the beginning of this year and you will save yourself some major disappointment. If this becomes a focus on your works, it’s simply not going to work!
God didn’t call you to a great purpose because of the work you can do. He called you to a great purpose because of the work he can do through you. He didn’t give you those big dreams because of your power to push through. He gave you those big dreams so his power could push through you. He didn’t give you your gifts and talents so you could look great. He gave to you because he is great.
You are covered by his grace to fulfill your purpose. You were never designed to live a life that wouldn’t require grace. Grace is for your human imperfections that fail, and God knew about your failure before your first breath. He knew you couldn’t do this on your own and get it right. He knew you would struggle. He knew you would find yourself right here today, desperately seeking this change, and he already predetermined the grace you would need here.
Let’s read it again. 2 Timothy 1:9 “God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
This scripture reminds us that his purposes for us were created before the ages began. That means since the very beginning of creation. Before a single thing happened, God had a purpose for you. But, he didn’t stop there. He also had grace for you. Purpose and grace are connected. God destined both purpose and grace specifically for you, before the ages began.
He filled you with power, then he planned for you to continually come back and plug into him for more.
Grace for when you run out.
Grace for when you grow tired.
Grace for when you have nothing left to give.
Grace for when you forgot to protect what you had and let it be wasted.
Grace for when you were plugged into the wrong things.
Grace for when you sat doing nothing without purpose for so long, you went dead inside.
And all you have to do is use that grace, which he always knew you would be needing, to come back and plug in again to the Power Source. Be recharged.
What can you do on your own this year? Maybe a little, but eventually, girl, you’re going to run out.
What can you do with a continual connection to God? Infinitely more and greater than you could ever ask, think or imagine!
You can walk in the flow of grace, and fulfill God’s purposes that will absolutely blow your mind … and it can happen right now!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This year was given to you to be different, now you have to do something different with it. God has been prompting you to make changes. He has been stirring your spirit to shift how you’re showing up for life on the daily.
But, if you’re not on alert, this prompting will quickly fade to a habitual routine of checked out living simply going through the motions. This stirring will fade to nothing more than a good idea in the moment, with no commitment to implement anything long term. This year full of potential and possibility will turn into another year of wishing and waiting and wasting, because you didn’t do anything different. And honey, f you don’t do anything different, how can you ever expect anything to change in your life.
But here’s the reality you need to stare down today. If you don’t do anything different, things won’t just stay the same, they will indeed grow worse.
You can’t build a house, then expect that house to remain the same through the years just because you don’t use it. Wood begins to rot. Paint begins to peel. Metal begins to rust. You can lock it up and never use it in an effort to preserve it, but one day when you come back, you’ll find it worse than you left it.
If you have a debt you ignore, guess what happens when you come back around to deal with it later? It didn’t sit there in the same sad state it was in before, it grew worse. It accrued interest, now you owe even more.
Our debts in life build up the same. We’re accruing interest that must be paid, in the form of a life that is slipping further and further away from it’s true potential. We dig the hole deeper as life erodes and becomes a sad remnant of what God intended it to be.
If you don’t do something about this, it will only grow worse. Your regret will continue to accumulate and you will be left with a mountain standing in the way of you ever living a life you can love again. Mountains of regret create barriers from living as the girl you were created to be.
You’ve been putting your desire for change on the back burner, assuming it will sit there and stay the same until you’re really ready to do something about it. And now you’re shocked in this new year when you dare to take an honest look at the back burner of your life to find things sat there and got worse. They’re further gone now than they were the last time you tried. And guess what will happen this year if you continue to ignore it … yip, it will get even worse.
Can you afford for this to get worse? You can be absolutely certain it will get worse if you do nothing.
It’s like a chin hair. Honey, ignoring it only serves the purpose of letting it grow. Do you want that gnarley hair growing on your chin? It will continue to grow until you pluck that sucker out! Just because you’ve gotten used to it being there doesn’t mean it’s okay for it to remain. This isn’t getting better on it’s own.
There’s a letter in your Bible written 1,963 years ago. A letter you are meant to read today. It’s a letter written by the Apostle Paul as he sits in prison in Rome. A few months ago, I explored in the ancient ruins of Rome and found the prison where Paul wrote some of his letters now tucked away in our bible. Could he have known then that you and I would desperately need his divinely inspired words to guide us as we begin the year 2023?
His words are in Ephesians 4, verses 1-3. Reading from the MSG translation, “I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily …”
You stand here today on a road God has called you to travel. A path designed to take you to the life you were created for as the person you are destined to become in the fullness of God. Now Sis, you can’t be sitting around on your hands. You can’t be wishing and waiting and wandering. It’s time to run toward the life available to you! It’s time to make changes and be disciplined. It’s time to have a plan and stay on plan so you don’t end up stuck in some wilderness again this year.
You have been called to travel, not stay here stuck. You have been called to change, not waste away waiting for things to change for you. And this time, be committed to steady progress. Some days the next step will come rather easy, and some days the next step will take every ounce of willpower and strength you have. But recognize, on those hard days if you stop, you will have to eventually start again, and when you do, it will be harder.
No more fits and starts. No more wild and extreme plans you can’t stick to. Recognize, if you’re only starting this to give up in a few weeks, you won’t be any better off this year. That doesn’t have to be your story again. That’s not the story God has for you.
The story God has for you is the story of a girl who aligns her daily actions with the destiny of purpose, and pursues that destiny with steady discipline.
When there’s a chin hair, she plucks it. This doesn’t just get to grow out of control. Hey, life is going to happen, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
When the wood starts to rot, we replace it. When the paint starts to peel, we scrape it and paint again. When the debt comes due, we pay it. When it’s time to do what we said we were going to do, we do it, darn it.
This is how 2023 will be different for you. You’re no longer a girl who ignores reality and delays action. You’re no longer a girl who sits on her hands and hopes the messes will somehow magically fix themselves. You’re no longer a girl who strolls down the same old paths of the past that lead nowhere.
You’re a girl on a mission to live the life you were created for, and move forward every single day, doing everything you can with a steady and disciplined commitment.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
A new year of life is here for you. It’s a year unlike any other. A year you have never lived before. It’s overflowing with potential and possibilities aligned by a good, good Father, all for his girl!
If you could just get a glimpse of all God has signed off on for you in 2023, I promise you wouldn’t have slept last night. If you could peak into the storehouses of Heaven and see all that has your name on it, you wouldn’t have had an ounce of hesitation when your alarm rang this morning. Nothing could have held you back. Nothing could make you sit this one out.
Oh, Sis, if you could only see what this year can be for you. Impossible things are being made possible. Unreachable things have been declared within reach. Mountains are on standby for their miraculous move. Paths being paved to destinations you never imagined you could journey.
All of this is for you when you accept the invitation from God to partner with him and not settle for less along the way. All of this becomes your reality when you commit to him fully and refuse to quit on the life that’s truly possible for you.
On New Year’s Eve I hosted a Goal Setting Broadcast which thousands of people have watched already. I believe in the power of goals because my life has been personally transformed by goals over the past 13 years. I know the strength you can tap into when you have a commitment in working toward something that brings your soul to life again. I know there’s nothing too far gone, and no one so hopelessly stuck they can’t be rescued, renewed and restored to who they were created to be.
If I had 5 minutes face to face with you, oh how I would want to lay my hands on your shoulders and look you straight in your eyes and tell you those dreams you have hidden within are worth pursuing. How I would want to tell you there’s greater power within you than you can possibly imagine. How I would want to assure you God is for you and absolutely nothing can be against you. And oh how I would want to encourage you to go for the things that stir your spirit and make your heart beat fast! And I would say, show me your goals because I want to co-sign them!
You know why … because my world needs more people who are doing the things that make them fully alive. And honey, that’s what your world needs too!
So, do you have goals for 2023 that make you come alive? Do you have something worth working for that will make you become more like the girl you were created to be? Something that will peel back the layers of excuses and delays, and spur you on to start living fully TODAY.
Paul writes about goals in Philippians 3: 12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
This is a popular scripture for the beginning of a new year. We can’t go back and change 2022. We can’t change the things we started but gave up on that now create regret. We can’t undo our backwards steps, or redo our sideways steps. It’s wasted energy dwelling on where you could be today if you would have stuck with it last year. Get out of the screw up and beat up game, Sis. This is not serving you. Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize God has called you to!
YES! 2023 is officially here and the invitation to live better than you have ever lived has been offered. Press on and get it, girl!
But this morning, there’s one part of this popular scripture that really grabbed me. Paul says “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Go get what Jesus got you for.
What did Jesus get you for?
Jesus tells us clearly what he got you for. John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus came and got you for a full life. An abundant life. A satisfying life. An overflowing life.
Not a little life. Not an unimpressive, boring, status quo life. Not a safe life. Not a comfortable, familiar, predictable life lacking excitement or thrill. No, a FULL life.
Because this is what Jesus came to get for you, you go get it! Girl, go get that full life. Get that abundant life. Get that satisfying life. I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
The MSG translation describes this full life as “more and better life than you ever dreamed of.”
Think about that for a minute. More and better life is what Jesus came to this Earth and not only got for you, but it’s what he got YOU for. It was for the purposes of you living a life better than you could have ever dreamed of. Now, don’t you dare give up on that life!
You have not arrived to the fullness of life Jesus came to give you. There’s still so much more. Press on, girlfriend. Keep going. Look forward and move on.
If you haven’t written goals that stir your spirit and spark excitement for what lies ahead in this year, then let’s go back and try again. Where is the fullness of your life? What is pulling you forward that brings you to life?
There’s more possibility and better opportunities aligned for you in this year than you could ever dream of. It’s what Jesus got you for. Now, you go get it! It’s there for you. Available to you. Designed specifically for you. No one can take it from you, it’s yours!
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
I’m going for that full, abundant, overflowing life, because that’s what Jesus came to give me! He took hold of me so I can take hold of life to the full!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Here you are today, at the very end of a year of life marked by the numbers 2,022. What title will you give this year? If this year were a chapter in the book of your life, what would the title of this chapter be now that you’re on the final page?
The funny thing about stories is, they kind of twist and turn and go in directions you didn’t necessarily envision in the beginning. That’s why you don’t title it until the end. Each morning I sit down to write a new devotional, thinking one thing, and allow it to flow in whatever direction God leads, then the last thing I do is title it.
On this final Friday of 2022, you get to look back over this year of life and give it a title. What was this year for you? The year God got you through the unimaginable. The year of ups and downs on a wild ride. The year of challenges. The year of breakthroughs. The year of ridiculous blessings. The year of change. The year of growth.
But what if it was really the year of regret. The year of getting stuck. The year of settling.
No one would want to title the year with negativity, yet for many of us, the truth is, this is a year we regret. We regret the things we didn’t do. We regret the things we gave up on. We regret the things we didn’t make a priority. We regret being deeper in a hole than we were last year at this time.
Have you ever had a year like that? I have. You can’t wait to get away from it and hope the new year will be different. But remember, nothing changes unless you do. It’s pure insanity to think you can keep doing the same things and get a different result. If you want something different, honey you have to change what you’re doing.
Maybe this year was one of those years for you. You didn’t make the progress you had dreamed of making. You didn’t achieve the goals you had hoped for. You’re looking back now and you’re disappointed. Disappointed that the days passed while you did nothing, just the same as they would have if you would have been doing what you needed to do.
You’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority.
Somewhere along the way, we settled. We settled for what was easy over what we would have to work for. We settled for what was immediate over what would take time. We settled for what was familiar over what was unknown. And when we settle, we think we’re settling for more of the same, but the truth is, nothing ever stays the same. Settling creates decay. It creates rot in our lives. It creates stagnant waters where living things go to die.
And what if 2023 is your invitation to step out of settling and dare to dream with God about what he has declared is possible in your life. What if God has been stirring you up, giving you glimpses of what your life could be in him, fanning that little flame within you, all because NOW IS THE TIME to write a different story.
2023 doesn’t have to be more of the same ol’ thing. You’ve heard the saying, New Year New You. Well, it’s cheesy as heck, but what if a new you can show up and start making the choices in your life. What if a new you can partner with God in writing this story?
Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
In the very area of your life that causes you regret this year, God is saying HE IS DOING A NEW THING! Now the question is, do you want to partner with him in this new thing? Do you want to work with him, or dig your heels in here and settle in your old thing? Do you want to stay the same, or are you willing to change?
The Israelites were God’s chosen people, yet they were stuck in a desert for 40 years. Their journey through that desert to their Promised Land was only an 11 day journey, however they remained in limbo, short of their destination, for 40 years. Generations died in that desert. A desert that was only meant to be temporary. Yet, they settled there.
What if God has a Promised Land awaiting you, but you’ve settled for a temporary stop along the way and called it good enough? What if God created you for so much more than you’re currently experiencing in life, and the only reason you’re not living more is because you’ve stopped?
Are you in limbo. You’re not where you once were, but you’re certainly not where you could be? The dangers of limbo is we decide it’s good enough, and we settle here. Honey, YOU WERE NOT CREATED FOR THIS LIMBO. THIS IN BETWEEN IS NOT YOUR DESTINATION. It’s part of your journey, but move on now, girl!
Where have you stopped short of God’s full promise? Where have you settled for less when God created you for more? Where have you camped out in the wilderness when God has overflowing provisions destined for you beyond this?
Lord, what new thing do you want to do in my life? What old thing do you want me to let go of? Where have I settled because it got hard?
If God gives you another opportunity in this new year of life called 2023, will you go for it? Will you stick with the story he has for you as it unfolds, and dare to see what the title of this one could become?
Here’s one thing for sure, God doesn’t intend for the title of 2023 to become “More Of the Same” or “Still Stuck Here” for you. He has planned for a new thing. He has planned for a way out of this wilderness. Yes, a way where there has never been a way before. But in order for you to find that way, you will have to get up and search for it. Finding a new way requires a heart and mind set on not settling here!
God has planned for a stream that will lead you out of this wasteland. But you need to know something about this stream, it won’t be a straight line. Streams twist and turn. They grow bigger in places, and smaller in others. Sometimes that stream gets down to a trickle. And God is asking if you will still go even with a trickle. Will you still let him lead you even when it turns in directions you didn’t want?
Remember, that’s what stories do. They turn. They turn because they flow. And your life will flow in 2023 if you decide you’re not settling here. What will it become? Gosh, I have no idea, but I know God can be trusted with his good plans. I know he has a Promised Land for you and for me, and if we settle here we will surely miss it.
Let’s write the next chapter of our story with God. Let’s set out on an adventure with him to see where he could lead and what he could make happen. Let’s see what new thing he wants to create within us! Oh, 2023 could become a story titled “The Ultimate Adventure”, or “The Life Changing Breakthrough”, or “She Never Looked Back”. Yes, it could, but what would a story like that require of you?
It would require you to live every day fully engaged, fully trusting, and fully moving forward. It would require you to take responsibility for your part in writing this story, and stop settling for this place of limbo along the way. It would require you to really believe God has a new thing for you and refuse to be held back by old things.
You can’t go back and change the story of 2022, it’s already been lived, but you can change the way you look at it. Here at the very end of the story, you can create a twist no one saw coming. A flip in the script that guarantees an exciting sequel.
Oh yes, it was a tough year, but she got tougher! It was painful, but in the end, she believed there was purpose in the pain. It was a freaking disaster, but deep within the mess there was a message, and she found it! Last page, you decide how this ends, Sis.
On January 1st, you wake up to a new chapter. On that day, you can step into the new year being offered to you by a mighty and gracious God, who has filled you to overflowing with potential, and you can decide you will live this story different! You will live it better. You won’t give up on it this time! You get to live 2023 knowing each day you are playing an active role in your story and it’s leading to a title better than you could imagine today!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This Saturday is our annual BIG Life Goal Setting Broadcast. You have the potential of writing goals that will radically change your life, and I will be your guide. I will show you in very practical steps how to dream, how to plan, and how to take action without being overwhelmed. This could be a moment in your life that changes your trajectory. It could be the moment you take the first step towards your truest potential and the life you most desire.
I began writing goals 13 years ago. I vividly remember sitting in a park in El Paso, TX wearing a green hoodie and putting wishes in writing, then forming a plan of action to turn those wishes into goals I would actually achieve. I stepped into the year of 2010 with a written outline of the life I truly wanted … and it worked.
13 years later I now fully live that life. Goals work. I speak from the perspective of a life that has been radically changed in every way by written goals.
But, even more than a goal weight, financial success, a happy marriage or a passionate career, I stepped into something truly life altering. In the process of writing goals and working to achieve them, I became more like the woman I was created to be.
This is why I’m so passionate about helping people write goals. I know their true power. I know this process can help you not only live the life you truly want, it will guide you in becoming the person you were created to be. And that, my friends, is SUCCESS.
I’m not just talking about your degree or your career, I’m talking about who you were created to be as a person. When you become more like who God had in mind when he formed you, everything else falls into place.
When you become more like who God designed you to be from the very beginning, you shed all the layers of doubt and insecurity, and you boldly step into your highest potential.
This is what 2023 can be for you. This is what God directed goals can do in your life.
We often put labels of professions on this, which then overwhelm us with indecision not knowing what we want to be when we grow up. Hey, can I have a moment of total and complete honesty here with you … I had no clear picture what I wanted to be until I stumbled into it in my 30’s. Drop the label.
Don’t get stuck in WHAT you’re going to do in life. You can really do anything you want to do. If you wanted to go back to school, you could. If you wanted to be a nurse or a teacher, you could. Others with less time and less resources, who were older than you with more kids than you, have done it. There are no limits in what. God has created an entire buffet of options for you and I believe he says, “my daughter, it’s all available to you, what do you want?”
I’ve discovered this journey is so much more about the HOW than the WHAT. It’s HOW we live that causes us to become.
You can be a wealthy professional and be broke and greedy.
You can be a freaking fitness model and be insecure and jealous.
You can be a life coach and be miserable and stuck.
What if our focus became more about becoming who we were created to be?
God didn’t make you broken. You do not have some inherent flaw in you that renders you incapable of change or growth. That’s nonsense. And for many it’s served as an impenetrable excuse through the years.
You now have a choice … carry the excuse and continue to live below your potential, or drop it and step on up to the more that is available to you.
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Your God has great plans for you.
Scripture tells us the creator of the universe has specific plans for each of us and when he looks at us, he thinks of those plans. Meaning, he sees our potential.
He knows what you’re capable of. He knows what’s inside of you. He knows the life you could live and he’s making a way for you to step into it.
His plans are to prosper you, meaning he never intends for you to be stuck, or for you to settle for less than his best.
His plan is to help you break through.
His intention is to build you up to the next level of living.
He has a plan to let you truly step into the BIG Life he has available for you. Let His plans flow through your goals for 2023.
Most of us have written goals before and most of us have failed miserably at those goals. The majority of people write goals and then forget about them before the first month is over. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re willing to get up and show up and get out of the way and truly live this new year unleashed without old chains, then God has more available to you in 2023 than you can possibly imagine.
Are you willing to spend some serious time praying about what God has available to you?
Are you willing to surrender your goals to God and ask for his guidance in making a plan for your new year?
Perhaps this is what has been missing in past years. You’ve been trying to conqueror, but haven’t been conquering, you’ve been losing … could it be because you forgot one key element?
Romans 8:37 says “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
You’re a conqueror THROUGH HIM. Let your goals go THROUGH HIM.
He has the most amazing plan for you my sister, make sure you’re looking for his plan, I promise it is better than yours. Partner with him in writing your goals.
Here are 7 questions to ask of your Creator before writing your 2023 goals:
- God, who did you create me to be?
- God, where am I living below my potential?
- God, what do you have available for me?
- God, where do you want me to change?
- God, what do you want me to give up?
- God, what do you want me to commit fully to?
- God, what awesome things can we do together?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Are you ready for what God has made available to you in 2023? Have you prepared yourself for the next level of living?
Think of your life like a video game. There are levels of the game. No one ever gets through a level in one try. You try, you fail and you try again. You keep trying until you learn the challenges of the current level and you conquer them. Then, the next level is made available to you.
And what do you do when you get there? You fail again, and you learn.
The only way to level up in this life is to learn the challenges and conquer them. God has a next level of living available to you in 2023.
My kids taught me about hacks you can buy in games now to rack up the points, acquire the weapons, and skip ahead to new levels. Hacks. Shortcuts. Secrets to success made faster and easier. Free game apps on our cell phones are worth millions of dollars … how? The sale of hacks. You don’t have to earn it, you can just buy it.
How did the makers of these games know their free apps would be a goldmine of money … because they know human nature. We’re all looking for the hack. How can I get to the next level faster and easier, without continuing to battle the level I’m on? We are so susceptible to the magic pill, the quick fix, the overnight rich.
Who remembers the vibrating belts everyone wanted for Christmas about 15 years ago because they would magically give you abs without a single sit-up. Hmmmm … where are those today? Now we can just paint on the muscles and definition … it’s called contouring.
We want to be better. We want to level up. We want more. But how do we get it?
Let me tell you WHY we so desperately seek that next level of living and that advancement from where we currently are … are you ready for this?
BECAUSE WE WERE MADE FOR MORE.
WE HAVE MORE IN US.
Our souls are crying out for more because we were never meant to settle for our current level of life. We are meant to move forward. We are made to conquer.
BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHEAT YOUR WAY THERE.
Within you is already everything you need to move to the next level of living. Within you is already everything needed to overcome and conquer the challenges you currently face. It’s already in you.
How am I so sure? As a follower of Christ, you have Christ living IN YOU. Honey, that’s what I would call FULLY EQUIPPED! The power of God resides in you. Remember Ephesians 3: 20 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
In Joshua chapter 5 we read about God causing the walls of Jericho to crumble. Walls which had kept people out. Walls which could not be scaled and could not be torn down. Impossible walls … and God caused them to crumble with nothing more than marching around them and blowing trumpets.
If the power of God can cause walls to fall, don’t you think that same power can cause your walls to fall? Those walls that you’ve run into head on and can’t seem to overcome … The struggle you’ve faced and felt defeated over … The habit you just can’t seem to break … Will you trust the power of God living in you to start breaking down those walls in 2023? Will you be ready to step into a land you’ve never seen before? Are you prepared to breakthrough to the next level?
You’ve been playing little and surrendering to the defeat of your current level. May I remind you, that defeat was never meant to knock you out of the game. That defeat was meant to be your teacher, showing you what doesn’t work, therefore leading you to what does.
Every struggle you’ve faced this year has served a purpose … a refining purpose. Don’t let the hardships of 2022 go to waste. Now it’s time to use those hardships to conquer this level and step into all God has available to you in 2023.
Things can change in this new year … or things can stay much the same in this new year. The truth is, it’s all available to you, you just have to stay in the game and keep getting better.
Don’t you know you have MORE in you? Don’t you know you were created for MORE? Don’t you know you deserve MORE?
If you’re not sure about having MORE in you and available to you, let me ask … do you ever feel bored and unsettled? Do you ever feel desperate for something to change, but too defeated to do anything about it? Do you ever feel jealous of the lives of others who have more and do more?
Ahhhhh, that’s actually great news. I bet you didn’t think it was great to feel bored, or desperate, or jealous, but it is! Those feelings are proof there’s MORE inside of you begging to see the light of day. This is the MORE your creator put within you, won’t you let it come out?
The question is, do you want the MORE God has available to you? Do you want it enough to demand more from yourself? Will you be disciplined enough to actually work for more? Or will you spend your time, energy and money searching for the hack?
Jesus warned us of the hack. He warned us of seeking the easy way like so many do, and he said it would lead to destruction.
Matthew 7: 13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Can we declare now we will stop seeking the easy way?
Can we declare now this new year is full of potential and we want to live up to it?
Can we declare now we will show up and walk that narrow path that leads to life, we won’t despise the hard work, we won’t quit in the struggles, and we will be faithful on our journey in 2023?
Remember, you are capable of hard things. You were actually made for hard things. The enemy tries to convince you change is too hard and you’re not capable of the next level of living.
Do you know why he works so hard to keep you from leveling up in your life? Because the enemy knows if you ever break free of what is holding you back, if you ever overcome the obstacles of the here and now, you will rise up and step into the woman you were always created to be and he won’t have a chance to break you. His lies will no longer cause you to doubt. His schemes will no longer trip you up. He knows if you ever step into your truest potential, he will be defeated, not only in your life, but in generations to come.
Girlfriend, this is about your life and the generations that follow you! If you don’t feel like your life is worth the effort, will you at least believe theirs is?
Your opportunity is here, that’s why you’re hearing this. God has so much more available to you, and now is the time to decide once and for all you’re going for it!
You will no longer settle for the ease of a lower level of living.
You will rise up in 2023.
You will battle, you will lose some, and you will do it again until you conquer.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There will always be something standing in your way. There will always be a reason why now isn’t the best time for you to take the next step. There will always be a problem you’re dealing with. There will never come a day when you wake up feeling like now is the optimal time for you to do exactly what you’ve been putting off all this time.
However, that optimal day has come.
It is now.
Isn’t that funny. You didn’t wake up expecting today to be the day, yet here it is, Sis!
Now, today, this day, this is your optimal time to do what you said you were going to do! Yes the very thing you’ve been delayed, detoured, distracted, or discouraged into doing absolutely nothing about … today is the optimal day to declare you won’t be stuck here any longer!
What if all this time you’ve been waiting, and all you really had to do was take a step and the mountain standing in your way would have moved? What if you’ve wasted all these days of your life convinced the door would never open for you, but all you had to do was boldly knock on it with confidence? And what if God has given you this day of life as an opportunity to seize all he has aligned for you and you don’t have to miss any of it!
Honey, when God has chosen you, you cannot be dismissed. When God has destined you, you can’t be lost. When God has declared you as victorious, you can’t lose. And make no mistake about it, God has chosen you. He has designed you for a destiny. And he has declared you as more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus! THERE IS MORE FOR YOU!
Isaiah 45:2-3 are God’s words to a man named Cyrus, who was chosen. The Lord says “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches! I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.”
This is what God says to the one whom he calls by name. And did you know, God calls you by name? Did you know he goes before you? Don’t you know he will level mountains before you? He will smash down every single thing that has held you back from his destiny for your life.
What’s your role? Acknowledge that he is God, and take the next step to follow his promptings.
As a chosen daughter of the Almighty, your spirit will receive promptings. Sometimes we call those gut feelings or bright ideas, but honey, you didn’t come up with that on your own! Your spirit has a direct connection with your Creator, and he prompts you within to turn in the right direction and make decisions that lead you in his divine design.
Lean into that prompting. You don’t have to understand it to be led by it.
Ezra 1:1 “The LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.”
This stirring of Cyrus’ spirit prompted him to make decisions he wouldn’t have otherwise made. It caused him to be in alignment with God’s great plans to see the unfolding of his promise. It lead him to mountains God promised he would move. It took him to gates that would be opened. And Cyrus had great victories simply because he responded to the stirring of his spirit by a mighty God who had great plans.
And God wants to lead you in the same exact way. He doesn’t want you to have to sit here stuck in indecision. He doesn’t want you to be overwhelmed by the ‘what if’s’. He doesn’t want you to constantly look back questioning if you were wrong. He wants to stir your spirit and see you respond in confidence!
Can you believe God has secret treasures for you? Can you believe he has victory aligned for you on the other side of this battle? Can you believe he has a plan, and that plan involves YOU, and that plan will all unfold one prompting of your spirit at a time?
Today is the optimal day for you to declare you’re ready to respond to these promptings. It’s the optimal day to begin really believing Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”, and for whatever reason, Sis, God is FOR YOU!
Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
God will NOT FAIL you here. If you step out in response to his prompting, he will not leave you hanging. He has already gone ahead of you in this, he has seen what you have not yet seen, and his providence has preceded you.
All Cyrus had to do was respond to the promptings in his spirit with obedience, and every door was opened. Every victory was aligned. Every mountain was moved with each step he took. All because he was chosen by an Almighty God who had ridiculously good plans.
And guess what, that’s me and you too! We are chosen by this Almighty God who still has ridiculously good plans. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Hasn’t God called you out of darkness? Hasn’t he offered you a brighter way of living in his light? Now, what in the world will you do today knowing that you are indeed God’s special possession, chosen by the creator of the entire universe, and personally guided by his promptings?
I think you will show up! I think you will take the next step. I think you will stop being overwhelmed by the mountain. I think you will boldly knock on doors. I think you will stop waiting and wishing and wondering, and begin to believe the One who calls you by name is calling you to MORE!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
The day after Christmas…
The day you wake up 5 pounds heavier to a big mess…
The day after all the excitement…
What do you have after the excitement?
I assure you, life is a series of ups and downs. There will be things to look forward to, then those things will pass and there will be a lull. Almost an emptiness. A lost feeling. An uncertainty about where to focus your efforts next.
Have you ever heard of a “Goal Hole”? It’s the hole you find yourself in after reaching a big goal. It’s that unexpected loss of motivation once you’ve arrived to where you were striving to get. It’s the day after Christmas, when suddenly you’re regretting all the Christmas decorations you put up this year. Can I trick you into believing you “GET TO” take them down now?
What about the day after Jesus was born? This miraculous promise Mary had received was now a real life baby laying in a manger. Yeah, now what? I opened my bible this morning and began reading what came next, searching for a guide for each of us in this day of life. And here’s what I found.
Matthew 2:1-2 MSG “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
That last sentence just jumped off the page and grabbed my heart. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.
This is what we do today. The day after Christmas, we are on pilgrimage. A mission, a journey, a quest to find and worship Jesus. We were thinking of him yesterday as we celebrated his birth, now today, we look for him!
Where will you find Jesus today? Where will you find evidence of his saving grace in your life? Where will you notice his fingerprints on the unfolding miraculous details that otherwise appear so ordinary? Where will you look and find, this is undoubtedly the work of Jesus in my life! There’s simply no other way to explain this!
This “band of scholars” we read about on their pilgrimage to worship Jesus are commonly referred to as the 3 wise men. They’re in the nativity scene, with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, divinely led to Jesus by a star in the sky.
They found Jesus because they were looking for him. Just as we will find Jesus when we look for him. But, if we’re not looking today, we may overlook his presence in our lives. We may focus on the mess and miss the miracle. We may dwell on the burden of work and miss the blessing of worship.
Let’s go looking for Jesus today! Let’s go on this pilgrimage to find and worship him! Let’s set out on a journey to seek him in every detail as life unfolds. Let’s be on a mission to recognize his fingerprints on all that appears so incredibly ordinary, and realize how truly extraordinary it is.
Girl, you have no idea what Jesus did to make all of this possible for you. You didn’t even see the mountains he had to move to bring you here. You were never even aware of the seas he had to part to make this path for your next step. You were completely clueless of the battles he fought as you slept peacefully just last night.
But if you will dedicate your journey to looking for him, your whole life will change.
Sis, if you’re looking for a radical life change in 2023, decide this is the year you will go on a pilgrimage to find and worship Jesus! Everyday, make it your mission to look for him. Be on a quest to hunt him down and see what he’s working on in your life!
Because here’s the thing about a pilgrimage, you come back changed! This is a quest that expands your spirit and broadens your experience. This is a journey that changes how you wake up on a Monday! This is a mission that leads to a discovery of great and unsearchable things. That’s what God promises in Jeremiah 33:3 “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”
This is your game changer! This is your turn around. This is your moment of recognizing exactly what’s been missing in your life! You’ve needed a mission! You’ve been craving a quest. You’re ready for your pilgrimage!
Does this mean you have to go to foreign countries and do big extraordinary things?
No.
It means you could look around in your own house, at your own family, and seek to find proof of Jesus’ grace and mercy right under your own roof!
It means you could look at all that has become so ordinary in your life, and begin seeing it as extraordinary again.
Yes, it means you continue to do more things because you GET TO, rather than you HAVE TO.
It means you could search for hidden purpose in the problem, a message in the mess, blessings in the burden, and something sacred in the struggle.
And when you find it, recognize it is Jesus! Yes, the same Jesus we just celebrated in the manger. We find him working in full power in our lives today. And when we find him, remember this is a pilgrimage to worship him!
Recognize all he has made possible in your life. Recognize all he has saved you from, the majority of which you are completely unaware of. Recognize he is radically changing your life as you are on a mission to find and worship him.
Romans 12:1 tells us true and proper worship is offering our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. What exactly does that mean? Read the scripture in the MSG translation, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”
This is how we worship. We intentionally take everything we do and do it as an offering to God. This requires an attitude of worship. An awareness of his presence. A focus on his providence in our lives. And no doubt, this is the pilgrimage that radically changes our lives in every way.
Today, the day after we remembered the birth of Jesus, we, like the 3 wise men, set out on our pilgrimage to find and worship Jesus … and we will never be the same!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This is my 47th Christmas. The majority of them I struggle to remember much of anything. I look back for moments that have become priceless, and you know what is funny … every memory that stands out are the Christmases that were far from perfect, yet so very memorable.
Think about it … it’s the Christmases that went sideways we remember most. Perfection is over-rated, and likely not on schedule for this year!
Our first Christmas together as a married couple was in a trashy German hotel room above a night club with a mattress on the floor and our only food was an apple and a few peanut butter crackers. Memorable.
Then the Christmas our travels home were halted with frozen roads and the kids woke up on Christmas morning in a budget friendly hotel with other stranded travelers. Unforgettable.
The Christmas we had no money for gifts, so our gift was a lobster we cooked and shared. Priceless.
The Christmas we had a crazy food gift exchange and you had to eat whatever you received. One person received sardines in mustard sauce and there was puking involved. Hilarious.
The Christmas our car broke down, so hubby and I pulled over and made out on the side of the road until help arrived. Really unforgettable.
These are the memorable Christmases. Sometimes we need to be stripped of all the extra to remember what is at the core of Christmas.
Perfection is not on schedule this year. Sis, drop that expectation now.
This Christmas my only wish was to have all 3 of my kids home for the first time in 4 years. We only got 1/3 of the way there. It’s not what I wished for, and maybe you’re facing a Christmas reality that isn’t what you wished for. Well, Christmas doesn’t have to suck for either of us, Sis.
Maybe this isn’t the Christmas you would have chosen. Maybe someone really important is missing this year and their empty seat creates a deep ache within you. Maybe relationships are strained, loved ones aren’t speaking, and half of you are walking around disappointed. Will you still show up as the best version of you? Will you still make the most of this? Will you make memories that will last a lifetime? Will you see the priceless moments as they unfold and savor them as they’re happening?
My favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night. It’s one of those songs I sing every year during a candlelight service that gets me all choked up. It says:
“A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees. Oh hear the angel voices. O night, divine. O night, when Christ was born.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. Our world is weary after past few years, it’s time to remember the thrill of hope.
Jesus came to this world on that holy night to offer you and I hope. A hopeless world received hope. You and I, hopeless in our overwhelm, hopeless in our bad habits, hopeless in our stress and mess, we received hope.
This is our gift. It is hope. Hope that there’s a purpose in all of this. Hope that we’re not alone. Hope that there’s a good plan and we haven’t missed it.
Romans 15:13 says “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Understand our God is the God of hope. And hope comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.
You are not hopeless. There is not a single situation in your life that is hopeless. God reigns over all. He is sovereign. He is powerful. He is true and he is just. He is here today to fill you with joy and peace so that you may ABOUND IN HOPE.
Jesus offers hope and hope should provide a thrill. This whole thing should be thrilling, exciting, and full of anticipation. That manger scene, those songs we sing, the gifts we give in remembrance of his birthday, this should be a THRILL. But is it really a thrill for you? Have we gotten so wrapped up in the “be here’s” and “do this’s” that we’ve lost the thrill of Christmas? If you didn’t wake up excited today, perhaps you’re doing it wrong. I mean seriously, those of us who woke up to life in the absence of a true crisis, shouldn’t we be thrilled with this gift?
If you’re just ready for Christmas to be over already, oh my sister … you’ve missed something. Let’s find it again. Right now. How can we get back that excitement?
What if this could be a precious and priceless Christmas? What if this Christmas has the potential to be that most memorable year that you look back on in all future years? Oh, would you feel the thrill of hope? And let me reassure you, you don’t have to be in the perfect log cabin in the mountains, surrounded by a fluffy snow, yet mildly warm temperatures and a cozy fire to have a truly memorable Christmas. You can be in a hospital room having a truly memorable Christmas. You can be stuck in an airport having a truly memorable Christmas.
Get your hopes up about this Christmas. Be THRILLED it is here!
But I know what most listeners are thinking right now, “I don’t want to get my hopes up”. Why? Because you’re afraid of being disappointed.
But here’s what scripture says about hope in Romans 5:5 – “HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT WITHIN OUR HEARTS.”
You don’t want to get your hopes up this Christmas because you don’t want to be disappointed again, but God says HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. What does disappoint us is EXPECTATION.
And there’s a tremendous difference between having hope and tying strings of expectation. Expectations let us down … hope lifts us up. I can walk into Christmas with my hopes high and my expectations at zero.
Max Lucado explains it like this – He says “Hope is not what you’d expect, it is what you would never dream. It is wild. Hope is not a granted wish or a favor, no it’s far greater than that. It is a wild, crazy dependence on a God who loves to surprise the heck out of us.”
Have we had hope all wrong? Is that why we’re not experiencing the thrill of hope? Hope isn’t a wish coming true. It isn’t a favor. It’s a wild, crazy dependence on this God of ours who just loves to surprise the heck out of us.
Maybe hope isn’t actually something we do, but something we receive, like grace. Hebrews 11:6 says that “God is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Is hope that reward? Could the thrill of hope be the reward we receive when we seek him?
Yes, when I seek him in Christmas, I receive hope … not expectations. Hope. And hope does not disappoint because this is the love of God that has been poured out for us.
This is a NO EXPECTATIONS CHRISTMAS.
This is a HOPE FILLED CHRISTMAS. Hope that is a wild and crazy dependence on this God of ours who loves to surprise the heck out of us.
This Christmas, may you seek him.
May you look for God in all the details.
May you see him in those sweet precious moments that will NEVER, EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
May you see all the little imperfections and be thrilled by the million ways they are actually perfect.
May you experience everything that is good and right in your world and know deep down in your soul it’s the result of grace, mercy and favor of a God who loves you wildly.
May you depend on God as he surprises the heck out of you.
And as you seek him, may you receive your reward … the THRILL OF HOPE.
May you be filled with hope as you celebrate Christmas.
May any area of your life that has felt hopeless be renewed by the power of Jesus Christ.
May every dark corner be lit up.
May relationships be restored.
May healing begin.
May moments be savored.
May you show up and act like the person God created you to be.
Because of that holy night when Christ was born, you and I have the thrill of hope.
This is our reward as we seek him.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Give yourself a point for each one that describes you today:
- You still have to wrap gifts.
- You still have to plan a big meal.
- You still have to buy a crapton of groceries.
- You still have to clean your messy house before company arrives.
- You still have to buy a few last minutes gifts.
- You still have to make Christmas cookies and treats.
- You still have to take family photos.
- You still have so many things on the Bucketlist you have to do: You have to drive around and look at Christmas lights, you have to take a photo with Santa, you have to drink hot chocolate, you have to sing Christmas carols, and oh crap you still have to do some sort of random act of kindness.
How many points did you rack up? How behind are you on all the things on all the lists?
I’m at a zero. None. And ya’ll it’s not because I’m super organized and ahead of schedule. It’s because I’ve screwed up enough Christmases with all the things, to now understand I actually don’t HAVE to do any of this, I GET TO.
You still GET to buy a few last minute gifts for people you love? You still GET to go to a grocery store that has absolutely everything you need all at your fingertips without you having to kill it, pluck it, skin it, or harvest it? You just get to grab it off the shelves, buy it with money you’re walking around with, and take it home in your vehicle that runs?!! Oh my gosh, you’ve hit the jackpot sister!
You still GET to make cookies? You GET to prepare your home for company? You GET to wrap presents? You GET to go see Christmas lights and you GET to drink hot chocolate? Oh my gosh, best day ever! And you GET to take photos with beautiful people?
Look at all the joy you have still ahead of you. Look at all you have been blessed to get to do.
Why do we make this a chore? Why do we commit ourselves to doing things, then show up with dread to do them?
Y’all it is three days until Christmas morning, and if you’re feeling stress and overwhelm over all you still have to do, you’re in desperate need of a perspective shift. I’m pretty dang sure Jesus doesn’t want you rushing around miserable and exhausted for the next three days because of his birthday. That doesn’t honor him.
Girl, you may be getting all the things done, but are you nasty about it? You’re rushed, you’re uptight, you’re just pushing through. Pushing through what? The season of joy? The most wonderful time of the year? The gathering of precious souls you get to share life with? The celebration of the one who came to save you? You’re pushing through that?
How about we not?
How about we remember why we’re doing what we’re doing and the sheer blessing behind it all.
Let me tell you something, there’s not room for stress and overwhelm in a life of joy. Joy requires space. It expands and overflows the edges. It consumes hours and days. Joy takes over to-do lists and chores. Joy allows you to still get all the things done, but remain grounded in the blessing of why you do what you do.
Y’all I get to go to the grocery store and buy hundreds of dollars of groceries because my soldier boy is coming home tomorrow for the first time in a year! I get to wrap gifts because I had the ability to create something special my people will love. I was blessed to spend $180 on shipping to send boxes to my two beautiful daughters who don’t get to be with us this Christmas, but they will still feel our love. And all on top of all that, you know what I get to do … I get to help plan a wedding on the beach to happen in 5 days!
My son and his gorgeous girl will begin their forever together here on the island next Tuesday! How crazy amazing is that?!!!!!! And crazy amazing is how it will remain, because stress and overwhelm have no place in my life of joy. Stress has no place in this time of celebration. Overwhelm is not welcome in these special moments we get to create.
We often trade what is so incredibly special for a sense of overwhelm. Why? Why would you allow that invasion of your most precious moments? Why would you let the enemy bring stress to your party? Why would you allow the sneaky exchange of all you are so ridiculously blessed to GET to do, for things you HAVE to do?
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5: 19-20 MSG “Here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift!”
Sis, make the most of whatever job you have today. Delight in the work. This is what you GET to do, not what you HAVE to do. You honor Jesus with your joy, not with your overwhelm. You celebrate Jesus with your presence, not your presents. Your day doesn’t need more time, honey your day needs more LIFE.
Stress and overwhelm have no place in a life of joy. Look around, you have so much to do because you have been given so much.
Now, give yourself a point for all the glorious things you still GET to do because you’re so ridiculously blessed in these final three days before Christmas:
- You still GET to wrap gifts because you were able to buy things they will love.
- You still GET to plan a big meal because people want to sit at a table with you.
- You still GET to buy a crapton of groceries because healthy people like to eat.
- You still GET to clean your messy house before company arrives because life has been happening in your house.
- You still GET to buy a few last minutes gifts because you want to bless someone else.
- You still GET to make Christmas cookies and treats and create memories.
- You still GET to take family photos that will outlive you.
- You still have so many things on the Bucketlist you GET to savor and enjoy and be fully present for.
Yes, all those things. And I even get to help create the most ridiculously beautiful, special wedding day for my son as he marries the girl we have been praying for for over 20 years. Overflowing!!!!!!!!!!!!
As you do all the things, may you be filled with grace and peace and choose joy a million times over.
There’s no space for stress and overwhelm.
This is God’s gift to you! And your gift to him … enjoy it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today is just one day, what could possibly happen in one day? What difference could one day make? This isn’t Christmas Day, this isn’t New Years Day, today seems to be just an ordinary Wednesday in a busy week. One day that seems insignificant and ordinary, but what is this one day?
In the hands of God, today could change everything. Today will certainly pass quickly. It will come and it will go, and you will either do the things you said you were going to do, or you won’t. You’ll either live it well or you will sit it out. The danger is in our assumption that today doesn’t really matter, and tomorrow will always come.
But do you realized there are 1,000 years of heaven’s power wrapped up in this one single day of your life? 2 Peter 3:8 “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”
So here, in this single day of life you have been offered, God has the power to do what you couldn’t do in 1,000 years. 1,000 years of planning, work, divine timing and details have all gone into this one single day of life you woke up to today. And here you felt like it was all just ordinary.
Have you ever noticed when scripture starts with “One day …”, a remarkable story is about to unfold. “One day” signifies importance and distinction.
It was “One day” in Luke 5 that Jesus is standing by a lake teaching, and he asks to get in the boat with Simon, and what happened next would change the trajectory of Simon’s life and countless others. Simon, who we now know as Peter, became a disciple of Jesus that day, and it happened on an ordinary day where he was out fishing. It was “one day”.
Luke 8:22 “One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.” And this was the day they saw Jesus calm the wind and the waves. This was the day they realized even the storms of life were under the command of Jesus. It happened “one day”.
Acts 3:1-8 “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer. A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” How many days had this man spent laying at the gate of the temple, begging for money? How long had his life gone unchanged, merely hoping for “change” as in gold or silver, not “change” as in get up and walk. But on one day, everything changed. That one day was an alignment of 1,000 years in Heaven. A divine encounter that changed his whole world. And it just happened one day.
Doesn’t this change your perspective on this one day you have today? It’s not an ordinary day at all when you’re calling on an extraordinary God. What might possibly unfold in this one day you have, could just be the work of God in 1,000 years.
But what if you fail to show up on that one day? What if the man who had been lame from birth wasn’t at the temple gate on that one day when Peter and John were walking through? What if he would have stayed home that day?
What if on the day Jesus showed up at the lake teaching, Simon would have quit work early that day and gone home? What if he would have been in a bad and irritable mood, and not receptive to some strange man in a robe and sandals asking if he could get in his boat? It happened in “one day”, but Simon didn’t realize that was THE day. But it was. It was the day God called him to a completely different life that would change everything.
What has God been working on for you in his timeline in Heaven which is radically different than your timeline here on Earth? What has he been aligning to become possible all in one day, but you won’t know what one day?
It will be one ordinary day, and you won’t want to miss it.
Think about it, you either already have, or you will, meet the love of your life “one day”. You see, one day when I was a freshman in high school, I saw the new boy walking the hallways in his British Knights shoes, and I thought to myself, “who is he?!!!” Well, I had been praying for years that God would bring new boys to my little country school, and one day, he showed up. Oh to know now all God had been doing for literally generations to bring that boy to my school, and have him show up “one day”. I sure am glad I had my collar flipped up and my bangs with the extra poof that day, because it was the “one day”!
You have a “one day” story. One day you met them. One day you took the first step. One day you said no more. One day you walked through that open door. One day you clicked play. One day you said yes. One day it all changed.
It’s the power of one day.
And what do you have here today? Have you forgotten the proven power in a day?
What could happen today? What could change today? Well I have no idea what God could have been working on for 1,000 years in Heaven that could all unfold in this one day, but it might just be really big!
What’s our role in this?
It’s really quite simple. Just be available.
One day when Jesus showed up and asked if he could get in the boat with Simon, Simon was available.
One day when Jesus intentionally took the disciples straight into a storm, they were available.
One day when Peter and John were walking into the temple, they encountered a lame man who had never walked before, and all 3 of them were available. Peter and John were available to be used by God, and the lame man was available to receive healing.
Be available to give today.
Be available to receive today.
Be available to follow today.
Be available to be flexible today.
Jesus, you want to get in my boat today? Well, I had plans to leave work early and go home and do things that need to be done, but you bet I’m available. Get on in my boat!
Jesus, you seriously want to head straight into this storm where it looks like we will surely sink? I’m going with! I’m totally available for wherever you’re taking me.
God, you want me to stop and speak to the one who is laying there unchanged forever? Would you want to use me to create change, even though I have no idea how that would be possible? Okay, I’m available today!
God, you want to change what has never ever been able to change in my life before? You want me to get up today in your power? I’m SOOOOO available!
It all happens “one day”. Everything that has happened on the countless, unimpressive days before, has led to this one day. And today could be your one day. Won’t you be available for it? Won’t you show up for it? Won’t you believe God has the power to unleash a thousands years worth of work into this one day?
Today is either your “one day”, or it is leading up to a “one day” for you. Either way, heaven’s work is unfolding here today and God wants to know if you’re available for it!at work for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
If this year of life were a color, what color would it be for you? Think about that. What color describes your 2022?
Sadly, the memories of an entire year of life often turn to a dull gray. Life so easily slips into the gray. The nothingness. Not great, not horrible… just unimpressive, unremarkable, and then unmemorable.
These gray years are dangerous. You can’t afford another gray year. These are the years we lose our passion. The years we drift from a purpose and start going through the motions. These are the years where we wander away from who we were created to be, and the life available to us, and we find ourselves in a dull existence of gray where we’re checked out, perpetually trying to just get through this thing to get to the next thing.
Is this the life Jesus said he came to give us in John 10:10? Is this a full life? Is this an abundant life, filled to the full and overflowing?
If 2022 has become nothing but gray for you, it’s hard to imagine life in full color again. Those bright, hopeful days seem unreachable.
How could 2023 possibly be different? Reality says it will be more of the same. You’ll start stuff and not finish it. You’ll make plans and those plans will fall apart. Your one step forward will be followed by two steps back. You’ll be disappointed. And without knowing it, you’ve already chosen the color for this vibrant new year of life in the offering to you. It too will be dull gray.
You won’t get overly excited. You won’t be overly optimistic. You will hesitate to start. You will resist going all in. You will question your worth. You will feel like not enough. And you will settle for less than God has planned for you, because gray has become familiar.
But God is calling you out of settling. Another gray year is not his purpose for you. In fact, he never intended for this year to be gray. He filled it with opportunities and unspeakable beauty in full color. He so hoped you would seize those opportunities and go for it. But the dullness set in, and gray is where you found yourself.
Can’t you hear him whispering to your soul at this moment, “my girl, I have a bright future for you.” Can’t you feel him stirring your spirit, with the hope of something new and different? Don’t dismiss that! Don’t let the gray overtake his light. Don’t allow your disappointment to steal what God has offered.
The enemy has been playing in the dark corners of this dull gray. He’s been killing your energy. He’s been stealing your passion. He’s been destroying your desire. Your spunk has been replaced with a colorless, passionless, spiritless, emptiness and you’re a shell of who you once were.
Recognize it … this is why you feel the way you do. The evil one has taken your color. However, when the light of Jesus comes fully into your life, the enemy’s darkness is lifted and these gray years are banished.
2023 doesn’t have to be gray for you. There is no dullness in God’s good plans for you. There is a fullness of life, a purpose in the daily, a supernatural filling in the ordinary. This blanket of gray must be removed!
This new year of life has a vibrant color for you, and it is anything but gray!
God’s spirit is prompting you at this moment to CRAVE something more. Prompting you to CRAVE a fullness of life that won’t let you settle for less. Prompting you to CRAVE a vibrant existence that thrills and fills your soul.
You see, that’s the problem. You’ve lost your craving for all God has for you. In these gray years, you’ve settled for what was easy, or what was immediate, or what was expected, and you’ve lost your craving for what you were designed for.
Honey, you were designed to live a vibrant, full, overflowing life. You were handcrafted to rise up, overcome, and be more than a conqueror. How do I know? Because you were designed to carry the Spirit of God within you, and that Spirit empowers you to do ALL THINGS, IMPOSSIBLE THINGS, EXCITING THINGS. But don’t miss it, that Spirit also empowers you to do everyday ordinary things with excellence. That Spirit supernaturally guides you to be in the unfolding of eternal plans at the perfect moment on a regular ol’ Tuesday.
Lord, I have settled for less. I have been stuck in the gray. I’ve lost my desire for more. I’m here, but I’m not really here. Restore my crave. Bring me to the place where I crave your goodness over my ease. Bring me to the place where I crave your full color over the familiar gray I’ve been living in.
Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered.”
Dull-hearted. This is the existence we sometimes find ourselves in. Our hearts are dull from these gray years. And these dull hearts of ours will not prosper. This gray blanket we have allowed to settle over our lives will prohibit the fullness of life Jesus has offered.
What has dulled our hearts? Complacency. This blahhhh existence of repetitive tasks where our hearts have been checked out for so long, the color has just gone out.
The solution is to be WHOLEHEARTED (there’s a word for someone). A heart that craves more. A heart that craves a life with purpose and meaning. A heart that is beating in full force, experiencing the vibrancy of life offered by a Creator who goes absolutely over the top!
Stop giving just a little of your heart. Wake up and give it all. The best of you. All of you. Craving more and more, and refusing to settle for the enemy’s offers of less. No, God says MORE! God says ALL. God says YOUR WHOLE HEART.
Then you will prosper. Then things will start working. Then life regains it’s color and the dull gray blanket is lifted.
These gray years of dull-hearted living are over. God is calling you out of that existence and into the fullness of life Jesus came to give you. The fullness where your whole heart is in, where you crave to live up to your potential more than you want this to be easy, and where your whole world is in full color with vibrancy!
What color will 2023 be for you? Let it be vibrant!
(Vibrant – Whole-Hearted – Crave)
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
It’s the week of Christmas. The week the presents need to get wrapped. The week the meals need to be planned. The week travels will be made. The week you’re freaking out because the package hasn’t showed up yet. The week school is out and time moves in slow motion for the kids. When is it going to be Christmas already?
Mom, can I open one gift now? Just one? Pleasseeeeeeeeee. Is this one for me? What’s in this one? Can you give me a hint. I’m just shaking it.
Our kids are mega annoying the week of Christmas. You know what, you used to be mega annoying the week of Christmas too! We all were. As kids we were all asking if we could open our presents early. The thrilling anticipation was more than we could take sometimes. We knew something under that tree was for us, and we could hardly wait to find out.
I remember a Christmas in the late 80’s where I decided I wouldn’t wait. I just couldn’t. I had to know what was in those presents. So one day while my parents were at work, and I was home from school on Christmas break, I spent the entire day, painstakingly cutting tape and ever so carefully unwrapping presents. A wooden jewelry box, a yellow heart necklace, a flannel shirt, perfume, underwear and socks. Oh, it was so exciting to peek at each one.
But then, you know what I did next? I was so excited over the thrill of these presents, that I unwrapped everyone elses’ gifts too. My brother’s gifts. My Mom’s gift from Dad, and my Dad’s gift from Mom. I just had to know what was in every box.
Then, I spent the remainder of the day, carefully placing the paper back on each box, and taping over the previously cut tape. NO ONE WOULD EVER KNOW!
Did you ever peek at your presents?
It is a well known fact, to this day, you don’t give me a gift in a gift bag with tissue paper and tell me I can’t look. Oh, I’m gonna look. The trill of anticipation turns me into a kid all over again.
So, Sis, why have we stopped asking God what he has for us? Why have we stopped trying to peek at what gifts God has aligned for us? Why aren’t we anticipating his goodness? Why aren’t we annoying the heck out of God, constantly asking, “what do you have for me here God?” “Can I open it today?” “Can I at least shake it and guess what you’ve done for me?”
When is the last time your prayers included, “God, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I sure am excited about it!!!!! Show me!”
Mark 10 tells the story of people surrounding Jesus with their children. The disciples tried to usher the children away so Jesus wouldn’t be bothered by them. Jesus became angry. Not angry at the children, but angry that the disciples thought he wouldn’t want to be bothered by children and their questions and their energy. Verse 14-16, Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”
You with all your grown up rules and boxes to check on the week of Christmas … you know what you need? You need some childlike faith! You need some childlike excitement. You need some childlike awe and wonder that believes there’s something good coming for you.
I mean, don’t you want to know what God has for you? You better show up expecting! Expecting God has been working behind the scenes. Expecting God is taking all these things you’ve been dealing with, and he is somehow using them all together to become something good. Expecting God to bless you. Expecting God to guide you. Expecting God to do miraculous things for no other reason than you are his child and he loves you.
Jesus said, “anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” What does that mean?
Think about how children view the gifts under the tree this week. They are thrilled over the box. They can’t keep their hands off the box. They want nothing more than to find out what is waiting for them in that box. They don’t know what’s coming, but they are excited about it.
And this is a picture of who we should be. Where is our awe? Where is our wonder? Where is our excitement? GOD, WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR ME? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME? I KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE SO GOOD. I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO OPEN IT ALL!
This is how we should received the kingdom of Heaven Jesus promised, and this is how we should receive the celebration of his birthday this week.
God, what is in this box for me? What’s coming?
And I’m not only excited about what God has for me, but hot dang, I’m excited about what God has for you too! Just like I got caught up in the thrill of it all and opened my entire family’s gifts that Christmas, I’m absolutely thrilled to know what God is going to do for you too. Oh, you get healing! You get miraculously restore relationships. You get a breakthrough. You get supernatural guidance. You get strength you never knew was possible. And you will finally have that door you’ve been knocking on forever to swing wide open and you will be walking into providential blessings you didn’t even know to ask for.
Oh my gosh, I’m excited about what God has for me, and I’m sooooo excited about what God has for you! I can hardly take the anticipation.
Honey, this ol’ lukewarm, “eehhhh, I’m not really into Christmas” thang isn’t cutting it! You’re not into celebrating the birth of your savior? You’re not into being saved from all your sins and promised paradise forever? You’re not into receiving gifts and being ridiculously blessed?
God asks for us to be childlike! To sit and look at life with awe and wonder, instead of rush through it thinking you have to perform in some way. To be excited over what there is for you, and anticipate sheer goodness. To shake the box. To guess what it could be. And sure, incessantly ask, “Can I open it yet? How about today? Can you give me a hint?”
Have you forgotten that Jeremiah 29:11 is more than just a feel good verse that applies to a few lucky ones. It’s a promise to you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
And our childlike faith responds in awe and wonder and says, “ohhhhhhhhh, what is it Papa God? What do you have for me? Can I open it now? Can I shake it and guess? I can hardly handle the anticipation of your good plans for me!”
This is how we receive the week of Christmas. This is how we anticipate a new year of life in 2023. No more lukewarm, unimpressed, low energy, checked out, underwhelmed numbness. NO! Awe and wonder over the gifts of a good, good father who has good plans for your future and he expects you to get your hopes up over it all!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
hat would your life look like if you went all in and stopped holding back? What could happen in one year’s time if you lived every day like it’s the only day you’ve got? What if you stopped wasting this, just in case it’s your last shot?
We’re talking about no regrets in the end. Living with no what ifs.
A young man once came to Jesus and asked what he would have to do to have eternal life. Jesus first told him to follow his commands. The man proudly said, “I do follow your commands, but what else?” Matthew 19:21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The next verse says the young man went away sad, because he had many possessions.
Why do you think Jesus told him he had to sell everything he had? Is that a requirement of heaven? Does your salvation require for you to give everything away? Jesus said this specifically to this young man because money and possessions were standing in the way of him fully following Jesus.
And that day, the man held back. He walked away, wondering ‘what if’. What if I did give up all of this to follow Jesus? What if I did let go of all that keeps me stuck here? What if that exchange would have been life changing with eternal impact? But he walked away sad, because he had so much to hold on to.
Does God need all your money? Nope. His resources are greater than anything you could ever imagine. It’s all his. If he needs it, he has the power to create it. Remember the story in Matthew 17 of Peter needing money to pay his taxes, and Jesus instructs him to go down to the lake and catch a fish, and within that fish’s mouth would be a large silver coin, enough to pay both of their taxes.
You and I have experienced something similar in less impressive ways when we found that $20 bill just when we needed it most. Where did it come from? Oh you could make up some perfectly logical explanation, I’m sure, but maybe it was just God providing in supernatural ways for his girl through his abundant resources. He can drop a 20 anywhere he wants.
So, why would Jesus tell this young man he had to give up all his possessions to follow him? Because his possessions were the one thing keeping him from following.
Imagine what this man must have felt when just 8 chapters later, he saw Jesus crucified on the cross, then hearing how he rose from the grave. Then he knew. He knew he should have followed him. He should have dropped everything and gone for it, but he didn’t.
So what was he left with? Regret. In the end, he had a whole lot of what ifs. What if I would have gone? What if I would have believed? What if I would have trusted?
Understand, this young man was receiving an invitation to become one of Jesus’ disciples. Think about it, that’s exactly what he said to the fishermen, Peter, James, Andrew and John. He said, “follow me.” But to follow him, they had to leave something. What did they have to leave? They had to drop their nets and walk away from the catch of a lifetime. They had just hauled in so many fish their boats were sinking. As professional fishermen, this was an abundance of provision. This was everything! The ultimate jack pot. And Jesus said, “come, follow me.” The same words he had spoken to the rich young man.
The difference is, the fishermen dropped everything and followed Jesus. No regrets, they went for it.
What if Jesus is inviting you into the adventure of a lifetime? The adventure of following and trusting him. The adventure of living in the middle of his miracles and playing an active role in his eternal mission. What if Jesus has all of this aligned for you, available to you, made possible for you, but it will require one thing of you … It will require you to actually go for it.
Dropping every excuse and entanglement that has ever held you back, and going. Daring to believe you were created for more than just waking up every day and going through the motions in a mind numbingly boring life, just hoping things will change for you one day. Nothing is going to change unless you do!
Maybe you’ve been doing exactly what the rich young man did when he walked away from the invitation to be one of Jesus’ disciples, you just don’t realize it. You’re building up so much dang regret on the daily, but it’s all become so habitually normal you don’t even see it.
You always say no.
You always sit it out.
You always push it off until later.
There’s always some sort of excuse.
You always talk yourself out of it.
All while Jesus has presented you an invitation to live this one life fully, abundantly, to absolute overflowing, but you’ve unknowingly refused the offer because you have a habit of saying no. You have a habit of dismissing yourself. You have a habit of making excuses. You have a habit of procrastinating. You have a habit of quitting. You have a habit of hoping someone else will do it. You have a habit of waiting until it’s easier.
And all of this has created a sadness in your life you can’t quite put your finger on. Honey, you’re sad because you’ve been walking away from the invitation to live this one life you’ve been given with no regrets. Instead, every day the what ifs have been stacking up and the weight of all this regret is crushing you.
But here’s the good news … Jesus hasn’t given up on you. He hasn’t cancelled the life you were created for. He will realign opportunities you sat out on last time. He’s bringing it back around to you, Sis, now what are you going to do about it?
In the wee, dark hours of this morning when my alarm rang, I realized I had been singing a song in my sleep. My first thoughts this morning came in a song:
What if today’s the only day I got?
I don’t wanna waste it if it’s my last shot
No regrets, in the end
I wanna know I got no what ifs
Yes, it’s the Matthew West song “What If”. A song written to make you think about when you will be asking “what if”. Oh, you will ask, it’s just a matter of WHEN will you be asking.
Your first option is asking what if right now. While your story is still being written. While you still have time. While you can do something about it. What if I made that change? What if I asked for help? What if I stepped out and took that chance? What if I said what I need to say? What if I just went for it? What if I got started today? What if I just kept going?
Or will you wait until it’s all too late and it’s the end, and you’re asking from a past tense. What if I would have changed back then? What if I would have stuck with it? What if I would have believed God really did have those good plans for my life? What if I would have reached out?
You have been given the opportunity to answer that question now.
Now, while you still have a chance to do something different.
Now, while the offer is still available.
Now, while there’s still that beating in your chest reminding you to drop everything that has ever held you back and follow Jesus into that abundant, overflowing life he came to give you.
And then, in the end, you’ll know, you have no what ifs!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What happens after you get through what you’re going through? What do you do on the other side of this battle? How will you live when this threat is gone, you have overcome, and victory has been awarded?
For many of us, we jump right into the next thing without skipping a beat. We no more solve one problem before we’re focused on the next problem. Sometimes I think what God really wants of us is to look around and say “Wow, this is good. God has been faithful. I’m going to stay right here in the goodness of this space he has brought me to before I go running off into the next battle.”
The problem is, chaos is addictive. When you’ve lived in chaos, peace becomes foreign. Girl, you be stirring up crap just to have crap to worry about! Be still for a second and recognize God has brought you through. He has provided. That old threat has been removed, so you can quit reliving it.
AND, this is big, stop creating chaos for a future you haven’t even seen yet. You’re assuming hardship. You’re assuming disaster. You’re assuming people will be ridiculous, it will be unfair, and things won’t go well for you. You’re assuming what you just overcame is going to fall apart again. You’re still carrying the trophy from the last victory God gave you, and you’re already preparing for possible defeat next.
Don’t you know, when the enemy sees God is for you, he steps back and takes note. Why would he waste his time on a girl who has peace that can’t be rocked? Why would he focus his evil attempts on a girl who is clearly protected by the providence of the Almighty? Stop looking over your shoulder and assuming the worst. God has fought for you and your enemy knows you’ve been set apart.
Many of today’s problems are self-created because we have failed to recognize peace can be our new normal.
Yesterday we learned about King J facing armies from multiple enemies at once. But he didn’t have to fight this battle. He and his people began praising God and worshiping him, and this created confusion among the enemies and they fought and destroyed one another until they were all destroyed. King J was given victory through his worship.
Now, what happened after this battle? This will be our focus for today, as many of us have been brought through the battle and we need to know what to do from here.
2 Chronicles 20: 27-29 “Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, overjoyed that the Lord had given them victory over their enemies. They marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they proceeded to the Temple of the Lord. When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”
Ohhhh, rest on every side. Come on now, don’t you want some of that? Sounds unrealistic, doesn’t it? You’re already assuming that couldn’t possibly be for you. Recognize, that’s you stirring up worry for the future that is totally unnecessary.
How did they step into rest on every side after the battle? First, they kept praising and after the victory was given they marched directly to the temple to honor God. Then, they lived in peace! Honey, keep praising God for what he has brought you through, and live in peace! The enemy fears you because God himself has fought for you, find confidence in that! Take a big, deep breath and know God has covered you completely!
How odd would it be for you to wake up with peace knowing whatever comes your way, God has you covered? How totally unfamiliar would it feel to not be upset by every little thing, and instead dwell in serenity knowing victory has always been yours. You’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop for so long that your nerves are shot! You’re a total spaz without the enemy even making a move.
Now, this is important. We are given a warning in this story. A warning of not becoming lax in our victory. To stay faithful to the one who brought us through and not allow anything else to take God’s place.
Verses 32-37, “Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the ways of his father. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.
Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked. Together they built a fleet of trading ships. But, because he had allied himself with the wrong person, the Lord destroyed his work. The ships met with disaster and never put out to sea.”
After making it through what God has brought you through, have you allowed any remains of things in your life that are not pleasing and honoring of God? Have a few of your old habits followed you into your new territory? Are there things still in your home that are not pleasing to him? You didn’t know any better back then, but now you do. Now you have seen the power of God to fight for you, and now that you know better, you are expected to do better.
What is there in your life that God is pinging your Spirit to get rid of? It may have been harmless before, but now God is warning it is interfering with your commitment to follow him fully. Will you let it go? Will you drop it from your life now?
Maybe it’s the old music you listen to. Maybe it’s the show you watch. Maybe it’s someone in particular you talk to. Maybe it’s a habit that suited you back then, but it no longer aligns with who God is growing you to be. Maybe it’s a practice that seems absolutely harmless, but God is asking you to release it.
Will you trust the one who is powerful enough to bring you victory, to also be big enough to bless you in your release of anything leftover from before the battle?
When we hold onto things that should no longer have a space in our lives, we begin to align with people and things God cannot bless. Things that are against his good plans for our lives. And guess what … if God can’t bless it, it will bring destruction.
Really consider, can God bless this relationship you’ve continued?
Can God bless this practice you’ve held on to?
Can God bless this little daily habit you’ve got?
If God can’t bless it, it will eventually bring destruction.
Won’t you just offer it up to him today? God, if you can’t bless this, I really don’t want it. If this is out of alignment, I don’t want to be in that line. Ping my spirit and I will be obedient. You are the one who brought me through everything I went through before, and I want to dwell in your place of peace.
A truly genuine prayer right now would be, “God, I don’t want to screw this up. Don’t let me screw this up. Show me if there’s anything I’m stepping into that is out of alignment. Show me if there’s anything I’m holding on to that is keeping me from being fully committed to you. I really don’t want to screw this up.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
It’s hard to see this valley you’re in right now as a blessing. It’s hard to embrace this hardship as goodness. It’s hard to see potential victory in this battle. But, Sis, you have not seen what God has seen on the other side of this valley. You have not yet even dared to imagine the goodness he has planned. This battle will result in victory, but that victory will be out of your hands.
If the victory will be out of your hands, where will it be? It will be in your worship.
If the battle is too big for you, this battle belongs to the Lord. If there’s nothing you can do here, you’re standing on holy ground where God will do the impossible. If defeat seems to be the only realistic outcome in this valley, there’s one thing you must do to receive your blessing and step into victory.
WORSHIP.
Yes, right here, where all your mind has been able to do is run through worst case scenarios in a circle of panic. Here, where everything seems stacked against you and there’s absolutely no way through this or out of this. Here, where it has all fallen apart. Here, where darkness has surrounded you and you can’t seem to find you way out of it. This is your place of worship.
Worship will turn your valley of brokenness into a valley of blessings. Worship will turn your breakdown into a breakthrough. Worship will turn your vice into a victory. Worship will turn your hardship into a hallelujah.
Is there anything you can do about this? Is this out of your hands and over your head? Is this bigger than you and beyond your reach? You are being called to worship here.
Yes, girl, this is how you fight your battles. You worship.
Jehoshaphat was the King of Judah, and he was under attack. Not only one army was coming against him, but multiple armies. Kind of like you right now, under attack by multiple things all at once. I don’t know what you’ve got going on, but it might be your health and your finances at the same time. It might be your marriage and your job. It might be your past coming back to threaten you at the same time your future seems to be falling apart.
Multiple attacks from multiple enemies, all closing in. Is that how you feel right now? That was exactly what was happening to King Jehoshaphat. He was surrounded by enemies, and they were drawing in. There would be no winning this battle, it was impossible. 2 Chronicles 20:3 “Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance.”
Well doesn’t that just describe you right now? Terrified by the news and begging the Lord for guidance. Well, did you come here today expecting to be guided, or did you come here expecting to wallow in how terrible this is? Be expectant for God to guide you now. Be expectant for him to speak directly to you and give you a battle plan to fight this.
But, don’t expect to understand the battle plan. Don’t expect for this to make absolutely any sense in your fight or flight brain. It won’t. This is on a spiritual level.
King Jehoshaphat was stuck in a valley facing multiple enemies he could not stop. He was outnumbered and overpowered. Yet, you have to know HE WON! You have to know at the end of the battle, we come to verse 24 and it says “Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.”
So, how did we go from being terrified and begging in verse 3, to every single enemy falling in verse 24? One simple thing, my friend. One thing brought them to victory, and it’s the same thing that will bring you to victory when the battle is bigger than you, it’s WORSHIP.
Let’s read the condensed story together from 2 Chronicles 20: 1-24:
“The armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already near.”
Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.
Jehoshaphat stood before them and he prayed, “O Lord, you alone are God. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us. We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
The Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. He said, “The battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”
Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. Then they stood to praise the Lord.
Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm.”
The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the Lord;
his faithful love endures forever!”
At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the enemy armies to start fighting among themselves. The armies turned against their allies and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed one army, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.
Worship won their battle, and worship is how you will win your battle too. When the battle is too big for you, then it belongs to the Lord. When it’s the Lord’s battle, you kneel down in worship, you stand up in worship, you walk in worship. You sing, and you praise the one who will fight this battle for you.
You and your family are up against a real enemy who has real demons attacking. Your worship confuses every single evil spirit and will cause them to fight against one another. Don’t you want the spirit that has come against your marriage to be confused into fighting the spirit that has come against your health? Don’t you want the demon who is targeting your family to get tangled up in battle with the demon who is targeting your dreams?
Confuse the heck out of every demon and spirit of the enemy, and create chaos in their battle plans with your worship! That’s what you do when you sing and praise God in the middle of the valley!
Verse 26 says the King and his men went out to the valley where all their enemies lay defeated, and they called it the Valley of Blessings. Yes, the valley where they were outnumbered and overpowered. The valley where they should have been overwhelmed and overtaken. This valley became their Valley of Blessings. And all they did was stand in the face of their enemies and worship God.
If the battle you’re facing is too big for you, then this battle belongs to the Lord. If you can’t do anything about it, he will. At the very moment you begin to sing and praise God in worship, every demon and evil spirit sent from the enemy to attack you will become confused and attack each other. They will wipe themselves out. Their defeat will be certain, and you will have victory here!
What did they sing? Scripture even tells us specifically:
“Give thanks to the Lord;
his faithful love endures forever!”
Now this makes me think of a song from 20 years ago that was clearly written in the face of a battle that couldn’t be won in any other way but worship. It’s called “You are Good”, by Israel Houghton and it goes like this:
Lord, You are Good
And your mercy endureth forever
Lord, You are good
And your mercy endureth forever
People from every nation and tongue
From generation to generation
We worship you
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We worship you
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We worship you for who you are
And You are Good
So about this valley you’re in and the battle you’re facing that is way bigger than you. Honey, I believe this battle belongs to the Lord, and you’ve been given your battle plan: Fast, pray, and worship! The song has even already been written. Press play and sing along! You’re standing in what will one day become your Valley of Blessings.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What you have sure seems like not enough, so the question becomes, what are you doing with what little you do have? Have you dismissed what’s here because it’s not all you imagine is needed?
Who are you to say how much God will require? Who are you to assume what you have won’t be enough before you even invite God to use it?
I woke up this morning with this thought. A thought of having entirely too little of what would be needed. Specifically, sleep. I got too little sleep last night to ever feel rested. Too little sleep to ever have abundant energy. Too little sleep to ever pull off being super productive today. Then I felt a ping in my spirit that was God saying, “what if it’s not enough to you, but it’s more than enough for me.”
Here’s what I realized in that moment … it’s my attitude about what little I have that is a bigger obstacle than the quantity itself. It is my perspective that limits far more than my supply.
What I could do with 5 hours of sleep is drag butt all day, focus on how sleepy I am, complain about how it isn’t enough, and feel defeated from the very beginning … OR I could opt for something different. I could take that same 5 hours of sleep that sure felt like not enough, and I could offer it to God to see what he can make of it in his hands.
What can he do with your ‘too little’ and ‘not enough’? Oh girl, he can turn it into an overwhelming abundance if you give it to him in faith!
When the disciples saw the hungry crowd gathering around Jesus, they wanted to dismiss the need. Their attitude was immediately set on not having what it would take. I bet you’ve been seeing a whole lot of this yourself. Isn’t that exactly what you’ve been seeing? You, here not having what it will take. Feeling inadequate. Feeling overwhelmed. Being stuck. So, have you dismissed the need? Dismissed the desire? Dismissed yourself? Oh, God wants to get all up in that today!!!!
Jesus never asked the disciples to bring him what was guaranteed to be enough, he simply asked them to bring him what there was. And what there was seemed grossly inadequate.
John 6: 9-13 Andrew, one of the disciples says to Jesus, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”
This miracle delivered by Jesus first began with what there was. And what there was came no where close to being enough. It was laughable it was so little. It was only a boy with 5 small loaves of bread and 2 small fish. Notice the size is even included so it’s clear. It was SMALL bread. SMALL fish. We’re not even talking about 2 big fish, they were little.
The quantity made no difference in the hands of Jesus. All that mattered is it was placed in his hands. In his hands, this ridiculously insufficient supply became an overflowing abundance that created more left overs than there was to begin with.
But what if the boy wouldn’t have offered his little loaves of bread? What if he would have hidden his little fish, because there was no denying what he had wouldn’t even come close to feeding thousands of people. This miracle happened all because it was offered. The amount didn’t matter, the offering did.
You’re here today, believing you have too little to do what you need to do. Too little sleep. Too little energy. Too little strength. Too little money. Too little talent. Too little support. Too little patience. Too little time.
What you have doesn’t even come close to meeting the need before you. So, you’ve been holding back, assuming you’re out. Assuming you can’t. Assuming until you have more, there’s not point in even trying. But Jesus is clearly saying today, “TRUST ME WITH WHAT YOU DO HAVE AND LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I CAN DO!”
Someone has been sitting on a dream thinking they couldn’t possibly make it happen. And you’re absolutely right. With what you have right now, it won’t happen. Not in your hands. But Jesus is standing by, just waiting for you to trust him with all you have, every single bit of it, and let him work miracles in the insufficiency instead of you working your excuses.
Why are you arguing with him? You’re over here like “God, this doesn’t make sense. There’s no possible way this can work. I don’t have enough to even start.” Well, neither did the boy with his little bread and little fish. But he would have never known the miracle working power of Jesus if he wouldn’t have offered it!
Those 2 little fish would have always remained 2 little fish that would have only been a small meal for a few. Just like your little idea will always be a little idea that won’t go anywhere, if you don’t offer it to Jesus. Just like your last nerve will be your last nerve with someone getting all on it, unless you offer that last nerve to Jesus and let him multiply it with supernatural patience and peace. Just like your little bit of extra time will continually be wasted on mindless scrolling, unless you offer that little bit of time fully to Jesus and see him work in it supernaturally to create the changes in your life you didn’t think there would ever be time for. Honey, you will never know as long as you are held back in your little.
When God told me to start hosting a devotional conference call, I couldn’t imagine having something to say for more than 2 days in a row. I didn’t know how to pray. I didn’t know how to study. I didn’t know how to apply scripture. God didn’t care about the quantity, or honestly even the quality of what I had, he just wanted me to offer it to him. What you listen to today to help start your morning is the result of a girl who had way too little, but Jesus got all up in it!
I’ve seen marriages that were so broken, they were fully divorced and done. But when that last ounce of hope was given to Jesus, he renewed and restored and brought two people back together to create more than there ever had been before. It’s the miraculous power of a full surrender.
Greater than your circumstances is your attitude about your circumstances. Greater than your short supply is what you’re unwilling to do with your short supply. Greater than this overwhelming need, is the little bit you have right now to begin meeting that need. You say, “But I only have 5 dollars and 2 quarters. I only have 5 minutes and 2 seconds. I only have 5 shirts and 2 pants. I only have 5 people and 2 paychecks. What difference would that make? What I can offer is so insufficient in light of this overwhelming need.” But what could Jesus do with your 5 and 2?
He has already proven what he can do! He can feed a crowd of thousands. He can clothe an entire city. He can make major breakthroughs and changes. He can tear down walls. He can break chains. He can part seas. He can do impossible things with the exact thing you have been dismissing as too little.
What I can do today doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but why not offer it any way? Why not show up believing your little is immeasurably enormous in the hands of Jesus?
So here I am with my 5 and 2. 5 hours and about 2 minutes of sleep. It seems like not enough to have an abundance of energy to have a ridiculously productive day, but God has told me otherwise. He’s told me if I will stop focusing on the lack, and focus on giving it in faith, he will multiply it to make it MORE than meet every need for today!
What are you here thinking, “this can’t possibly be enough?”
What I can do isn’t enough to make a difference.
The energy I have isn’t enough to pull this off.
The patience I have left isn’t enough to make it through this.
The money I have isn’t enough to even get started.
The time I have won’t even come close to being enough.
Sounds like a boy with 5 small loaves of bread and 2 small fish. Ridiculously insufficient. Not any where close to being remotely realistic. But that didn’t stop Jesus, now did it?
So why would it stop Jesus for you? It won’t.
What will stop Jesus, is you. You’re stopping Jesus. You’re stopping him by not offering what little you have with an expectation that he is powerful enough to do exactly what needs to be done with it.
Offer it up. Offer your 5 and 2. Your way too little. Your not enough. Your insufficient supply. The very thing you’ve been tempted to withhold and dismiss because it doesn’t even seem worth offering … just put it in the hands of Jesus and watch him multiply it to MORE THAN ENOUGH.
The disciples gathered 12 baskets of leftovers. That’s impossible. That doesn’t make sense at all. That’s just Jesus showing off.
And guess what, Jesus wants to show off for you. Change your attitude and perspective about what you do have, offer it to him in faith, and watch him show off right in the middle of what you thought could never be enough.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Just how exhausted are you right now? How completely overwhelmed and overstretched have you become? You woke up more tired than you were when you went to bed, and you’re not sure how your already depleted level of energy will ever be enough to get you through this day. You’ve already made peace with the fact that you will be dragging butt all day today.
Really, why are you dragging butt today? Why are you trudging along, just trying to get through the day? Why are you moving slow, feeling low, already exhausted at the beginning of the day?
Hey, Sis, why are you so tired? Why are you so stressed? What is causing this in your life?
We’re quick to assume it’s because we are doing too much. We have too much on our plate. Too many people counting on us. Too much to get done. Too much coming that we’re not even remotely ready for.
But if that is the case, then how are there people with the same amount of work, the same obligations, the same stresses and messes as you, but they’re waking up with energy and joy today? What’s the secret here? Why are they not overwhelmed? Why are they not exhausted?
Honey, they’re not better than you, they’ve just tapped into something you haven’t quite discovered yet. But what if you could discover it today? What if I could share with you the one thing you’ve maybe been missing, and this one thing has the power to make a drastic difference in every day of your life?
Interested?
Here’s the truth: You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks joy in you.
Now here’s the secret: Allow space for what you love.
God designed you with great detail. The color of your eyes, the size of your feet, each delicate turn of your fingerprints, all designed by him. And within, he designed specific desires of your heart to spark joy. He created you to love very specific things. Why? So you would enjoy the days of life he has granted you and follow that joy to find his desired passions in your life.
God created me to love adventure. He created me to find joy in the turquoise waters, in the woods, and in the mountains. He created me to explore and wander and discover. And when I’m doing those things, I feel more alive. I feel more in touch with the one who created me, and the life he created me for.
What about you? What are the specific desires of your heart that spark joy? What do you love doing? What do you love seeing? Where do you find tremendous joy?
Honey, if you can’t answer that question quickly and certainly, that tells me you’ve been spending a whole lot of your days checking boxes and going through the motions. Survival mode is created for one thing … surviving a crisis. If you’re not in an absolute crisis right now, why would you be living in a mode designed for one? You’re surviving this, but are you really living in it?
The point of this life is not to arrive at the end in a nice, clean car with good hair saying, “I have made it to my destination and I still look rather good.” Untouched. Unspoiled. Lipstick on point.
Honey, the point of this life is to come skidding through the pearly gates side ways on fumes saying, “Wooohooooo, what a ride! I lived and I loved, and I experienced all the things God created for me in this lifetime. I didn’t sit a single one out, I was all in for everything God had for me, and dang was it a wild ride! Maybe I could take a little nap in my heavenly mansion as eternity in Paradise begins.”
But is that the way we’re living … or are we saving that for some time in the future? For what … when you’re older? Baby, things don’t get easier when you get older. You’re saving all your tokens for a carnival ride that may be broken once you get there!
Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”
God is showing you the way of life. He’s showing you all of this beauty he has created surrounding you and he’s given you your allotted lifetime to find joy in his presence within it. If you’re not finding joy, and instead all you’re finding are reasons to worry, tasks to be completed, work to dread, and details to be overwhelmed by, then you are clearly exhausted.
Why are you exhausted? Because you’re not living within the rhythms of life God created for you. I’m pretty sure when he created the beauty of a sunset, it was to promote a slowed rhythm that would make his girl stop and soak it in. I’m pretty sure when he created music with that beat you love so much, it was to move you to dance. When he created the warmth of the sunshine, it was to make you stop and feel it on your face. When he created little feet to make that pitter patter sound on the floor as they run through the house, it was to make you pause in that moment and savor what will pass so quickly.
But why wouldn’t you stop? Why wouldn’t you soak it in? Why wouldn’t you dance? Why wouldn’t you enjoy this now?
Oh yeah … because you’re so dang busy doing all these things you think you have to do, and wondering why you don’t seem to have the energy to do them. You don’t have the energy because you’ve denied yourself of the things God created to spark your soul.
God has joy for you here. He has pleasure for you now and forever. Won’t you let him show you the way of living that life?
He’s been doing special things just for you every single day of your life in an effort to draw you into a rhythm that allows life to flow instead of be pushed.
Psalm 23:6 “Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.”
Every time I read that scripture, my first thought is, WHY NOT JUST LET IT CATCH ME? God is always chasing after me with love and beauty, so I’m going to slow down and let him catch me! He’s going to get me today!
The work will still get done. The tasks will still be accomplished. But the difference is, I will be doing it with a light inside of me because I’m totally caught by all this love and beauty my Creator has designed just for me.
I may not know the tasks ahead of you today, but I know God is chasing after you with beauty and love. I know he has created time to both enjoy what he’s offering you, and do all you need to do. God is not an either/or kinda God. He is a both/and. He made the flower to both look beautiful and smell delicious. The sun to both light and warm. And he created you to both enjoy and work. Savor and accomplish.
God has a rhythm for you, and it’s not dragging butt. It’s not trudging through this day with dread and anxiety. It’s not dwelling in overwhelm and frustration. It’s a rhythm of doing what needs to be done, and finding the opportunities to savor what sparks that joy in your life, just as God designed it to.
So let me say it again for the girls in the back who were multi-tasking and listening but not really hearing:
You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks joy in you.
Today, in the middle of all you have to do, find the joy of what you get to do too!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
God is making what you have now to be enough until he brings what is next for you.
What you have will be enough, you don’t have to fear this lack any longer. What you can do will be enough, you don’t have to be overwhelmed another day. Who you are is enough, you never have to assume a position of unworthiness again.
When you’re working in God’s math, you must get used to things that do not look reasonable. Things that don’t sound logical. Impossible things made possible. Isn’t that what God does? So, why have you been fretting over your impossible? Honey, don’t fret over it, turn it over. Bring this to the feet of the One who can. Put this into the hands of the One who will.
Remember that mission retreat we did in October for the 99+1 House? We took 40 BIG Life girls and turned what were formerly condemned rooms in an abandoned nursing home building into designer rooms worthy of a magazine. These rooms are the new safe havens for girls who have aged out of foster care with no where to go, along with girls who have been rescued from unimaginable situations. We only had a small funding for this mission, and a few short months to make it happen. I’m going to be completely honest and confess I cancelled the entire thing more times than I would like to admit, as I sat and did the math.
It wasn’t possible. There wasn’t enough money. There wasn’t enough time. We were in way over our heads.
I called and had a conversation with Gail, the powerhouse Mama of the 99+1 Home. I thought I was going to have a “coming to Jesus” talk with Gail. In my head is was going to go like this: Gail, this isn’t possible. There’s not enough money and there’s not enough time. We need to scale way back. We need to delay. I think we need to cancel.
But here’s what I learned … you don’t have a “coming to Jesus” talk with Gail because Gail already went to Jesus! Without an ounce of worry or stress in her voice she said, “Pamela, God told me a long time ago we were going to be working from his math.”
Okay, God’s math.
You see, God’s math doesn’t work the same way the world’s math works. He takes what looks like entirely too little and makes it more than enough. He takes a drop and creates an abundant overflow.
But, there’s only one way that happens … you have to trust him with that drop. That little bit. That which looks like it would never be enough, and certainly doesn’t feel like enough, must be released to the Almighty. With that, a drop becomes an overflow. A little becomes more than enough.
Where do you need God’s math in your life? Where do you have much too little for what is needed? Where do you feel inadequate and in way over your head? Where has the enemy been reminding you that you’re simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH? Oh honey, it’s time to bring that all to God and let him do what only he can do.
Yes, the one who turned the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish into a meal to feed a hungry crowd of thousands, then gathered 12 baskets of leftovers after everyone was full. THAT IS WHO YOU NEED!
And guess what … that is who you get!
You get the one who turns not enough into abundance. You get the one who takes what little you have within you and multiplies it to make you more than enough for every single thing ahead of you. You get Jesus, and Jesus does God’s math!
Yesterday we read in 1 Kings 17: 7-16 about the widow who was gathering sticks to go home, build a fire, and use the final bit of flour and oil she had to make one last meal for her and her son before they died. Elijah met this widow and told her if she would use what little she had to first make him a biscuit, then the tiny bit of flour and oil she had would not run out. She would have ENOUGH.
This made absolutely no sense. How are you supposed to take from what is already not enough? How are you supposed to give when there’s nothing left to give? How can it be possible to do more when you’re already failing with little?
But out of faith, the widow did exactly as Elijah had told her. She banked on this promise he shared from God. A promise that said, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” (verse 14)
And do you know what happened? Seriously, you need to know, because it’s the same thing that can happen for you.
It can happen in the little bit of strength you have. That strength can be magnificently multiplied.
It can happen in the energy you have. That energy can be infinitely increased.
It can happen with your patience. That patience can be abundantly amplified.
It can happen with your abilities. That ability can be exceedingly enlarged.
It can happen with your resources. Those resources can be divinely duplicated.
You’re listening to a little country girl without a day of training or college courses. I’m a girl who was never supposed to be able to speak again. A girl who wrestled with an imposter syndrome that convinced her she could never be her spunky, spirited self who often says things she probably shouldn’t. And I’m also just a girl who decided to turn what little she had over to her great big God and said, “You do your math God!”
What I bring isn’t enough. What I have is really insufficient on its own. Who I am continually falls short. But when who I am, what I have, and all I can do, is placed at the feet of Jesus and into the hands of a mighty God, then hot dang, IT JUST KEEPS FLOWING!!!!!
And I promise the same will be true for you. That energy will just keep flowing. That strength will keep flowing. That patience will keep flowing. That little ability you have will be multiplied and magnified to do magnificient things you never imagined doing. Those resources just won’t give out.
Verse 15 & 16 “The widow went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.”
Throughout the drought, the flour and the oil never ran out. And honey, throughout your drought, the little you have will be more than enough when you trust God with it.
God’s math is receive and give. Every time you receive, give it. You receive grace, you give grace. You receive blessings, you give blessings. You receive goodness, you give goodness. You receive time, you give time.
And every time you give, you will receive even more. You give kindness, you receive even more kindness. You give your time, you receive even more time. You give your treasures, you’ll end up with more treasures than you know what to do with!
Nope, it won’t make sense. This can’t be explained. It won’t balance on a spreadsheet. The flour and oil should have only been enough for that final meal, but every day it just kept being enough. Why? Because she kept giving. And honey, when you keep giving, you align yourself to keep receiving.
This drought won’t last forever, but while it’s here, God’s math is going to get you through!
*(Oh, and since it’s just me and you here, I’m going to share a little secret with you, but you have to keep it between us. In April, we’re going back to the 99+1 House in Oklahoma for Mission Retreat part 2. We have the 2nd wing to complete for more girls who are awaiting rooms! We will be counting on God’s Math again. I hope you will be part of it!)
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes where God leads you is temporary, but it’s still where he was leading you.
Sometimes where God last brought you won’t last forever, and it’s not a work of the enemy when you are forced to move on to what is next. We’re so quick to assume when the thing we have now stops working, that is must be Satan working against us. But actually, what if it’s God. What if this is exactly how God is guiding you to what is next in his purposes and plans for you. He brings an end to what is here now, so he can move you to what is next ahead.
What if the very problem you’re facing right now isn’t an arrow from Hell sent to detour you, but a messenger from Heaven sent to guide you. You see, the truth is, if it kept being comfortable here, if it kept working, if the door remained open, you would stay here. But God has so much more for you. And sometimes the only way he can get you to move toward what he has for you is to shut down what you’ve been depending on here.
Look at the story of Elijah. Elijah was a prophet of God. He heard from God. He was guided by him. And God revealed to him that a drought was coming on the land for several years. 1 Kings 17: 2- 6 “God then told Elijah, “Get out of here, and fast. Head east and hide out at the Kerith Ravine on the other side of the Jordan River. You can drink fresh water from the brook; I’ve ordered the ravens to feed you.”
Elijah obeyed God’s orders. He went and camped in the Kerith canyon on the other side of the Jordan. And sure enough, ravens brought him his meals, both breakfast and supper, and he drank from the brook.”
God knows about this drought in your life, and he has already prepared a brook for you. He has guided you to a place where he will provide, and he will sustain. Right? Seriously, you’re making it through, aren’t you? Isn’t that God? Can’t you see how he aligned the place you’ve been in to get you through what you’ve been going through?
But, here’s the thing … this place you’ve been in to get you through what you’ve been going through, isn’t forever. This is temporary. God is guiding you past this. But, you must understand how God sometimes guides us to leave where he last brought us, because it may not look like you imagined. He may not present you with an irresistible next option that has you excited to move on. He may not reveal to you great plans ahead that make staying here undesirable. Instead, you may sit and watch what you’ve had here slowly dry up. And as you watch what God has been providing dry up, it’s going to feel a whole lot like an attack of the enemy. It’s going to feel like God is against you. But learn this lesson so you don’t freak out.
Verse 7, “Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought.”
This brook is where Elijah had been led by God, and where he had been blessed with water to drink and birds that brought him his meals daily. It had been good. Elijah had likely grown comfortable here. He could count on what he needed to be provided. He could see God’s hand in it all. But eventually, that brook dried up. What God had been providing ceased.
Imagine how Elijah must have felt. Oh I bet he felt kind of like you feel as this whole thing has dried up on you. God, you brought me to this place, you guided me to this, and now it’s going to fall apart? Now it’s going to be taken away? Now, after all of this, I’m going to be left with nothing and have to start over?
Sometimes don’t you just want to say “WHAT THE ACTUAL CRAP?”
But honey, when God brings you somewhere and then things change after you’re there, maybe it’s because God has somewhere else he wants to lead you next. And maybe, the only way God could get you to leave the comfort of this and make a change, is for him to force the change. Not because he’s punishing you. Not because the enemy is attacking. Simply because God has a plan for you beyond this and God’s clearest guidance can come through a freshly slammed door.
So Elijah had been supernaturally provided for during the drought at this brook. But then the brook dries up. How unfortunate. But actually, how divine!
Could your unfortunate situation actually be divine? Oh yes, girl, it could be! Maybe you’ve been freaking out over something that is actually freaking good, but the cover of the book doesn’t match what’s inside! You have to open it up and read the story!
Now, here’s the rest of the story after Elijah’s brook dries up and he’s left without provisions. Verse 8-16, “Then God spoke to him: “Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I’ve instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you.”
So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, “Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink.” As she went to get it, he called out, “And while you’re at it, would you bring me something to eat?”
She said, “I swear, as surely as your God lives, I don’t have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we’ll die.”
Elijah said to her, “Don’t worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you’ve said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what’s left for you and your son. This is the word of the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought.’”
And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said—daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn’t run out and the bottle of oil didn’t become empty: God’s promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it!”
Girl, what if this redirection in your plans is far bigger than you imagined. What if God isn’t only moving you for purposes concerning your life, but what if God is also moving you for purposes concerning the lives of others? What if this current disappointment and difficulty is bigger than just you?
God met Elijah’s needs during the drought by bringing him to a brook. Great. But God didn’t want him to stay at that brook, so he made the brook dry up. Why? For the purposes of getting him to Zarephath, in the house of this widow. A widow who didn’t believe in Elijah’s God, but God sure believed in her! A widow who was preparing for her and her son to die, but God intended for them to live. God intended for them to believe.
How would it all happen? Elijah would show up and allow God to speak through him.
How would Elijah show up there? Through hardship and disappointment of his own.
I’m sure what you’re going through super sucks, and I’m truly so sorry. But honey, God has seen beyond this. He is moving you towards a greater purpose that will have eternal impact.
You can sit beside your drying up brook and question why God brought you to a place that wasn’t going to last forever, or you can seek where he is guiding you next.
God has a plan. His plan has seen far beyond this problem.
God has made a promise. His promise will not fail. It will be fulfilled to the letter. Guaranteed.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes God is silent. His timing is not our timing. His ways are not the way we would have chosen. We don’t understand what he is doing. We look around and see things only getting worse, and wonder where is God in all of this.
What are you doing in this waiting? What are you doing in this silence? Have you began seeking something you can see because you still can’t see God in this?
God wants to talk to us today about how we use him when we need him, then forget him when we get it. How we give up on the unseen and crave what we can see. How we are so quick to settle for anything, instead of waiting on God’s best.
Have you backsliden from something greater to something so much less? Did God bring you here for a purpose, but now in the hardship of it all, you’ve sought what is easiest, fastest, more guaranteed? Girl, have you traded God’s great plans that were taking a long time, for these immediate plans you could throw together yourself, and now you’re wondering why you feel so unfulfilled?
God had brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and into freedom on their way to a Promised Land. He had done impossible things for them every step of the way. He had parted the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land, then brought the walls of water back down on their enemies to wipe them out. He had provided water from a rock. He had rained down food in the middle of a desert. They had literally been living from the hand of God, in total and complete dependence upon him.
But now, they had what they needed. Every day they had this food. Every day they had this water. Every day there enough provisions for them, and eventually it became ordinary.
Isn’t it amazing how what you have today is what you once prayed for. And isn’t it amazing how it’s all become just ordinary now. You likely didn’t wake up in this house you prayed for at one point, with sheer giddiness today that you still get to be here. Why is that?
Remember when there was that health crisis within your family and you weren’t sure if they were going to make it through. And there they are, alive and well in your house today as if it’s all so normal. You swore you would never take another day with them for granted, but it kinda looks like you might be.
You didn’t know how in the world you were going to make it through what you were going through back then. Only God could get you through. Only God could make it happen. And he did. You made it through. But now it’s just normal to wake up on the other side of that chaos, forgetting all God did on your behalf to bring you here.
God did it, but have you forgotten?
You know what would be so good for your soul today … just take a moment to go back over all God has done for you and tell him thank you. Spend a few minutes reviewing all of his power required to bring you to what is now just normal and ordinary for you. Just because you got what you needed from him, don’t forget him now.
The Israelites had forgotten. God had done so much for them, but all these miraculous daily provisions had become their new normal, and they forgot God when they got it. This failure to remember, failure to recognize, and failure to remain grateful, led to ultimate chaos and destruction. Don’t let this be you!
On their journey, they had come to Mount Sinai, where God called their leader, Moses, to come to the top of the mountain while the people remained down below. After a few weeks had passed, the people grew restless at the bottom of the mountain. They wanted to SEE what God was doing. They had grown so accustom to a continual hand feeding from God under the leadership of Moses, they became impatient, needy and ungrateful.
And here we are, continually hand fed by God. We just don’t realize it. We forget that our entire world would come crashing down in an instant (literally), if God removed his hand from us for even a moment. If gravity ceased because God’s hand no longer held everything in place, we would experience immediate destruction. Yet, here we are spinning on this little round rock, flying through the atmosphere at 67,000 miles per hour, perfectly suspended in this infinite space, and it’s become so normal we failed to even thank God for it today. Instead we’re sitting in the middle of countless miracles, demanding he prove he’s working in our lives.
God, do something! And God says, “I am and I always have been. I’m just so good at it, you think it’s normal now.”
Lord, don’t let us become impatient. Don’t let us become needy. Don’t let us become ungrateful. That is NOT who you designed us to be. That is not the life we are here to live!
So here the Israelites are, sitting at the bottom of this mountain, and their leader had gone up to talk to their God, but all this time had passed and he hadn’t come back down. So, they have a brilliant idea. They turn to Aaron, who was left in charge while Moses was on the mountain meeting with God, and they say in Exodus 32: 1 ““Come, make us gods[who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
They were no longer satisfied with a God they couldn’t see who had done countless miraculous things to save them, protect them, guide them, and provide for them. They were tired of waiting at this mountain where supposedly things were happening on the top where they couldn’t go, on a God (captial G) they couldn’t see. So, they demanded a god (little g) they can see.
After 40 days, Moses comes down from the mountain where God had given him the 10 commandments on two tablets of stone, and he finds his people dancing naked around a golden statue of a cow. A freaking cow! As if a cow was responsible for parting the Red Sea. As if a cow had led them by a pillar of fire at night and cloud by day. As if a cow had brought them water and mana from Heaven. It was their new god (little g).
But it’s what we do when we grow tired of waiting. When our need to SEE something overrides our faith in the unseen.
I can’t trust God is going to help me control my thoughts and calm my stress, I must drink this instead.
I can’t trust God is going to meet my needs, I must hoard everything I have and give nothing to anyone else.
I can’t trust God is going to supernaturally guide me, I must ask everyone else what they think.
I can’t trust God is going to bring me something or someone better, so I’m holding on to what I know isn’t good for me.
I can’t trust God is going to get me through this, I must apply my own fret and worry to the situation.
I can see this glass of wine. I can see the money in my bank account. I can see all my broken friends that give me crap advice that make me feel better about my own life. I can see my feet pacing this floor. I can see that person filling this space when I don’t want to be alone.
Oh honey, you can see it, but has it replaced the unseen who is responsible for your very life?
Lord, what have I been clinging to in place of you? Who have I put in your position? Where have I placed my hope that is anything other than you?
That is my golden calf. That is my god (little g). And make no mistake about it, GOD (capital G) WILL DESTROY THAT IDOL!
Read the story for yourself in Exodus 32. Complete chaos and destruction was brought upon the people who sought something they could see right now, over the unseen power of God they grew tired of waiting on.
I know you’re tired of waiting. I know you’re tired of this uncertainty. But hasn’t God provided here? Hasn’t he been faithful? Don’t be tricked into settling for the lesser things you can see right now, and trade the greater things from the hands of the unseen.
God is here. He is working. He hears you. He cares for you. His power is in motion all around you. He has good plans for you and those plans will not fail. He is in every detail concerning you. And honey, just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You have no idea what God has available for you. You have not seen what he has decided in advance to make possible for you. You haven’t dared to imagine what your future will one day hold, that is currently being held in waiting with God.
But I assure you, God wants it for you. Oh how he wants you to be able to step into his great big, beautiful, abundant plans for you. He wants to fill your cup to absolute overflowing, more than you can contain.
If God wants all of this for you even more than you want it for yourself, then why in the world isn’t it happening for you? Why haven’t these impossible things been made possible in your life? Why are you still struggling with the same old things you’ve been struggling with for 20 years? Why hasn’t there been a breakthrough? Where are those good plans, because this doesn’t feel good right now.
If you’re asking, God has your answer. His hand hasn’t been able to fully open to you, because you haven’t fully opened your hand to him.
Yip, you’re holding something back. Something hasn’t been fully surrendered.
A doubt, a fear, a past negative experience, a really justified feeling has kept your hand slightly closed. You’ve trusted God with everything else, but this thing is really hard to open up with. This thing comes with baggage, and the truth is, that baggage has become your security, and maybe even your identity. If you release this, then who would you be?
You see, you’ve always been the woman with this … this security, this story, this struggle. This possession, this plan, this problem. This expectation, this extra, this excuse. You may love it, or you may hate it, but you’ve always had it, so it’s become part of who you are, and releasing it would mean letting a part of you go. Or maybe you haven’t always had it and you had to work really hard to get it, so releasing it seems ridiculous now.
But what if this one thing you’ve held on to, is the one thing that has hindered the hand of God to fully open to you?
Psalm 145: 16 “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
The exact thing you desire, the very thing you are lacking, the thing you still need most in your life, can only be fulfilled by God. It comes from his hand. But remember, you have a thief who intends to steal every good thing you have, and he prowls around like a roaring lion, stalking his prey. And do you know what one of the greatest tricks of the thief is? It’s to give you the cheap imitation of what you want, and make you believe you have to hold on to it for life. And as you hold on to it, your hands are closed to God.
Have you heard about the great art thief? This thief would break into museums and mansions, and steal priceless works of art, and absolutely no one would come looking for him for years. No one came looking, because they didn’t realize anything had been stolen. He had replaced the original art with a replicated imitation art piece that hung perfectly in it’s place. And because there wasn’t an empty space, the crime went unnoticed.
The devil never leaves empty spaces in your life. Oh he fills those spaces with cheap imitations of what God has to offer, and he leaves you clinging to them as if you could never have anything better. God says, “open your hand and give this to me”, and you say “God I can’t give this to you, it’s all I have.” But what if what you have is the replicated version produced by the enemy to fill your empty spaces and keep you from ever wanting the real thing from God?
You cling to that job because of the security in the paycheck and the insurance, and the truth is, that job is a deterrent from the work God has called you to.
You cling to your big, fancy house because it’s so comfortable and really, really pretty with your 5 Christmas trees right now (trust me, that was once me, I understand). But that house is a fill-in the enemy has used to keep you comfortable so you wouldn’t dare follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit which lead you to the unknown.
You cling to this relationship that is broken and toxic, but it keeps you from being alone. You know what else it does … it keeps you from the relationship God has lovingly prepared for you.
If you only realized what the enemy has stolen from you and pacified you with as a cheap replacement, you would be furious! And honey, you would be heartbroken over the time you have wasted clinging to anything less than what God intended for you.
Isaiah 66: 2-3 “My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways – will not have their offerings accepted.”
Where have we been choosing our own way? Where have we been fooled into believing we have to hold on tight to our own ways, our own plans, our own successes, and we have unknowingly made our offerings to God unacceptable. Let’s get this really clear, your begrudgingly, half way open, half way clinched hand, making a forced offering to check a box, is not acceptable to God. I’m not just talking about your money offering, I’m talking about your time offering. I’m talking about your thoughts offering. I’m talking about your plans offering. I’m talking about your dreams offering. I’m talking about all the ideas you have of how this is all supposed to be … that offering. God wants that offering, and he wants it from a fully open hand that KNOWS he always has better to offer you in return.
Every year, about this time, I hear a story told on the radio. I’m not sure if they still play it, but if they do, it’s guaranteed to make my snot roll.
Jenny and the Pearl Necklace
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. “Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?”
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl’s upturned face. “A dollar ninety-five. That’s almost $2.00. If you really want them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday’s only a week away and you might
get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma.”
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere – Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.”
“Then give me your pearls.”
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess – the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my favorite.”
“That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.”
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny’s daddy asked again, “Do you love me?”
“Daddy, you know I love you.”
“Then give me your pearls.”
“Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper.”
“That’s okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you”
And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
“What is it, Jenny? What’s the matter?”
Jenny didn’t say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, “Here, Daddy. It’s for you.” With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.
So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn’t God good?
Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to toxic or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities which you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing … God will never take away something without giving you something genuine, pure and good of His in its place.
God wants to fully open his hand to you, and when he does, your every desire will be satisfied. But you first have to fully open your hand to God. Will you do that today?
Lay down your plans. Lay down your dreams. Lay down your comforts. Lay down your time. Lay down your relationships. Lay down your job. Lay down your possessions.
And you may just find when God’s hand opens to you, what you had was the dime store stuff the enemy had been pacifying and distracting you with, and God has genuine treasure to give you now.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You think this setback was a cancellation on your dream, but Sis, you’re wrong. This isn’t a cancellation. This is an opportunity for you to see what you couldn’t see before. A chance to tap into the creativity your Creator has placed within you, and do something different.
Did you know many of the great inventions we enjoy today were actually a total accident in the making. They were a flop when compared to their original intention, but that flop created a greater success than ever imagined. If you’ve ever used a Post-It to add a sticky note on your mirror, your computer screen, your refrigerator, or a page in a book, you’re looking at a total flop. A cancellation of a dream that became an opportunity for greater success.
The original intent was to create a new super glue that would permanently stick to anything. The result was the exact opposite. A glue that would adhere, then gently peel right off. It was an utter failure in one way, and genius in another. But what if the creator would have given up in the failure of his original intent? What if he would have assumed this was a cancellation of his creation, closed up shop, and threw away the glue that wouldn’t permanently stick to anything at all? He would have missed a massive opportunity!
Honey, you don’t have to be an inventor to have the potential to be missing a massive opportunity here. Where has this NOT turned out the way you had hoped? Where has this been a disappointment? Where has the door slammed in your face? Can you believe with me for just a moment you’re simply being redirected by a loving God who has always had ridiculously good plans for you? Can you believe with me for a higher purpose than this disappointment? Can you believe in a channeling toward greater things, and this disappointment and failure was a massive move on behalf of a God who loves you wildly. A move to bring you to greater things. A move to show you more.
This is your invitation to do something different!
I recently started watching a documentary of the wild life of Richard Branson. I say wild because this man makes my adventurous spirit look boring. It’s a story of brilliant success, insane risks, and one set back after another. Every time he would create momentum, he would encounter a problem that would completely prohibit him from moving forward. But it was what he did with that problem that created his success.
Sis, it’s what you do with this problem that will determine your success. Will you lay there and lick your wounds forever? Will you become a victim of circumstances and let all those dreams die? Will you sit in the ashes of what was once beautiful and stay stuck in what was? Or will you use this problem like the wind in your sails, make an adjustment, and move forward?!!!
Richard Branson had started Virgin Records and experienced some success as the first mail order record company. That was until the British post office went on strike and absolutely nothing could be mailed. Now all his money was tied up in an inventory that couldn’t be shipped to fulfill his orders and he couldn’t change the mail situation. So, what could he do? He rented his first ever store front building, threw huge bean bags on the floors, plugged headphones into the previously unheard music he was trying to sell, and BOOM, it became bigger than the mail order business he had been building before.
You see, what you’ve been building before may have been halted, but this doesn’t have to be the end. I’m talking about businesses, marriages, homes, families, careers, and dreams. ALL OF IT. The enemy thought he was cancelling everything on you, but all he was doing was channeling you directly to the better plans of your Creator.
Nope, that didn’t work … but something else will!
Where’s your fight? Where’s your spirit? Where’s your spunk? You’re going to need it to see this isn’t the end, this is simply a shift to do something different.
As I’m watching the story of Richard Branson, it was almost comical how every delivery of bad news ultimately became an opportunity to shift and do what they had never thought of doing before. Every next big step was preceded by a problem in their previous direction.
And what if the same is true for you. What if this bad news isn’t to crush you? What if this end that has devastated you wasn’t really a dead end … what if it was a divine end?
Really, think about it. What if this isn’t a dead end at all. God says THIS ISN’T DEAD, THIS IS DIVINE! I’m working here. You asked me to guide you, and I am! I’m guiding you through a series of changes you didn’t ask for, to get you to a future you could have never dreamed of on your own.
But dang, we don’t like those changes we didn’t ask for, now do we? Well I bet you will like the future you could have never dreamed of, so perhaps this will be worth your time, Sis! Perhaps you shouldn’t just give up. Perhaps you should look for another way. Perhaps you should still show up and see what happens!
There’s a story in the bible about a good man who went through a series of changes he didn’t ask for. A series of betrayals and setbacks, a series of hardships and total unfairness, and I’m not talking about a 2 month rough spot. I’m talking about a rough spot that lasted over 20 years!
The story is of Joseph, and it’s sprinkled through Genesis chapter 37 to chapter 50. At just 17 years old, his brothers grow jealous of his favored position with their father, and they sell him into slavery to get rid of him. ROUGH SPOT. This isn’t how Joseph saw his life going. In fact, it was the opposite of the dream he had. He had been given a vision of rising to a position of power, but now he was in a pit being bought by traders who took him to Egypt as a slave.
Joseph was sold to Potipher, a captain of the King’s palace guard. But do you know what Joseph did? He did his best! Even in slavery, he did his best.
And that’s a message for someone today. Someone who has a husband or child who fails to show their love, so you have been growing unloving. Honey, don’t you stop giving your best. Don’t withhold the love that is in you. When you withhold your love, you’re left feeling not only unloved, but now unloving too.
This is for someone who has a job that has become miserable. You’re not appreciated. Your work isn’t recognized. So, the temptation becomes to give as little as you can to pay them back. But really, think about it … does that feel good? You’re showing up with a bad attitude and intentions to do the bare minimum, then you wonder why you go home feeling like the life has been sucked out of you. Honey, you can’t control them, but you can control you in this! I’m not saying stay stuck there, I’m saying while you’re there, be true to who God created you to be!
The enemy wins when he gets you in an unfair position and strips you of your goodness. Oh he may affect your circumstances, but why would you ever let him affect your attitude? Why would you let him change how you show up? This is a wake up call!
Joseph was sold by his own family into slavery, but he was the best darn slave in Egypt! And guess what happened? Genesis 39:2 “The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.”
Would you want to succeed at being a good slave? Would you want to be your best in a situation that is totally unfair? I mean really, think about that. Or would you want to give attitude? Would you want to be hateful back? Would you want to hurt those who had hurt you? Honey, God can’t bless that!
And kind of like the story of Richard Branson with every cancellation, he used it as an opportunity to creatively turn another direction. Not stop. Not give up. Not sit and sulk. Not become a pitiful victim. No. Show up, do what you are called to do here, and do it in a way that God can bless!
I’ve found God has a really hard time blessing my cold shoulder. You know, when I’ve been butt hurt over something, so I give that person the cold shoulder and push them away. Yip, never once has God been able to bless that in my life.
I’ve also found God has a really hard time blessing my negative attitude, my rolled eyes, my slamming doors, my attempts to payback harm for harm. Nope, I’ve never once been blessed in that.
But you know what he has blessed? He’s blessed me when I showed up and faithfully did work that wasn’t really mine to do. He’s blessed me when I was kind to someone who had been royally unkind to me. He’s blessed me when I went around what didn’t work to find what would work. He’s blessed me when I refused the invitation to a pity party for one. He’s blessed me when I resisted the victim label and opted to see how this could make me more like the girl I’m created to be.
I know you want God’s blessings in your life. I know you want this marriage to succeed. I know you want this business to grow. I know you want this dream to be fulfilled. I know you want your family to be whole. I know you want change. I know you want this to work. But this success will come through hardships. It will come through cancellations. It will come through frustrations.
Will you be faithful to keep showing up through it all? And not just show up to go through the motions, but show up with the best of you, even when you’re not getting the best of anyone else in return?
Show up with the best of you when the best results aren’t happening.
Show up with the best of you for no other reason than that is exactly what God has called you to do! He’s called you to be who he created you to be, and that’s not this cold shoulder, negative, overwhelmed, attitude giving, half-effort, going through the motions kinda stuff.
When you show up as the best version of who he created you to be, here’s what God does … The Lord will be with you, so you will succeed in everything you do as you serve.
When bad happens, you look for the good. When you’re treated unkindly, you keep showing up kind. When this becomes impossible, you look to God to see what he is making possible on your behalf.
You think this setback was a cancellation on your dream, but Sis, you’re wrong. This isn’t a cancellation. This is an opportunity for you to see what you couldn’t see before. A chance to tap into the creativity your Creator has placed within you, and do something different. And when you do something different, make sure you’re doing it with your best, then watch God bless that!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with fear? Something within your spirit says things aren’t right. You’re unsettled. Uneasy. And totally unable to go back to sleep.
Maybe that was you last night. That was me. A bad dream woke me up and I just couldn’t shake it.
It’s what you do in those moments that matters. Do you lay there and rehearse all the possible worst case scenarios of reality? Do you dwell in darkness and allow the fear to fester? Or do you tap into the power you have to turn on the light, drown out the darkness, and call on the power of your Almighty God who knows EXACTLY what is happening?
I laid in bed for over an hour in the middle of the night and I prayed. God began to lay very specific people and situations on my heart to talk to him about. And I’m telling you they were heavy. Have you ever noticed those “in the middle of the night” concerns are the big ones. The ones you can’t carry on your own. The ones you can’t fix. Yeah, I bet you have those too.
I prayed against any attacks of the enemy. I prayed against any open doors that he might be trying to creep in through. I prayed for God’s protection and provisions over the ones on my heart. Then let me tell you what happened next …
Laying there in bed, I had an image flash in front of me. I’m not a person who often receives visions, so this was very different for me. The image was clear. White background with the black bold print capital letters XCI.
Enough laying there, it was 2:30 in the morning, and it was time to get up and get serious about these promptings. Uncertain of what these letters could be, I turned to the google. I typed in “Spiritual meaning of XCI” and hit search.
My search had 724,000 results. Page one all showed the same thing. Psalm XCI. Yes, this is what God was leading me to. But he wasn’t only leading me there for my matters, he was leading me there for yours too. I know this is as much for me, as it is for you. For your late night wakeups of fear and uncertainty. For where the enemy has been seeking to attack you and your family. Psalm XCI is for us.
To my surprise, this wasn’t a secret code I had seen. It was roman numerals. XCI is the number 91. Why would it most certainly be Psalm 91? Because Psalm is the only book in the bible with that many chapters.
So, let’s read Psalm XCI together today and see what God wants us to know.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
1 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
1 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
2 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
1 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
4 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
5 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
6 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
Isn’t this the ultimate “peace be still, stop worrying and just rest, my child” scripture from our heavenly Father who proves he cares about every detail of our lives? And isn’t this for you? Isn’t this perfectly time for you, right here and now.
Let’s examine and apply some of these verses today.
It begins with “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” This doesn’t say those who occasionally visit when things get really bad. It doesn’t say those who only come seeking when they’re desperate. It says those who LIVE in the shelter of the Most High.
When seeking God and drawing close to him becomes your daily way of living, this is when you rest in his shadow. This is where you find peace and confidence. Courage and strength is build here in his shadow. And honey, you only get in his shadow by coming in close to him.
Why is it we only come in close when we are lost in every other way? We only seek him when nothing else worked. We only drop to our knees when we are knocked there. And God says, I’ll take you any way I can get you. I’ll let it all happen if that means my girl comes back to me.
So here you are, seeking him today. Drawing in near to him. Dwelling in his shadow. And God says STAY HERE. Stay here with me when this mess is fixed. Stay here with me when the threat is gone. LIVE in my shelter, don’t just come visit.
I absolutely love getting to meet podcast listeners during my travels. It fills my soul with such delight to see the faces and hear the stories of you beautiful people around the world who gather to listen. Time and time again, I notice a common thread. You tell me you started listening when you needed to hear from God. When you were going through a hardship. When life came crashing down.
Is that what brought you here too? You needed God to get you through this. You needed his word. You needed his guidance. And now you’ve found it. You’re here, you’re drawing near to him. You’re dwelling in his shadow and you feel the difference. GIRL, STAY!
STAY WHERE YOU FOUND HIM. STAY WHERE YOU HEAR HIM. STAY WHERE YOU’RE GROWING IN HIM. You don’t draw near to get your ‘fix me up hit’ then run off again. Live in his shelter instead of just visit when you need him, and then you will rest in his shadow. His light will shine all around you, making sense of what was nothing but darkness before. You will be strengthened here. You will be guided here. You will be restored here.
Hear God this morning as he says, “My girl, don’t run off when things are better like you did last time. Stay with me. I have so much here for you.”
Psalm XCI says “he will rescue you from every trap.” You know the thing about traps is, you don’t see them. You could never trap an animal if the animal saw the trap. It is hidden. It is covered. It is disguised. And that trap is usually baited.
Your enemy has set traps for you. Traps you don’t see with bait dangling. Bait like “just take this, it will make you feel better.” Bait like “have a little drink of that, it will take the edge off.” Bait like, “watch this, it’s exciting.” Bait like, “keep scrolling, you don’t have to engage.” Bait like “eat this, it’s just one day.” Bait like, “what does it matter, everyone else is doing it.”
And it’s a trap you never saw. A trap that leaves you addicted, ashamed, stuck, overwhelmed, disgusted, and checked out with a trail of destruction behind you.
And that is exactly what the enemy wanted. He doesn’t want you free. He doesn’t want you healed. He doesn’t want you showing up with confidence and courage. He doesn’t want you resting in peace. Heck, you might be a threat to his nasty plans of little life living.
But God will rescue you from every trap. Have you asked him to help you recognize the bait that has lured you in? Have you asked him to help you resist the temptations and avoid the traps set for you? If you are trapped, know this, that is not God’s plan for you! His plan is to rescue you and set you free.
If your child is trapped, God’s plan is to rescue them and set them free.
If your husband is trapped, God’s plan is to rescue them and set them free.
If your sister is trapped, God’s plan is to rescue them and set them free.
2 Peter 3:9 “God is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
God doesn’t want any of us to be stuck in the traps of the enemy and destroyed by our continual taking of the bait. Not you, not me. Not my child, not your child. Not your husband, not my husband. Not my sisters, not your sisters. NONE.
What if instead of judging each other and watching each other fail, we asked God to show us how to lovingly offer encouragement in a way around the trap the other one can’t see, away from the bait they have been tempted by. God, show us how to do that!
One more verse from Psalm XCI, the one that really caught my attention at 2:30 am after waking up from a bad dream I couldn’t shake, God’s word says “Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night.” When God wakes you up, the intent is not for you to be afraid and worry. The intent is for you to stay close to him, rest in his shadow and seek how he wants to use you to intercede.
What if middle of the night wake ups are your invitation to partner with God in a mighty work?
Your prayers are an allocation of God’s power. When you pray the name of Jesus over a situation, God’s power is directed there. When you pray for God’s intervention in a person’s life, God’s power is flooding that life immediately. It’s happening.
So really, what an honor it is to wake up in the middle of the night with a prompting from the creator of the Universe to rest in his shadow, be comforted by his wing, and allocate his power where it is needed.
I’m so grateful I was awake for all those hours last night, remembering not to worry, not to toss and turn, but to draw close and be used by him for situations and scenarios I may never know about. For traps that were completely avoided and bait that was resisted, all because one was willing to allocate God’s power through prayer when prompted.
I encourage you to study XCI today or over the weekend. That’s the Roman numeral 91, which will lead you to Psalm, the only chapter 91 in the Bible. There’s something in there specifically for you.
I have found that because I stay close to God, in good times and bad, I am promised a constant safety under his protection, which brings me a holy serenity and peace of mind, even when I wake up from a bad dream and can’t go back to sleep.
What will XCI show you?
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What do you do with the pieces you have left from this brokenness? What do you do with what is left over after everything you had planned has fallen apart?
It feels like life will never be okay again. It feels like this can never work out. It feels like you will always be hopeless, you will always be lost, you will always be a mess. But, honey, do you think God, in all of his wisdom and power, ever planned for you to spend the rest of your days in pieces? Although it may not look like it and it may not feel like it today, God was fully aware of today’s circumstances when he promised, “I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you hope and a future.”
What are those plans? I don’t know exactly. But I do know they are plans to use every single thing the enemy intended for harm as good now. Now, you may be asking, how is that even possible? How can this harm be used for something good? This hardship? These ashes? How can it ever be beautiful?
Well, honey, it’s the same way God knit you together in your mother’s womb. He did impossible things bringing all the pieces of you perfectly together. He started with 1 microscopic cell, and divided it to create you with 100 trillion cells. Every day God creates 300 million new cells within you. In one day, the blood pumping through your veins travels 12,000 miles. He created you with lungs that have a surface area the size of a tennis court, so delicately folded within your chest to receive His breath, giving you life. Within 3 months of God beginning to form you in your mother’s womb, he had already given you distinctive fingerprints, setting you apart from every other human ever to live.
Trillions of cells, thousands of miles of blood vessels, miraculous lungs and individual fingerprints … all these pieces he used to create you. And if God put you together in the first place, don’t you think he can put you together perfectly once again?
He did it once, he will do it now.
I can’t understand how God knits a baby together with such perfection, so why would I ever believe my understanding is required for him to put our broken pieces back together today? God will do what only God can do, and he will do it in a way only he can determine, only he can see, and only he can fathom.
And just like miraculously one day that baby is fully formed and is born into this world, one day, our pieces are put back together and we walk healed, restored, renewed, and whole once again. What I’m saying is, Sis, trust him with these pieces. Trust him with what has been broken here. Trust him with all that has fallen apart. Trust him with this massive mess. Trust him with this heart ache. His hands are capable. His hands a strong. His hands are to be trusted.
When he knit you together the first time, he knew he would be knitting you back together after this too. He’s prepared for this healing work.
This morning I received a text from my dear BIG Life sister, Nicky. She’s the one who lost her 38 year old husband in a work accident a few weeks ago. The one left holding a whole lot of broken pieces that look and feel like they will never be put back together again. In her text, she asked me if I knew the story behind the old church song “It Is Well With My Soul”. She said, “it’s a song based on tragedy and clinging to faith within.”
I’ve known the story for many years, but it seems it’s time to talk about it again.
Growing up, I went to church only on Easter. I remember each year sitting by my grandma and hearing her sing this song. She knew the words by heart, and I could sense she felt them. She was a woman who had experienced hardship and tragedy, yet she clung to her faith.
Horatio Spafford wrote the words my grandma sang. The words so many of us have sang, without understanding the full story behind them. You see, Horatio Spafford knew about life’s unexpected challenges and hardships. He was an attorney and real estate investor with much success. Then he lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Shortly after the fire that took all he had worked hard for, he lost his 4 year old son to scarlet fever.
Imagine the heartache. Imagine the pain. His family was aching. He decided a change in scenery would do his family some good, so he sent his wife and 4 daughters on a ship to England, and he planned to join them after taking care of business at home. However, his family never made it to England. While crossing the Atlantic ocean, the ship sank.
All 4 of Horatio’s precious daughters were lost. His wife survived, and sent a telegram with the news that said “Saved alone. What shall I do?”
Gosh, isn’t that a question we ask sometimes. What are we supposed to do now? What do we do with this mess? How will these broken pieces ever become something whole again? Well, I don’t know how Sis, but I know the one who knit you together the first time fully intends to knit you together again.
After receiving the telegram, Horatio set sail for England. When passing the site of the tragedy where the ship had sunk and his daughters were lost, Horatio wrote these words.
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll –
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to know
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Those words became the song many of us grew up singing. And they are the words God uses today to remind us whatever has come your way, he will also bring peace like a river, and somehow, someway, he is going to make this well with your soul. He is going to knit you back together again. He is going to use this harm for good.
I can’t imagine the kind of faith it requires for a man who has lost his fortune and his business, his little boy and all 4 daughters, in such a short time, to somehow say “it is well with my soul”, but I know that’s the kind of faith I want. And that’s the kind of faith God is growing within each of us as his Spirit dwells in us.
For Horatio to write these words on a ship, sailing over the very spot in the Atlantic where his family’s ship had sank, he had to know God’s word. He had to know God’s promises to him. These truths had gotten down deep into his soul. How do I know? Because the words he wrote were scriptural.
“When peace like a river, attendth my way.” Horatio knew Isaiah 66:12 “For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace … like a river.”
“When sorrows like sea billows roll.” He understood Psalm 42:7 “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
“Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to know” Horatio was living out James 1: 2-4 “when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
“It is well, it is well with my soul.” He was clinging to the promise of Philippians 4: 6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
This was a man who had lost everything, but within him were the promises of God. These truths are what flowed from him when life had been crushed from him.
Sis, if life hasn’t knocked you down yet, it will. We will all experience loss. No one gets out of this without tragedy. The one thing you need is God’s promises inside of you, so when the cuts come and when the crushing happens, truth flows from you.
Only a man who had God’s word within him could have written “It Is Well With My Soul.” And Sis, the only way you get through what you are going through, is to have God’s word inside of you.
You don’t just come here for your Holy Pep Talk to get you excited about a new day of life, you come here for a fresh deposit of God’s word. You’re going to need it, if you don’t already.
It reminds me of the poem my grandma used to read to me from her blue book of nursery rhymes.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses, and all the kings men,
Couldn’t put Humpty back together again.
Nope, we can’t put you back together again. I can’t put myself back together again. No one can do this but our Creator. The one who put us together the first time. We all fall. God is the one who puts us back together.
You need to know the God who knit you together perfectly once, has every intention of putting you back together again. These pieces will be picked up. That hurt will be healed. Your story will be complete. You will smile and laugh again. The pain won’t always be prominent. Life will grow around this hurt, and while the hurt won’t get smaller, your life will grow bigger.
Peace like a river will flow around you, and whatever has come your way, God will make it well with your soul again. You are being knit together again so perfectly. Maybe you just don’t see it yet.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Coming to the final month of this year, maybe you’re a little weary. You didn’t get as far in 2022 as you had hoped. Your progress isn’t as great as you had planned. You’re disappointed that your reality doesn’t measure up to your goals for this year. I don’t know, maybe you didn’t show up like you should have. Maybe you got lazy. Maybe you gave up. Maybe life happened and there wasn’t a lot you could do about it.
Regardless, coming to the end of a year with a bit of disappointment makes it really hard to get excited about the potential of a brand new one on the way. But God has asked me to give you a shot of adrenaline in your soul. Are you ready for your Holy PepTalk to walk into the final month of this year with renewed resolve, supernatural strength, and fired up faith?
Oh girl, we’re about to build some momentum here! We’re about to move through where the enemy hoped he would get you stuck! We’re about to step on up when the thief planned for you to step down.
Put your white flag of surrender away. SIS, YOU’RE NOT GIVING UP HERE!!!!! You won’t be surrendering what God has given you. You won’t surrender this seed of hope growing within you. You won’t surrender the energy God has supplied you. You won’t surrender a desire to live up to your potential and thrive in the good plans your creator has for you. There will be no white flags waving here!
A fully surrendered life to God strips us of all white flags of giving up and letting the enemy win. WE DON’T GIVE UP! WE DON’T QUIT! WE DON’T LOSE HOPE! THAT’S NOT WHO WE ARE!
We look to Jesus who Hebrews 12:2 describes as “the author and finisher of our faith.”
Jesus showed us how to face every hardship, struggle and trial in life, and never give up. He is the author of our faith. The pioneer. The one who made the way and leads us today. And he is the finisher of our faith. The power is in his hands to make all things happen. Everything we’re believing in, everything we’re hoping for, everything we have prayed for, is all in his nail scarred hands and he can finish it. It’s through our faith that he guides us to make the choices and take the next steps to finish this.
Finish what … every single good thing God has started within us. And you know what that includes … that includes this year!
God is calling you to finish this in faith! Show up with your best and use all he has given you to live up to your potential and make Jesus known.
The temptation is to wave the white flag of surrender and give up on this year.
So, it didn’t happen in 2022, maybe 2023 will be different. Honey, NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL YOU DO.
It’s insanity to keep doing the same things and expect something different. It’s also insanity to keep avoiding the same things and expect something different. You know if you avoid your kitchen sink, the dirty dishes are still going to be there tomorrow. Then guess what, if you keep avoiding that sink, there will be even more dirty dishes. It doesn’t just go away. It doesn’t just get better.
God’s not into snapping his fingers and making everything better. He’s into equipping you with energy, strength, and wisdom to finish this in faith! Girl, you have no idea the progress you could make in the final month of this year. You have no idea the momentum you could create starting today to take you further than you’ve ever been before. This is what God has given you the potential for, now he’s asking you to use it! Use it now to finish this year in faith and start your new year better than you are today.
You’re growing weary. You’re hearing the whispers that tell you December is busy and there won’t be time for you to invest in what God is calling you to. You’re believing the lies that tell you waiting until “later” will be better. NO!
Proverbs 6:4 “Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.”
But we really like rest, don’t we. We’re already thinking more rest will be required for a holiday that’s still 26 days away. Girl, why you be treating Jesus’ birthday like some huge task you have to work your way through? You’re doing Christmas wrong if you think December will require an abundance of rest days. Stop focusing on unimportant busy things. Stop piling on the crazy. Stop being lazy. God’s word says STOP PUTTING IT OFF. DO IT NOW!
You’re counting on a new year with new energy, new time, new strength, and new motivation to come … but what if you don’t have more time then? Are you going to use the excuse of being too busy forever? What if that new energy, new strength and new motivation only comes through the momentum you have been given the opportunity to build here now? For real, what if you waving the white flag of surrender on the rest of this year and giving up, forfeits the energy, strength and motivation God had in the offering for you in 2023?
The author and the finisher of your faith wants to show you how it’s done. Take a look at his journey. Did he give up when it got hard? Did he sit it out when he was frustrated? Did he quit when others quit? No! So think about this, what would Jesus do here? Really, how would Jesus finish this year of life with the final month? Do you think he would opt for extra rest since Christmas is busy? Do you think he would write it off as hopeless because it’s almost over? Do you think he would wait for January, hoping it would somehow magically be different?
OR DO YOU THINK HE WOULD BE FAITHFUL WITH EVERY OPPORTUNITY, FOLLOW THROUGH ON THOSE COMMITMENTS, AND BUILD POSITIVE MOMENTUM TO FINISH WITH FAITH?
Hebrews 12:2-3 MSG “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
And there it is, that adrenaline for your soul. Just when you were slowing down. Just when you were tempted to give up. Just when you had talked yourself into waiting until January to give your best effort. Jesus reminds us to look at how he did it. He finished what he started. There was no surrender to take the easy way. There was no giving up because others were giving up. He never lost sight of where he was heading!
Honey, don’t lose sight of where God is leading you. He is leading you to a big, full life which Jesus came to give you. He is leading you to purpose greater than you could possibly imagine. He is leading you to good plans he had for you since before he knit you together in your mother’s womb. He is leading you to an eternity that is guaranteed to make all of this well worth it! And you’re going to go through some hard times. There will be struggles. There will be setbacks. You will be discouraged. You will be disappointed. You will feel like giving up, but God says MOVE FORWARD TODAY!
Now is not the time for you to quit. Finish this year in faith. Build momentum to run into 2023 with courage and confidence, knowing God has given you the strength to get through anything that comes your way.
You just received your adrenaline shot into your soul, now do something with it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What you are thinking today will grow. What you imagine will get bigger. The thoughts in your head will outgrow your head space and flood your life space, then you will be surrounded by the things you were thinking of.
You see, Sis, that little worry you’ve been entertaining won’t stay little. It will grow. It will consume. But so will that little hope. That flicker of hope you have within, when you dwell on it, will grow bigger too. It’s a matter of which one you allow to grow.
Have you ever heard the story of the Two Wolves? An old Cherokee talks to his grandson about life. He says, “Grandson, a battle rages inside of me. A battle between two wolves. One is bad and one is good. The bad wolf is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, and ego. The good wolf is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth and faith. The same fight goes on inside of you and inside of everyone else as well.” The grandson pondered his words and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Yes there’s a battle between good and evil going on within you. Yes, there’s fear and faith fighting for the same space in your life. Yes there’s hope and truth going up against overwhelm and deception. And the winner of this battle determines how you feel, how you show up, and what you do today.
But also remember this, you determine the winner by the one you feed.
Your thoughts are fuel for your feelings. Change your thoughts and you change how you feel. Change how you feel, and you will be showing up for an ordinary day of your life as a totally different person.
Consider this, your thoughts so far today, have been feeding either the good wolf or the bad wolf. If you’ve been thinking about the work you don’t want to do, the people you don’t want to deal with, and the regret of ending up here somehow, the bad wolf has been hand fed this morning and he is howling loud. Those thoughts of feeling inadequate, inferior and unworthy, girl those are like T-Bone steaks for the bad wolf within you. If those have been your thoughts, then understand he is strong and he will win the battle today. Good will be defeated because only the bad has been fed.
Within the same circumstances, with absolutely nothing changing around you, you could choose different thoughts. Even in the overwhelm of today and the jackwagons you may have to deal with, your thoughts could focus on how you’re still wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. (Remember that Thanksgiving devotional from last week with the statistics that prove you are richer than 75% of the world and in the top 8% of the world’s wealth? Yeah, that’s still true!) And those thoughts hand feed the good wolf. The good wolf that causes you to show up with joy and peace and generosity. Thoughts of being loved and chosen by an Almighty God who has good plans for your life, are like super fuel for the good wolf within you. Bad will be defeated because it has been given none of your thoughts as fuel.
You wonder why there’s such a battle over your thoughts … You wonder why the enemy attacks how you think about yourself and your circumstances with such tenacity … Here’s why … You’re becoming what you think!
Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”
Meaning, honey, whatever you’re thinking in your head is what you’re going to experience in your life.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
How does the thief steal, kill and destroy? He starts in your mind. He starts with fear of what could happen, what may happen, and how terrible it will be. Those thoughts grow to become depression and anxiety. They are seeds that become full grown wolves raging within us, devouring any ounce of goodness and hope with their darkness.
How does Jesus bring this big full life? He gives you the Holy Spirit which changes the way you think. He changes the way you see your life. He changes the way you talk to yourself. He plants a little seed that grows to become a tree which bears fruit. Fruits that are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. (Galatians 5: 22-23)
Everyday you are given a choice … a choice to either partner with what the enemy is trying to do in your life, or partner with what Jesus has offered. That choice begins with your thoughts, which determine your attitude and your actions.
Jesus wants to bring life to your mind. He wants to bring joy and peace to your thoughts. It’s what he died to do so that you could have a life here that isn’t overwhelmed by burdens and worries and stresses, then a life in eternity in Paradise with him.
But the question becomes, have you unknowingly partnered with the thief who’s intentions are to steal, kill and destroy? He is the bad wolf. Have you been feeding him?
If you have a habit of personalizing everything to be against you, you’ve fed the bad wolf. If you have a habit of rehashing everything that happened, replaying all the negative details over and over, reliving it as if it just happened again as it grows bigger each time, you’ve fed the bad wolf. If you have a habit of rehearsing events that haven’t even happened yet, and you’re imagining how it could all go wrong, you’ve fed the bad wolf. These thoughts are not harmless in your head. They are food for a wolf within. And that wolf has every intention to steal, kill and destroy all the good you were created for.
How much life is in your mind, Sis? Is it a full life? Is it a BIG Life? Are your thoughts full of love, joy and peace? Are good, kind and gentle thoughts flooding your mind about who you are and what you can do? Do you embody habits of faithfulness and self-control? You see, that’s what Jesus does in your head space. That’s what he brings with the Holy Spirit within you. And I promise you this, IT CHANGES EVERYTHING. When things change inside you, things change around you.
You can face today’s circumstances, no matter how crappy they may seem, with thoughts focused on faith. Faith in a God who is bigger than any problem you may be up against. Faith in a God who has undeniably good plans for you that you simply can’t cancel. Faith in a God who is for you and not against you, and no one can stop him. And sweet sister, never forget, even a tiny bit of faith can move a mountain.
Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
We adopted our daughters from an orphanage in Mexico when they were 4.5 and 6. That joyous day of bringing them home and welcoming them into their new life turned into a nightmare with legal battles and a country that demanded them back if we didn’t continue to pay more money. After several years in the battle, we had run out of money, sold everything of value we had, and faced the reality of losing our girls.
Every day we had to choose our thoughts and our words very intentionally. That bad wolf within was demanding the food of my negative thoughts, and the same was happening for our daughters. Fear was knocking on our door.
I remember one day I sat them up on the kitchen island, and I put a mustard seed in each of their hands. I told them even if our faith was that tiny, impossible things could happen for our family.
Throughout the day, the girls kept losing their mustard seed, and they would return to me asking for another one. I have to wonder if you’ve ever lost your little faith when you got busy with something else? Don’t we all? We get wrapped up in those old familiar negative thoughts of worry and stress and overwhelm, and dang that little mustard seed of faith is gone.
So, I sat the girls on the kitchen island again and I once again gave them a tiny mustard seed in their hand. This time, I told the girls to eat it. You see, if they let it get inside of them, they wouldn’t lose it.
We kept our faith, and that faith grew. We chose our thoughts intentionally and clung to the hope that somehow that impossible mountain was going to move and our girls would be forever ours.
How does the story end? Well, impossible mountains moved. Not in the way we imagined, and certainly not in the timing we had hoped, but they moved! And those little seeds of faith are still within and they are growing.
Understand this, faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. Either way you’re partnering your thoughts with the unseen. When we fear, we believe something negative will come from what we can’t see. Faith is simply believing something positive will ultimately come from what we can’t see.
The difference in those thoughts is the difference in which wolf grows stronger within you. One wolf comes to steal, kill and destroy. The other comes to give life to the full. And today, regardless of circumstances, you have the power to choose what you believe and what you think about, and which one feed.
Eat the mustard seed of faith. Let it grow! Watch God work. Expect him to do the impossible for you. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What would today look like if you were faithful? Faithful to use what you have been given. Faithful to appreciate what you already have. Faithful to follow through with what you know you should do. Faithful to be who you were created to be.
Jesus tells us we should strive to be called faithful. Is that what you’re striving for? Or are you striving to be skinny? Striving to be rich? Striving to be successful? Striving to be important? You see my sister, whatever you are striving for is determining how you’re showing up for life today. And if you’re striving for the wrong thing, you will be showing up all wrong. You’ll be wearing clothes that flaunt your curves instead of being the light in dark places. You will be buying all the things, but never satisfied. You will be praised, but fail to give the praise you were designed to give. You will be looking good, but feeling totally empty inside.
Oh how the world gets us wrapped up in the pursuit of everything other than being faithful. Give it to me fast. Give it to me flashy. Give it to me fancy. Give it to me front and center. But God says “I don’t want any of that. I just want you to be faithful.”
Remember the story Jesus tells of the rich boss who put each of his servants in charge of a measure of money while he went away? You can read it in Matthew 25: 14-30. To the two servants who used what they were given, the master was pleased and gave them even more. To the one who hid what he had out of fear of losing it, he was furious and took it all away from him. And in this teaching, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what God hopes to say to each of us when our journey through this life is complete, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Yes, this is exactly what God hopes to say to you. He wants to call you his good and faithful servant and congratulate you on a job well done. That is his good plan for your life. But he has given you free will, so every day the choice is freely yours to make. Be good and faithful, or be something else. What have you been choosing?
The problem isn’t that you ever really want to be unfaithful. You never wake up with the intention of screwing things up. No one wakes up and says, “you know, today I’m going to become a heroin addict.” Or “today I’m going to ruin my marriage.” “Today I’m going to screw up my kids.” “Today I will make horrible choices that create regret for the rest of my life.” “Today I’m going to fall so hard off this wagon that it will be impossible for me to ever get back on it.”
No one ever wakes up with those intentions, but sometimes we wake up with that reality. How does that happen?
How do we lose our way? How do we stumble and fall? How do we make such a massive mess of our lives and forget who we really are?
It’s actually quite simple … little by little, we start striving for the wrong thing. And guess what, the wrong thing doesn’t always look wrong. The wrong thing looks like just being skinny. The wrong thing looks like making that big sale. The wrong thing looks like being liked and praised.
Are any of these things wrong? No. But it’s the pursuit of anything other than being faithful that gets us off track and leads us to a life where one day we wake up and look in the mirror and don’t even recognize ourselves.
My friend Aaron Tredway sent me his brand new book titled “Don’t Miss Your Life.” He points out that Jesus didn’t say “Well done, good and successful servant.” He didn’t mention “well done, good and famous servant”, or “good and wealthy servant.” He gives us a target to aim for, and that target is GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.
Anything other than faithful is a target that leads us astray.
No one ever comes to the end of their life and says “wow, I wish I would have made more money.” I’ve never heard of anyone taking their final breath with the thought of how proud they were of their couch, or their car, or their abs. Why? Because that’s not what is important! So why, at the end of our Monday are we seeking those things?
Mother Theresa has one of those legacies we all know about, and I would assume her mansion in heaven must be the largest on the golden street. She said, “God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful.”
Woah.
God has called us to be faithful … all that other stuff is gravy. It’s extra. And you know what extra can be sometimes … it can be a distraction.
All God is asking of you today is to be faithful. Simply faithful. Faithful with who he has given you to love (and in case you’re wondering, that’s everyone). Faithful with what he has already given you (and gosh, isn’t that really a whole lot). Faithful with the work you are to do. Faithful with the commitments you have made. Faithful with being who he created you to be.
It’s easy to place this pursuit of “well done, my good and faithful servant” in a position of a future pursuit. I want to hear that at the end of my life. One day when I’m old and have lived all there is to live, then I hope to hear God say this of me. But hey, what if God is coming back at the end of this day just checking.
Seriously, what if God isn’t waiting until the end of all your days to see if you have been faithful with what he has given you, what if he is checking at the end of each of your days. What if he wants an account for THIS DAY? I think he does.
And Jesus tells us what happens when the Master comes back and checks and finds you faithful … he gives you more! But if you are found to be unfaithful, he takes what little you have away because you’ve proven you can’t be trusted. Seriously, will God want to give you more based on how you lived yesterday? Think about that!
Ephesians 5:16 “Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
King James translation tells us to REDEEM OUR TIME. To redeem time meant to buy up opportunities. If you don’t buy up your opportunities, they are lost.
You don’t get back the time you waste today, my sister. How are you wasting time? How are you passing up opportunities aligned specifically for you by your Creator? REDEEM THAT!
Why? Because the days are evil. What Paul is telling us here as he writes from a prison cell, is there are many obstacles in the way of the good God has for us. There are distractions, and these distractions keep you from redeeming your time. These distractions are the pursuit of all these other things that keep us from being what God has called us to be … simply FAITHFUL.
Imagine if Mother Theresa would have pursued being successful over being faithful. All those lives that would have gone untouched. All that love that would have never become tangible. But her pursuit of being a good and faithful servant changed the world, every single day.
What would your pursuit of being a good and faithful servant do? I promise it would do so much more than you being a skinny servant, or a wealthy servant, or a successful servant, or a famous servant.
Don’t be distracted today. Don’t let this world pull you in it’s evil directions with obstacles in the way of the good God has for you. Don’t let the enemy complicate this and confuse you.
Being faithful is quite simple.
With every choice you make today, consider what being faithful in that moment would look like. Being faithful will have you making the most of every opportunity and redeeming your time to the max! Being faithful will have you making choices you can feel good about at the end of this day. Being faithful will have you walking in the light of God, instead of hiding in the darkness of shame, guilt and regret.
Faithful is who you were created to be, and when you step into it, you will know because it fits just perfect and feels right!
So when God comes around and checks in at the end of this day, will he be able to say, “that’s my girl, she was my good and faithful servant today.” He sure is hoping so, because he has so much more he wants to give you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Can you work on a maybe? Can you proceed with a perhaps? God is asking if your faith will be in action when you’re not 100% sure of the outcome. Will you move forward when there’s a 50/50 chance it won’t work out? Often we’re waiting on the definite green light from God. That light […]
Every morning when we wake up, we get to choose our attitude. Any attitude we wish is available for the taking. We can put it on and wear it the entire day, and just like the right pair of shoes can change the outfit, the right attitude can change your experience. Most days we wake […]
Don’t you wish you had clear direction from God on the decisions you need to make? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be certain. Wouldn’t it be helpful to just know yes or no so you didn’t have to sit and wonder and worry. Who remembers the Magic 8 Ball of our youth? You would ask […]
In scripture, mountains represent the problems in our lives. The hardship, the difficulty, the impossible. What is the mountain in your life today? Think of it now. Got it? Now here’s what your mountain needs to know today: Psalm 97:5 says “The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.“ Nahum 1:5 says “The mountains quake […]
God has made promises over your life. He always keeps his promises, that’s never in question. So, why are you still waiting? Why the frustrating delay in your life? Here’s a thought … maybe God has already said yes, he’s already made a way, it’s already completely possible, HE’S JUST WAITING ON YOU. Now the […]
Today’s episode are two short lessons in one. No notes, no outline, no transcript, just a 5 am chat about what God showed me yesterday and asked me to share with you today. 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory […]
I wonder how often we simply settle for far less than God has available to us? We settle for less than our best and less than His best. Where have you settled in your life? I’m talking about an area where you’re playing little when you were created for BIG.An area where you backed down […]
What is God calling you to? What is he doing? Where is he taking you? And what is he taking you through to get there? Oh how we all want the promise, but we don’t want the process. We want the success but we don’t want the journey to success. We’re seeking instant, immediate, right […]
What if fulfilling your purpose will be really uncomfortable? It will. What if answering your calling will take you outside of what is easy for you? It will. What if living up to your God given potential will stretch you and push you? It will. Oh it will. God never promised this would be comfortable, […]
If you knew what to do here, it sure would make things easier, wouldn’t it? If you knew how to raise her, how to love him, how to work through this, and how to handle that … but you feel like you don’t know. You don’t know for sure what to do. You don’t know […]
How did you wake up this morning? Did you wake up with anxiety, or excitement? Are you anxious about this day? Are you overwhelmed before it even begins? Are you dreading all you have to do, already assuming you won’t have enough of whatever it requires? Dang, that’s exhausting, isn’t it? I assure you, regardless […]
Sometimes life simply isn’t fair. We can sit and sulk in that and lose all hope, or we can lift our eyes to heaven where our help comes from. Help is here for you today. Hope is here for you in this moment. Strength and courage are here for you, my sister. And although it […]
What is alive within you, but it has never gotten to live anywhere outside of you? God has given you something. He’s given you a dream. He’s given you a vision. A passion. A gift. And it’s been secretly tucked away inside of you. You think you’ve been saving it. You’re protecting it. But do […]
When was the last time you stopped in your tracks and thought “wow, I’m living my best life”? When do you know you’re in alignment with who you were created to be and what you were created to do? Where do you find that sense of fulfillment and completeness that confirms, yip, this is it, […]
Today we wake up to the offering of a new month of life. November 2022 has never been seen before. It’s all brand new. You’ve never had a month like this one. You haven’t lived this yet. And maybe that’s really good news to you, because the truth is, October was rough. Life went a […]
What an exciting morning it is in the houses of many families. A day when you get to dress up and be someone else. A day filled with candy and treats, and extended bedtimes. I remember the Halloween mornings with my kids still at home. I remember the fuss, and trying to get that makeup […]
How many plans do you have going at this very moment that haven’t first been brought to God? How many bright ideas are you counting on that haven’t first been filtered through the Almighty? I tell you with absolute confidence from personal experience, if God is in it, absolutely NOTHING can stop it. But if […]
This week, I’ve gone to two funerals. I’ve witnessed the grief of two families. And I’ve heard of the impact of two lives, seemingly cut short. These are the gut check moments that silence the noise, cancel the nonsense, and bring you back to what’s truly most important. At sweet little Joy’s funeral, the pastor […]
As I sit in my tiny hometown today, I’m reminded coming back to where you’re from isn’t easy. People know you here, and when they know you, they dismiss you. You know that saying, “you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.” Yeah, I’m […]
What can God do with that which is too far gone? How can he show up where it seems too late and make it right on time? Really, how can he work all things together for good? If ever my eyes have seen proof of God’s power, it was this past weekend. Everywhere around me […]
Here in BIG Life we endeavor to help people live the life they were Created for. Setting goals, making plans, taking actions, holding each other accountable and growing through each version of this process to get better. And it never fails. Time and time again the one aspect of this process that is the most […]
How do you receive a gift? What is your response to a wrapped box before you even know what’s inside? Today is my birthday and I am one proud woman to be 47. I’ve waited my whole life to be forty-seven! That’s 17,176 days of life, and God has given every one of them to […]
Something powerful happens as a result of loving God. Something unspeakable comes when you trust in Him. Life changes. Your thoughts change. The way you view circumstances changes. Your priorities change. A broader view of a bigger picture is before you, and little things are easily overcome. Psalm 91: 14-16 “The LORD says, “I will […]
How you look at your own life matters. How you see yourself is either propelling you forward, or it’s holding you back. I assure you, there is tremendous power in your own view of yourself. You may be missing some of life’s greatest opportunities all because you don’t see yourself as worthy. You may be […]
Have you ever seen a child try to walk in their parents shoes? This weekend, my friend Sharon sent me the cutest video. It was her grandson in a diaper, walking in his Daddy’s big tennis shoes. Oh how he was proud of himself, wanting to ensure everyone could see him in his Daddy’s shoes. […]
Do you ever feel like most everyone else has their crap together, and for the life of you, your crap refuses to be anything but scattered? Are you pretty sure that deep down you’re not good enough, you don’t have what it takes, and you will never be qualified for anything better in life? Gosh, […]
Do you ever feel like you got your chance, and you blew it? You had something good, then you lost it. You had progress and momentum, then one little bump in the road threw you so far off the wagon you have been freaking lost in the wilderness since? What happens to those of us […]
God has given you something, and it’s exactly what you need for what you are facing. You have what it takes. Did you hear that? You have what is required to make it through this. You already have the beginning of everything you desire. The start to your outcome is already in your hands. But […]
Someone is doubting you right now. Someone is counting you out. Dismissing you. Thinking you will never have what it takes to do what you’re trying to do. They would never think you’re capable of moving forward on this path before you, so they assume you won’t take the next step. They would never believe […]
For some of us, God is offering the very thing we’ve been seeking and he’s waiting for us to take it. But the truth is, now you’re afraid to take it. You’ve been waiting for so long that you’ve grown accustom to life as it is now, and receiving what you’ve been seeking would be […]
Over the weekend, I started reading the story of creation like I had never read it before. I let fresh eyes see the words and receive the awe and wonder of all God did to make all there is. We’ve all heard about God making the sun and the sky and the land and the […]
Have we been piling up tasks for “later”, assuming later actually belongs to us? Have you tricked yourself into believing one day you’re going to ‘feel like it’ more than you do today, and until that day comes, you’ll just delay. I’ll say those things later. I’ll take care of that later. I’ll get that […]
Let me set the stage for today’s devotional. I’ll be sharing a story I talk about often, but maybe today you will see yourself in this story. Let’s look for you here in the details. In the book of Exodus we read about the Israelites being freed from captivity in Egypt, led by Moses. They […]
God has promised he has good plans for you, but wouldn’t it be nice if you knew the way? I mean really, I need to know how to get to those good plans. I need directions, and I don’t mean a foldable road map. I need step by step, GPS instructions that reroute me when […]
Did you know God has given you something specifically to guide you at this exact point in your life? Did you know what he offers will not only guide you, but it will keep you from going crazy here. It will bring you peace and help you calm your wild, anxious thoughts. It will open […]
This morning, I woke up to a real mess. I mean a 6 digit grand style mess that turns major plans all the way upside down. It’s not what I had planned for my Monday, but there’s not anything I can do about it. So, what do you do when you find yourself in the […]
Don’t you wish this whole “following Jesus and living fully in God’s will” thing could be easier? Why can’t it be easy? Why does it all have to be so hard, so impossible, and such a struggle? You would think if God is for you, then everything would just magically fall into place and you […]
What if the thing you’ve been worried about could be prayed about and resolved? What if the thing that’s been standing in your way could be prayed over and be moved? What if all that has been holding you back could be prayed about and those chains would be forever broken? I have a friend […]
Today is day 264 of the year 2022. You’ve woken up to 264 days of this year of life so far. How fast has this gone by? How much living do you have to show for these days you have been given? Are you where you thought you would be? We’re coming into a new […]
Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, you’re just kinda bumping along through life? You’re doing good for a bit, then bump. You get back on your feet, then bump. Each bump sends you in the other direction. A little too far this way, bump. Move on, then a little too far […]
Do you need God to get up in the middle of a situation in your life and fight for you? Do you need him to swoop in and rescue you? Do you need him to intervene? Now maybe you don’t really WANT him to, but my guess is, Sis, you NEED him to. Did you […]
Have you been trying, yet not succeeding? Have you been giving your best effort and not receiving your best results? Are you frustrated with the process? Disappointed in your progress? Disheartened by your position? Worried about what will happen next? What do you do now? What you do now can be best guided by the […]
Let’s talk about all you have coming up. All you’re preparing for. All you have to do to get ready for what is next. Whew, the weight of what’s ahead and all it will require of you is almost overwhelming isn’t it? Y’ALL, NEXT WEEK HAS BEEN EXHAUSTING! Is that the way you feel? You’re […]
Those images you see that make you wish your life were more like theirs … oh honey, their grass isn’t greener, they’re using a filter. The girl from high school that’s reverse aging, maybe she was just born with it … maybe it’s a filter. We’re looking through filters and seeing things in distorted ways. […]
My husband and I have been on a binge lately watching the reality show ALONE. Unlike most reality shows, it’s true reality. 10 people dropped off in separate points within the absolute wilderness of places like Vancouver Island or Patagonia. They are left there to survive all alone, to film and document their own journey, […]
God has good plans for your life, and no matter how far you have strayed, no matter how long you have delayed, he has not forgotten his plans for you. Not even for a second has he ever said, “oh, now she’s gone too far, I can’t bring her back.” Never has he looked at […]
Why does God allow the struggle? Why the continual battle, when he could end every conflict with one word? Boom. It could all be over. It could literally disappear just like that. But it doesn’t because he doesn’t. Why is that? Imagine for one moment the story of Joseph. Imagine it reads like this: Joseph […]
The enemy has counted you out. He’s sure you’re giving up this time. You won’t get up again. You won’t push through. The darkness will close in. But girl, get yourself on up today and disappoint the devil! Oh he had crappy plans for this day, but you’re not buying them. He had intended harm […]
You think it’s taking too long, but actually it’s aligning for perfect timing. It feels like God has forgotten you in your wait, but actually he is saving up for the sweetest reveal just for you. Imagine that God, in all his majesty and power, is holding on to the sweetest gift for you, hiding […]
Do you ever feel like there’s just something holding you back? Something keeping you from your breakthrough. Something preventing you from overcoming your obstacles and rising to new levels of living. God created you with a great big, beautiful, abundant life in mind. Jesus said in John 10:10 that he “came to give you life, […]
Sometimes we can work so hard at something and never see progress, so we begin to lose hope. Sometimes we pray and never see a breakthrough, so we stop praying. Sometimes those old dreams are so darn painful to continue to imagine, so we let go of them and settle for less. Where have we […]
If you’ve listened to me for long, you know I have a slight obsession with P words. It’s as if God allowed all the best words in the English language to begin with P, then he plops them in my lap on the daily as a little gift that makes me smile. I mean come […]
When you’re traveling, do you ever wake up confused about where you are? Nothing looks or feels familiar, and because you’re still half asleep, you’re looking around in complete confusion as to your current location. Where the heck did I just wake up? Now, imagine my life. Over 2 years ago, hubby and I packed […]
God does his greatest work in the face of the impossible. Show me your impossible and I’ll show you the area of your life primed for God’s intervention. Are you ready for God to intervene? Are you ready for him to rescue you from your mess? This is what God wanted me to tell you […]
I’ve always told my kids, everything is a lesson. A lesson on either what to do or what not to do. We all like the examples of what to do, show me what works. But I believe even more powerful are the lessons on what NOT to do. Let me know in advance what doesn’t […]
Where are you about to give up? Where has your hope been wavering and your resolve grown weary? I know it looks like things are only getting worse, but God is doing something on the inside of you that cannot be seen. I know it feels like this is only getting harder, but God builds […]
God created you with a BIG Life in mind. A BIG Life with a mission. One thing stands in the way of your mission … you. You with your doubts and fears. You walking around fully equipped, yet totally questioning your value and worth every step of the way. We like to think we’re being […]
What is one bold prayer you are praying right now? Are all your prayers vague, surface level, timid requests? Girl, you’re missing out on the Almighty King’s invitation to partner with him in his power being unleashed in your life. I worked in sales for many years. Honestly, I was a super crappy salesman because […]
In the Roman Forum, there is a Main Street lined with arches. Each arch represents a triumph by the Romans over their enemies. After victory, the leaders would return to Rome for their triumphant parade and celebration. People would line the streets and praise the Caesar and the Generals for their success. The praises was […]
This morning I walked the streets of the Roman Forum outside the Coliseum in Rome. I saw magnificent structures built before the birth of Jesus. But, my favorite was a church. Not the biggest church, not the oldest church, and not the most beautiful church, but a church built on top of an old prison. […]
There are things in your life of tremendous value, but their value has not been revealed to you yet. Today, God wants to show you the value of all you have been overlooking, dismissing, and discounting in your life. Oh you’re about to see the treasure you have, and you will never look at the […]
God doesn’t need you, but he wants you. He is completely whole, lacking nothing, eternal and all-powerful, yet he has chosen to WANT YOU. In my twisted way of viewing this God who created me, I sometimes think he needs me and my human acts to perform his miracles. He needs my submission. He needs […]
This week, our travels through Italy by train bring us to Sicily. I chose this destination because it was as far South as we could possibly go, and in my mind, Sicily always sounded exotic. The deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea with the colorful homes built on the tall seaside cliffs. Sounds magical, […]
Your God is being awesome today. He has straight up awesome plans and works in mind for this day! You need to know that. God was up all night getting this day ready for you. He has aligned every detail in divine ways and perfectly positioned you in the middle of it all to see […]
James 1:17 “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.: 1 Peter 4:10 “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” Romans 11:29 “For God’s […]
Luke 13:10-13: “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set […]
When God created you he placed within you unlimited potential to live a ridiculously good life. He placed within you talents and gifts, making you a totally unique individual in this world. And he left a hole in you. At first glance this hole would seem to be an imperfection. A mistake. A flaw in […]
Would you define the way you wake up as glorious? What if you could? What if I could tell you how? By definition glorious means having a striking beauty that evokes feelings of delighted admiration. Ahhhhh yeah, wouldn’t you like to wake up like that? Wake up to striking beauty and feel absolutely delighted? But […]
For everything we have ever done, there is an ample measure of God’s grace to cover us. For every doubt we’ve ever wrestled with, for every wrong path we’ve wandered down, for every fear we’ve allowed to sideline us, God has unmerited favor perfectly sized to fill the holes created by our shortcomings. Sis, can’t […]
I John 1:5 – In him there is LIGHT, there is no darkness at all. God doesn’t have a dark side. He’s not trying to punish you or get back at you. He’s not out to get you. He’s not angry at you. Nor is he ignoring you. Everything God does is for a purpose, […]
Have we traded pleasures which come from the hand of God, for pleasures which we try to create with our own hands? Is this why we work so hard and feel so empty? Is this why we get more, but are left only wanting more? Really, how long are you satisfied with today’s Amazon delivery […]
Yesterday during an unexpected and unplanned full day at the Paris airport, I witnessed other traveling families experiencing rushes and delays. Babies crying and children throwing hissy fits in strollers because this isn’t what they wanted. For children, this is acceptable. For us, this is not. Yet, don’t we do it in our own way? […]
Welcome to a totally normal day of life. Yip, just your average Wednesday here, sandwiched between a Tuesday and a Thursday that may seem totally unremarkable. Hmmmm, nothing really special about this day? Nothing to really get all rip roaring excited over? It’s all just normal. Normal can become boring. We have our routines, and […]
The life that you can live was all first imagined by God. Look around at God’s creation and see, he doesn’t limit what he says can and cannot be. He makes mystical creatures like the seahorse. Did you know the seahorse mates for life, and the males have the babies? All because God was feeling […]
If you’re in a bad mood, stressed or frustrated, understand that you likely had to step right over the favor of God to get there. For real, you had to shuffle around God’s favor to get yourself to this bad mood today. You had to avoid a collision with God’s goodness to dwell here in […]
When God looks at you, what does he see? He sees who he created you to be. He sees your potential. He sees his beautiful creation on a journey to becoming all he imagined … and girl he’s moving heaven and earth to help you get there! Today I’m here to help you lean into […]
I recently read “your new life is going to cost you your old one.” That’s a really scary thought … and so true. The new you are seeking will require your release of the old you’ve been clinging to. God says in Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; […]
There are times when we straight up feel under attack. It seems that everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. And sometimes those attacks feel quite personal …. yeah, because they are. Yes, the enemy is after you and everything good in your life. Yes, as a follower of Christ you wear a target, […]
Have you ever felt like surely there is something wrong with you because you struggle hard core to simply do what you know you should do? Like when God was passing out willpower, you must have overslept? We like to complicate things and make them seem harder so our excuses are covered, but the truth […]
You may feel like you’re facing all new problems and you’re filled with uncertainty, but actually Sis, haven’t you been here before? Maybe not precisely here, but you’ve been hard pressed before. You’ve struggled before. You’ve been overwhelmed before. You’ve been uncertain before. And what happened before … well one way or another, you got […]
Oh to be a girl who’s living her best life. Is that you? Are you walking in your fullest days, meeting your greatest potential, living your best life? How exactly do you do that? I will tell you plain and simple how a girl like me, and a girl like you, lives her best life […]
What if the big things you desire start with the little things you can do today? What if at this very moment you’re holding the seeds to the harvest you dream of, and what you do with those seeds determines your ability to ever walk in growth and abundance? Sis, listen up, here’s your word […]
Sometimes we can get stuck doing the same things for so long, we begin to believe that’s all there is in life for us. But my Sister, you are listening today by the great design of the Almighty, to come crashing into this truth today … the truth that there is MORE for you. There […]
God is our protector. Right now, he’s protecting you from dangers you’re not even aware of. Threats of the enemy you’ve never seen are being slayed by heaven’s armies on your behalf. Occasionally God allows us to see those threats so we’re aware of all he has done to protect us. I spent an entire […]
Yesterday on a flight from Springfield, MO to Dallas, TX, I was seated near a 6 year old boy with absolutely zero filter. If he thought it, it was coming out of his mouth, for good or for bad. It made for a rather entertaining flight and I was glad he wasn’t my responsibility. Boarding […]
There’s nothing in your life God can’t work with and through. There’s nothing in your past he can’t use, and nothing in your future he will be shocked by. He knows the end from the beginning, and while you are given free choice in your life, you can’t screw this thing up beyond God’s repair. […]
All the potential for the life you most desire is right inside of you. It’s there because God put it there. And your desires are there because God put the real ones there too, guiding you to your purpose. You are purpose filled my sister, and where there is purpose, there is all the potential […]
A few years ago I read a book that changed my perspective on prayer. It explained prayer as allocating God’s power. So imagine when you pray over a specific situation or person, you’re sending God’s power in that direction. Sometimes I don’t know the words to pray, so I simply call out to God with […]
God can use anybody. Anybody can be used by God to show his power, to prove his majesty, to fulfill his divine plan. You with your past failures, your current problems, your list of what you can’t do or don’t have, your limitations, your insecurities and fears … all of these things are tools for […]
You have a rescue story. A story of what could have been, but you were miraculously rescued from it. A story of a path you were on, then an intersection that changed everything. A story of despair, now exchanged for a story of hope. This is your rescue story. Some of us know the story […]
What do you have today my sister? Understand that is exactly what God wants to use. Understand the solution to your problem lies in what you already have. 2 Kings chapter 4 begins with a story titled ‘Elisha Helps a Poor Widow’. Within this story is something for you today. Let’s read together starting in […]
I have a confession … I am an heiress. I’m not sure that I’ve ever really shared that publicly before, but I owe you the truth. The truth is, I stand to inherit a ridiculous amount one day. I mean like a life changing amount. It’s coming to me. Now please don’t treat me differently. […]
What if God’s not making your problems go away, but he’s providing for you right in the middle of it? What if as you struggle, he has supper served? What if in this destruction, he has dinner delivered? What if in your overwhelm, he’s inviting you over? David wrote in Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a […]
What if you’ve come up empty handed here, feeling like everything you’ve tried has been nothing but a loss, but it’s completely redeemable by the Almighty? What if this is empty, but it still has value? What if it didn’t work out, but it is working to guide you to what God has for you […]
Today, we woke up to not just a new day of life, but a new month of life. And last night while you slept, something really remarkable happened whether you knew it or not … the second half of this year began. First half, done. Over, Gone. The second half of 2022 begins now. We […]
What has God shown you before that you need to cling to today? How has he worked in your life in the past? How has he provided? How has he worked things together for good before just for you? What little thing has he done to keep you coming back for that big thing now? […]
Is it a fair statement to say, you really don’t know what to do here? You don’t know how this is all going to work out. You don’t know how this is ever going to be okay again. You don’t know where this next step is going to lead, but you know if you don’t […]
You’re right and they’re wrong … so what are you going to do about it? They have treated your poorly, talked about you, taken advantage of you, and come back to do it again. They want to fight. They want to argue. They want to stir up trouble and get you upset. Is that what […]
Have you ever felt like you’re trying so freaking hard, but not really making the progress worthy of your effort? Like dang, why am I not further along than I am? Why is this taking so long? Why am I so tired? Why isn’t what I’m doing working? Well, have you stopped to see what […]
Imagine this, the same One who created the majestic mountain tops, is the same One who created the neighborhood you would live in. The One who formed the entire Universe and held it in the palm of his hand, is the one who formed your career path and where you would work. Just as God […]
Are you burned out? Straight up stinking tired? Exhausted from all the effort, all the work, all the pressure, the stress, the expectations, all the time, and you feel like you just have nothing left to give? We’ve all been there. Some of us are there now. Trying to drag our butts through another day […]
God is working in the details of your life you are yet to understand. He is guiding you to places you do not yet know about. He is preparing you for purposes you have not even yet imagined. And God does all of this, choosing you as a vessel for his power to flow through […]
You’re sitting here discouraged, about to dismiss what could be made possible for you. You’re overwhelmed by the threat and you’ve forgotten the promise. Today, God has asked me to be the one who reminds you of his good plans for you. He’s asked me to be the one who tells you although it looks […]
What could you do today that would really make the Lord pleased as pickles? What could you do that would bless God’s socks right off? (I mean, if God even wears socks. I never thought about that before.) How could little ol’ you do anything that would impress big ol’ Him? I’ve always imagined living […]
If you knew what you were doing, it sure would make things easier, wouldn’t it? Like for real, wouldn’t some divine wisdom come in handy about right now? Wouldn’t a definite destination with turn by turn GPS instructions really help a girl out? But we don’t know, do we? We’re not sure what we’re doing, […]
Are you consuming Life or Destruction? I’m a simple man – Que Lynyrd Skynyrd. I believe the keys to living well, the life God Created us for are simple and most people get stuck in or hide out in complexity. Let’s pick some low hanging fruit here – pun intended as we will be talking […]
I talk about crap a lot around here. You know why, because we’re all going through something. We’re all dealing with tough stuff, facing situations that straight up stink, wishing it were different and yet waking up to more of the same each morning. But, we’ve learned to shift our perspective on the crap in […]
What if the way has already been made, but it’s up to you to take the next step along the way? What if the victory is already yours, but the battle will still be required? What if God is totally FOR YOU in this, and your fear is the only thing holding you back? I […]
What you see today are your problems and threats … what you do not see yet is your rescue and your redemption. You see what the enemy is doing, but perhaps you do not see how your God is going to use it all for good. The real problem here is, sometimes we can become […]
Has the vibrant, lively soul you’re created to be been overwhelmed by the circumstances of life, and now you’re barely living? Have you been burdened by a problem that instead of getting better, it just continues to get worse, and this problem hinders you from living the life you once imagined? Well Sis, it’s time […]
I recently heard a great truth: Courage is knowing it might hurt, and doing it anyway. Stupidity is the same. And that’s why life is hard. How do you know the difference between walking in courage, and being just plain stupid? The problem is, they both look and feel a whole lot the same. Your […]
Genesis 2:7 “God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!” (MSG) Let’s make this personal. When I say so insert your own name into this scripture. God blew into your nostrils the breath of life. ___(say your name)____ came […]
Who is waiting for something, and struggling with the timing of it? Who is stuck in uncertainty, unsure of how it’s all going to work out? Who feels stretched and pulled in a million different directions and losing themselves along the way? Who is maybe even excited about what the future may hold, but you […]
Where are my girls at that feel under pressure right now? Are you facing an intense, scary situation? Maybe you would say this place in your life genuinely stinks. Well I’m really glad you’re listening this morning, because I have an escape plan for you! You want to get out of this … today you’ll […]
Who remembers the show “Extreme Home Makeover”? At the end of the miraculous makeover of a home, the family would stand on the street with a bus blocking the view of their new home. Then Ty would yell, “move that bus!” In the same way we’re yelling today, “move that mountain!” There’s something blocking your […]
I wonder what God sees in you, that you don’t see in you. I wonder what purpose you’ve been perfectly aligned for, but in your eyes it just looks like one big mess you want out of. You have no idea who you really are and what you can really do … but are you […]
Here we are waking up to another day filled with tasks, chores and expectations. It’s a Tuesday and we have places to go, things to do, boxes to check. That seems uninspiring, unimpressive, and honestly unfulfilling. We live for those grander days of more exciting plans, but today may not be one of those days. […]
When you understand the price paid for what you have, a higher level of intentional living is required. When you realize the sacrifice for what you typically take for granted, these ordinary details of your life become extraordinary. The truth is, we run around acting like spoiled jackwagons because we forget the price of our […]
Do you ever just not pray because you don’t know what to pray? Are you ever just tired of praying the same thing over and over again, so you opt to stop praying? Do you sometimes feel like there’s more you should pray, but you don’t even know how? Understand your prayers aren’t a magic […]
Can you trust that God is doing things on your behalf right now that you cannot see? Can you trust that your prayers have been heard and the power of God has been unleashed, but it has been unleashed behind closed doors you are not to enter yet? What is God doing behind the closed […]
What is it you’re waiting for? We’re all waiting for something. We’re waiting for something to change, something to improve, something to happen, someone to pick us, promote us, buy from us, help us. We’re waiting for the sign, the ah-ha, the breakthrough, the shift. Please something start clicking. Ultimately, we’re waiting for OPPORTUNITY. We […]
Have you heard of the disciple whom Jesus loved? There is one who is referred to 5 times in scripture as THE person Jesus loved. Who was he and why was he the one identified as loved? John 13:23 “One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side.” John 19: […]
Oh girl, what is God up to today? What has he been working up for you? What have all the days of your life brought you to in this day? Oh, you thought you were waking up to just another Monday where you have to drag your butt through the day, but you would be […]
Only God can take what once caused shame and turn it into something that creates praise. Only God can take what once held you back, and use it to propel you forward. But that’s exactly what he does … and that’s what he wants to do in you now. My Sister, God wants to use […]
When God created you, he had the BEST in mind for you. He placed all the potential in the world inside of you, made a space for his Holy Spirit to dwell within you, then went about dreaming of the life you could live and the impact you could make. He imagined the partnership of […]
God is more interested in changing your mind than your circumstances. Within your mind are thoughts that control your life. Your thoughts are either propelling you toward your destiny in Christ Jesus, or your thoughts are holding you back in a little life far short of what you were created for. Which is true for […]
Do you ever feel like the odds are stacked against you and honestly you don’t have a shot at coming out on top? Do you feel dismissed, and discounted, sometimes unworthy and unqualified, so you settle for a ‘lesser than’ position in life? Less than you really hoped for. Less than your heart desires. Less […]
There’s an ending to the story you struggle your way through today, but it’s an ending you do not know yet. You can’t see what’s ahead, but God has already aligned it for you. Here’s the problem … the opportunities to step into alignment with God’s story for your struggle don’t quite look the way […]
If God did it before, he can do it again. Did you know God didn’t just part the Red Sea for the Israelites, but he did it for them AGAIN when they came upon the Jordan River! No one talks about the second time God did the impossible for them. Honey, God has done impossible […]
Why are you holding back? Why are you assuming you aren’t good enough or could never do this? Have you forgotten the power which dwells within you? Do you not realize what is inside of you, Sister? Paul wrote to the Corinthians and asked a question. Now this question is for you today. 2 Corinthians […]
There’s one way to go through what you’re going through, and not completely stress yourself out. There’s one way to walk this uncertain path before you, and not make yourself sick with worry. One way. Only one. Is this timely for you? Do you find yourself in the middle of such uncertainty that you’re struggling […]
Do you realize all of this has been training? Training that will prepare you for greater opportunities. Training that will allow you to live bigger. Training by the Master to follow his commands, and then you can be trusted with off-leash adventures. Any good dog left untrained becomes a bad dog. An untrained dog cannot […]
Do you find yourself in a dead end place where rescue is your only option? Is the fire growing hotter with no exit door in sight? Nobody likes these fiery trials in life. No one wakes up seeking dead end situations with no way out. No one desires this, but let me assure you God […]
Life is habitually unexpected. If you’re trying to avoid the interruption of the unexpected, you’re letting a whole lot of living pass you by. Opportunities are flying right by you because you’re not sure. You think once you’re sure, you will dive in, but you won’t, because, Sis, you will never be sure. There is […]
What can God do in this valley where you find yourself? What can he bring back to life? What can he begin again? What can he make new? What can he restore? Girl, I have no idea … but we should start talking about it!
Seriously, it’s time to start talking about what God can do!
We’ve been focusing on how hard it is down here in this valley that we can’t seem to climb our way out of. We’ve been talking about how much we hate it and doubt it’s ever going to change. We’ve been consumed with how unfair it is, how difficult it is, and how nothing seems to be changing. But God is calling us to talk about something different!
It’s time to talk to your valley of dry bones about the life they could have!
Yesterday we talked about the fruit that only grows in the valley. Today, we talk about a few things that have died down here in the low pits where we don’t want to be for another day. Scattered remains of what used to be.
Yes, that wedding ring on your finger that reminds you of the day you made that commitment, as you stand in the remains of a messy relationship you’re not sure can be saved … or if you even want to save it.
Yes, that job you were so excited to start, now you hate dragging your butt in for another day where you exchange precious hours of life for a paycheck that doesn’t seem to be worth it any more.
Yes, that child you had such hope for, and they have successfully trashed every detail of their life as if it were their sole purpose.
Yes, your body that once worked for you, now it just seems to work against you. Everything hurts and nothing looks like it used to look. You don’t even recognize yourself in the mirror any more.
Of course this isn’t limited to marriages and careers, wayward children, FUPAs and saggy boobs. This is everything. Everything you thought was going to be, and everything it ended up not really being. Everything you hoped it was becoming, and everything it stopped short of. This is your valley of dry bones. Reminders of that which used to have so much promise, but now it’s wasting away.
What do you do in your pit where it’s all lost hope? Oh girl, you start talking to it!
Check this out, Ezekiel 37: 1-15:
“The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
4Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
Ezekiel was standing in a valley of hopelessness. All hope was gone. Completely gone. Everything was gone. Nothing was working. This was beyond repair. And for all of my sisters who feel like they’re standing in the middle of something that is beyond repair, God is here taking hold of you, just as he did Ezekiel, and speaking to you. First he’s asking, “My daughter, can this work again? Can this be restored? Can what is too far gone and beyond hope be brought back to fullness again?”
What is your reply to God today? Can your valley of dry bones live again?
Ezekiel’s response was priceless. He says “Lord, you know.” Like, uhmmmm, why you asking me? I don’t know. I don’t know how this can ever be okay again. I don’t see how this will ever work. I don’t know what happened and I don’t know how to fix it. But Lord, you know.
My Sister, it’s okay to not know how or when … but it’s not okay to be stuck in believing no way and never. God alone knows, and he’s asking you to partner with him with the unknown and trust his power to do the impossible with your dry bones.
The next thing that happens is what we really need to take note of. God says to Ezekiel, “speak …” God instructs him to speak power over that which is too far gone. Speak God’s power over that which is too broken to save. Speak God’s power over that which is totally without life, without hope.
So, even though it makes no sense to Ezekiel as he’s staring at bones that are so far gone they’re literally dry, he speaks of that which only God can do. He told them to live again. And as he spoke, there was a rattling. Oh girl, a rattling! The broken bones came back together again. Flesh which had dried up began to appear again. And as Ezekiel kept speaking of the power of God over the impossible, it became possible. Breath was given, and life was renewed to what moments before was nothing but a valley of dry bones.
How did it happen? Ezekiel simply believed God’s power over things he could not possibly know or understand, and he aligned his thoughts and words with that power.
What if today, you started talking to the “too far gone-s” and “way beyond hope-s” in your life and tell them, hey, only God knows what could be here again. God can restore this. God can bring this back to life. God can change this in an instant. And if I’m what’s been standing in the way of that change, I’m officially getting out of the way today. I’m putting my thoughts and words in alignment with his power, and I’m believing WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
Verse 14 is specifically for you Sis, “I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home … Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said.”
Return home to what? To who you were created to be. To the life God designed for you. To the good plans he had for you since long before you ever took your first breath. Yes, that’s what God is bringing you back to. He’s bringing you back to life again. And those dead things that are too far gone, beyond hope, and feel like they can’t be saved … well God simply expects you to change the way you think about them and talk about them.
What do you say? Quote that scripture. “Breathe into this dead _____, so that it may live again.” (insert your specific dry bones in the valley)
A crazy beautiful thing happens when you shift from your negative habits of talking about miserable, hopeless things … you stop feeling so miserable. You stop having that hopeless feeling in the pit of your stomach. A hope starts rising up in you. And you know what that hope is … That hope is the power of God that makes dry bones rattles and breaths life into things that were straight up dead, and it starts in you when you decide to talk about what is possible with this power instead of what is probably going to happen with this problem.
Enough with your problems probably gonna happen. Why you still talking about that? Talk to those dry bones about the power of God that makes all things possible, and you will get to witness the Lord doing what he said he was gonna do. You know … make all things new!!!!!
Only God knows what could really happen here. Partner with him in it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You think just because you’re going through a valley, a low time, a hard time, that you’re under attack. Oh but Sis, what if this isn’t an attack at all? What if this valley has been designed by God for a greater purpose. A purpose you do not currently see, but you will.
We all like mountaintop moments. We like standing high atop what we have just overcome and knowing we made it. Oh, the exhilaration of being on top of it all. We have one mountaintop experience, and that’s all we want. We rebuke any hint of coming down off the mountain. No Lord, I don’t want to go through a valley again. Leave me up here. I just want to stay up, don’t bring me down.
But, have you ever been on top of a real mountain? I’ve climbed for hours to get to the top of a mountain in Colorado. I did the hardest climb of my life at our Utah Retreat to stand above the clouds. We all cried because we made it! These are experiences I will never forget. But you know what I noticed on top of the mountain … nothing grows. There are no trees at the top. And that got me to thinking, if there are no trees, there is no fruit.
Hmmmmm, no fruit on the mountaintops.
All we want are mountaintop moments, but all God wants of our lives is to produce fruit. And my friend, God started showing me, the two really don’t go well together.
You know what does go well together? Valleys and fruit.
Valleys. These are the low times of life where the shadows of the mountains overwhelm you. You struggle in the valley. It’s in the valley that you work harder than you think you should have to work, for a result that doesn’t measure up to the effort it required. But things grow in the valley. Trees produce fruit in the valley. And my sister, it is here in the lows of life that you grow best. It is here where you want nothing more than to get out of the valley and stand atop those mountains, that God allows your life to produce fruit.
Jesus said in John 15:8 “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
And if you only produce fruit in the valleys of life, then guess what … God gets the most glory when you’re going through your greatest struggles. You grow through the low times.
Now, maybe you are under attack. Maybe the forces of Hell really have come up against you and are fighting over where you have the potential of going next and what you have a great calling to do. That’s real. But maybe, just maybe this low time in your life isn’t an attack, maybe it’s a valley where you will grow.
Life is full of ups and downs. It’s literally like a roller coaster ride. You’re climbing and climbing. Click, click, click, click, click and then that glorious moment where you’ve arrived. You’re here! Yessssssss!!!!!!!! But girl, you know what comes next. The drop. Always. We would like one perpetual high life of good times and great views, but God in his great design knows you gotta come down again so you grow more.
Nothing grows on the mountaintop. You aren’t growing to your greatest potential when everything is easy. And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, God is far more concerned with your character than your comfort. So ease goes right out the window, and the mountaintop isn’t your home forever. Back down in the valley you go.
Not as punishment. Not because you’re not good enough. Not because God’s good plans for you were limited and you’ve maxed out on your allotment of goodness. No, exactly the opposite … because God has so much more for you, so he brings you back down to grow more into that potential!
Now, I know, I know, I know, you’re not going to like it. Heck, I can’t even get myself to like it. But you know it’s the truth. Your times of greatest growth were always during your valley walks. When you were really going through it, is when you realized the strength only God could give you to keep going. When you literally depended on God for your daily bread, and when that day’s bread showed up, you thanked God for his provision like never before.
I still will never, ever forget in our deepest, darkest, hardest valley of financial hardship, the Chic-fil-A sandwich coupon that was given to me by a stranger at an intersection. A coupon for a legit free chicken sandwich. It didn’t require you to buy a drink or fries first, it was just a free sandwich, no purchase required. And that was a good thing, because I didn’t have a single dollar to spend. My little boy and I sat at a table with one chicken sandwich, each taking turns with our bite. He would take a bite, and I would take a bite. One sandwich, and bite after bite, there was somehow still more. We both ate until we were full, and there was still a bite leftover. I’m sure I’ve eaten a hundred chicken sandwiches since then, but nearly 20 years later, I still remember that one because we were in the valley and in that valley I grew the fruits of joy, peace and faithfulness.
I can now afford to buy all the chicken sandwiches I want. I could buy everyone in the restaurant a chicken sandwich. It’s like a little mountaintop moment, but I still carry the joy, peace and faithfulness that was grown in that valley. Chic-fil-A will never, ever be the same for me.
Oh my Sister, are you in a valley? Are you longing for that mountaintop again? You’ll get there, but my guess is you’re going to need some fruit first! Fruit that doesn’t grow in the high times of life. Fruit that only grows in the low times. Fruit that reveals what God is growing within you.
Listen to me. You need to hear this. This valley you’re going through is worth the fruit you will come out of it with!
Here in the valley where you walk, where you work, and where you wonder if you’ll ever get past it, you’re learning to produce the fruit God always wanted you to grow in.
What are these fruits? They’re listed in Galatians 5: 22-23 “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Now let’s read that scripture in the MSG translation: “What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”
Of course it’s easy to think we would grow in love, joy and peace in the mountaintop moments. We think we would stick with things better on a mountaintop high. We think we would see God’s holiness in everything when we’re up out of this valley. But truthfully, that stuff only grows in the valley, then you get to take it with you to the mountaintop. I wonder what this valley is producing in your life, then I wonder where God will invite you to take that fruit once it’s grown to it’s fullest potential in you?
So, to the one who tumbled down the mountain and finds herself in a low valley, know that this valley is here to grow you. It will grow you in ways you’ve never experienced before and allow you to climb your next mountains with fruit to sustain your journey.
This is God’s rhythm of life. Up and down. Down and up. Grow then go. Go, then come back to grow some more.
You’re in a dang valley again. Don’t fret because here’s how I see it … Dang girl, you’re in a valley. That must mean something is about to grow in your life, then you’re going to take that fruit to some mountaintops! Yaaaa-yahhhhh!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you call it an accident, or is it a divine mystery? Did you stumble here on your own, or were your steps being direct by the Almighty all along? In life you have a choice. A choice of how you view the details of your unfolding journey. Is everything a miracle, or is nothing a miracle? It is your chosen perspective that either allows you to see the hand of God, or leaves you to only discover the random coincidences.
Set your perspective now on this day. Is this all random, or is it divine? Is everything a miracle, or is nothing a miracle? Did you stumble here solely by your own effort, or were you guided here for a purpose greater than your awareness has captured?
I choose to see everything as a miracle. Every detail of my life has the fingerprints of God on it, because it’s all passed through his hands and come into my existence. He’s working ALL things together for my good, and when God says ALL things, he literally means ALL things. Nothing is left out. Nothing is over-looked. Nothing has slipped through the cracks and made it into my day that wasn’t first permitted by my Creator.
Knowing this, I don’t want to miss a single detail. It’s all God revealing himself and his good plans throughout my ordinary day. Sweet blessings are found here. Holy direction is received here. Open doors of opportunity are found here. Next level dreams and visions are given here.
Whew girl, that’s what this day is for you too. Blessings, direction, opportunity, dreams and visions … set your perspective now to find them, see them, and receive them!
On Saturday, I received a text from a special little gal who used to be a podcast listener. I say “used to be”, not from a sense of she no longer listens, but she is now so much more. Since last December, she has come to 2 retreats with her 3rd retreat already scheduled, made life-changing connections, and asked me to be her mentor. I see this girl’s potential and I know my role in her life is to continually remind her of that potential and encourage her with the next step. She’s fresh and new in her journey of faith, so the girl is hungry. She text me on Saturday and asked me to explain a specific scripture to her.
Now, here’s the cool part … the scripture she asked me for, and the scripture I gave her, were totally different scriptures, not even in the same book of the Bible. But 3 times I looked at her text, and every time I saw Psalm 27:6. I’m reading from the MSG translation:
God holds me head and shoulders
above all who try to pull me down.
I’m headed for his place to offer anthems
that will raise the roof!
Already I’m singing God-songs;
I’m making music to God.
Ohhhhh, I thought … I would love to break this scripture down for you, Sis. So I did. But, this isn’t what she asked me for. This isn’t what she was searching for and questioning, but didn’t we just establish God is in every detail? Didn’t we just agree our stumbles are more like a clumsy response to a graceful guidance? God gets us where he wants us, even when we have to stumble our way there.
This scripture was what she needed, and she didn’t even know she needed it. But here’s where God moved my heart … the study on this scripture was for you too! Sure God will come chasing after the 1 that is lost, but he will use that 1 to impact the other 99 at the same time. So while this was meant for 1, it will impact the entire herd of sheep gathered here today to hear what our great Shepherd might be saying!
So, what does this scripture from Psalm mean? It means we can be confident regardless of circumstances. We can know with 100% certainty that God’s plans for our lives are good, ridiculously good. Even when it doesn’t look good right now, God will do what only he can do to use it for good.
We are assured that God’s intentions are to raise us up. Yes, raise us up to Heaven for an eternity, but raise us up in this lifetime too. We are raised up to live on another level. To be above the temporary hardships and struggles that try to pull us down. To be above the petty things that simply don’t matter. To have a higher perspective on life and see God’s involvement in every detail.
Sister, God is lifting you up to be above the things that have kept you down in the past. You have been raised high to live better. Yes, God has made you better. You are better than you once were. You haven’t arrived yet, but hot dang girl, you’re not where you used to be either. Thank God for that. And now that you are being made better by God, you get to live better! Christ came to give you freedom from every single thing that has served to hold you back, keep you down, and get you stuck in a lesser way of living.
You have been set free from old entrapments. Yes, old entrapments … those thoughts that once grabbed hold of your mind, those traps have been demolished. Those old habits that ruled your days, those habits have been banished back to the pits of Hell where they came from. Those old fears, those old stories, those old ways… In Christ, you have been made new, and these old things are not traveling on with you! You have been raised up to higher levels of living!
Now, what do you do as a result? Just as this scripture says, girl you raise the roof!
Oh you thought raise the roof was only used in 90’s gangsta rap … no girl, David was writing about raising the roof in Psalm way before the 90’s. He wrote, “I’m headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I’m singing God-songs; I’m making music to God.”
Ohhhh, will your higher level of living, free from all those old thoughts, habits, fears, stories and ways, be like a song to God today? Will you raise the roof with your praises to the Almighty today?
Let me tell you of a little side effect of living your life in a way that sings praises to God. Music makes us move, right? We all have that one song that just gets us up out of our seat and has us dancing. Well, I assure you, when you raise the roof with your praise for what God is doing in your life, God just can’t sit still either.
And what happens when God moves? POWER! Yes, his power is released all over the place!
Psalm 16:11 “He inhabits the praises of His people.”
Remember the story of Paul and Silas in prison. (Acts 16: 25-26) When they started singing praises, the chains fell off and the prison doors were opened. Ohhhhhhhhh, girl, you see God was moved by their praise. He was dancing to their music. And when God dances, power is released!
How could you live your life in a way that is a song to God? How could you raise the roof?
Trust me, I can’t sing. Nobody wants me to sing. I tease I’m so bad, even God says, “sweet girl, that’s not a joyful noise, let’s just laugh instead.” So, I laugh. I find every dang thing to be happy about, and I just get down and wallow in it. That’s my song to God. And my song moves God. And when God moves, his power is released! I see God’s power over every detail of my life and I never want that to stop. So, I’m going to keep going moving with my praise! With my joy. With my laughter. With my wallowing in everything that is so good, and so right!
Soooooo … all of this from a scripture a gal asked me to explain on Saturday, but it was totally the wrong scripture. But, it wasn’t. It was God working in the details of my stumbling to bring about exactly what he wanted to show her … and show me … and show you.
Raise the roof today, Sis. When your living causes God to dance, unbelievable things begin to happen! Let the way you live today be like an irresistible song that you just can’t sit through!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if you already have what you’ve been searching for? What if you literally woke up with the very thing you’ve been seeking, but you just don’t realize it? What if your life is already overflowing with purpose and you never have to go out and hunt for it or dig for it again?
It is, Sis. You are living in your purpose today. But here’s the problem … you’ve become so “next” focused, that you miss the land of purpose you dwell in right here, right now.
I’m naturally a hype girl. I will pep you up for the rally. I will boost your confidence, introduce you to your potential, and push your little hiney out on the field to taste what you’re really capable of in your life. Several years ago I began praying a prayer that radically changed the way I see people. I began asking God to help me see others with through his eyes. And God started showing me potential. Unmet potential, untapped potential, unbelieved in potential. Everywhere, potential.
I could meet you and see the result of all your excuses and delays; I could view your current reality with my own eyes, and above it all, I would see your potential. I would see the power that resides within you to change. I would sense the ability you don’t even realize you have. I would envision your life free of the chains that have held you back. And I would absolutely ache for you to step into the freedom Christ came to give you.
So, I just call out that potential. I lovingly gift swift kicks squarely in the arse that say “girl, you’re better than the choices you’ve been making, reclaim your power now.”
This morning, I knew I was supposed to come here to this audience of global women with over-flowing, God-given potential, and talk to them about the purpose they seek. Yes, your purpose. This is what God has asked me to address this morning. You’ve been asking God about it, haven’t you? You’ve been seeking the purpose of your life, wondering what rock it is hiding under and how you’re ever going to uncover it.
Well, here it is … this is your answer. You should take notes, because this is about to get personal.
God has already given it to you. Yes, you. You already have your purpose. The potential to walk fully in that purpose is already within you. You simply don’t see what you already have, and where that would lead you. So, let me help.
Purpose comes in the form of seeds. Seeds planted within you by your Creator. Seeds that take root and begin to grow bigger and produce fruits. You already have the seeds, now you simply need to become aware of what you already have and partner with God in the process of growing them.
Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
This scripture is two-fold, and both parts of it are intertwined and dependent upon one another. The first part is the way we often read it, God will give you the desires of your heart. He will gift you with what your heart wants when you find your fulfillment and joy in him. Is that true? Absolutely. Does it mean he will magically give you the winning lottery numbers when your heart most wants to hit that jackpot? Nahhhhhh girl, because jackpots aren’t your focus when you’re finding your fulfillment and joy in God. Get your priorities right with your source, and yes, the desires of your heart will be given to you.
But, here’s the twist on this scripture that was a total ah-ha moment for me. God will give you the desires of your heart, meaning the desires deep within you are placed there by God himself! He is the author of your dreams. You didn’t make these desires up on your own … those are seeds planted within you by your Creator to grow the purpose of your lifetime!
Now, I’ve taught this dual perspective on this scripture countless times. In fact, I taught it last night in a mentoring session about moving forward into your future. Take the desires of your heart seriously, they are seeds of purpose. Partner with God in the good plans he has for your life, be faithful with the opportunities of today, trust the process of the growth of your purpose, and stop giving up on yourself.
Yesssssss, that’s some good stuff right there!
But then this morning, while gluing on fake eyelashes after 4 hours of sleep, God dropped another truth bomb on me. And like a good Sister in Christ, I’m passing the bomb along to you girl. I’m going to blow your excuses right out of the water. Your fussy, complicated, over-thinking is going to be blown up right here and leave you with the most simplified, clear vision of what your purpose is. Are you ready … I mean really ready?
What past desires of your heart are your reality today? These are still your purpose!
Have you abandoned those plants? Yes, those were seeds of purpose. Those seeds grew into a reality in your life. But you’ve moved on to the next thing, forgetting you’re already walking in purpose, Sis!
Remember when the desire of your heart was to find that man and fall in love? Remember when you just wanted to gloriously wake up next to him every morning for the rest of your life? Uhmmmmm … did you wake up next to him this morning? Here you are living your dream, but when the dream becomes a reality, it feels a little less dreamy and a lot more dismal. Daunting … Dreadful … Depressing … Oh dang girl, look what your desire has become.
Remember when the deepest desire of your heart was to have children? Some of you have those children right now. They are absolute miracles! But they feel less like a miracle and more like a mess. Those messy toddlers turn into manic, mouthy teenagers that call you Mother.
Hey girl, don’t abandon those seeds! Your purpose is growing here!
We’re so quick to get what we want, dwell in the reality of our dreams, and decide it’s more like a nightmare and check out. In this checked out, unfulfilled state, we cry out, “Lord, what is my purpose. Why am I here?” We beg for the next revelation of purpose, when we woke up this morning with dozens of purpose plants in bloom in our house, but we no longer want to care for them! We want what is next.
The desire of my heart was to marry that cute little city boy that moved to my little country town my Freshman year. That desire was a seed of purpose planted within me. Today, over 30 years later, I still get to care for that seed and remember that just because I got it doesn’t mean it’s no longer of tremendous purpose in my life. My purpose is still to be the wife God created me to be for this man he has given me to love.
I desired to have a baby, then adopt 2 more. Just because those babies are grown, doesn’t mean the purpose is over.
I literally woke up to more seeds of purpose than I know what to do with. Seeds that have taken root and grown, but now they’re so familiar I miss their value. Have your seeds of purpose become so familiar, you too are missing their value?
It would be so easy to neglect that seed and move on to what is next. Heck we have such flashy seeds now. Seeds covered in glitter and rhinestones that pull our focus into directions that take us away from the harvest of our fields we could be living in.
Someone needs to hear this, maybe it’s you: HARVEST THIS!
You’ve been neglecting the seed of purpose God has already given you. You’re so busy looking for the next purpose, the next mission, and the next exciting opportunity, that you’re missing the harvest your fields are ready to produce. Let’s just be faithful with the desires of our heart we’ve already been given!!! We really don’t have to go out chasing after newer, flashier, bigger desires. Most of us are waking up today with an abundance of what we already wanted, but have so quickly moved on from.
My mentor started by having me read old books and listen to audio recordings of lessons that had impacted his own life. Now, my mentor is nearly 50 years older than me, so he had me digging into some pretty ancient writings. Things on records and paperback books no longer in print. Things maybe you haven’t heard of today.
One of those lessons is the true story of a farmer in Africa named Ali, called Acres of Diamonds. Ali had heard stories of fortune by other farmers. Farmers who had discovered diamonds on their land and became rich beyond their wildest imagination. Ali became discontent with his own life and desperately desired the fortune of finding diamonds too. So, he sold his farm and left his family, to begin a quest for land that would lead him to riches. He searched and searched, without ever finding. Eventually as an old man, he became depressed and threw himself into a tidal wave to his death.
Now, his original plot of land had been bought by another farmer. This farmer was strolling along the creek that ran through the property and noticed a blue flash in the creek bed. He knelt down and sifted through the water and pulled a crystal object from the mud.And what do you think it was? Yip, you’re right! This crystal object was a diamond in the rough. Diamonds don’t look like diamonds in their original state. Soon he discovered this farm was loaded with diamonds.
That farm became one of the largest diamond mines in the world. Literally, acres of diamonds. Ali had been sitting on the very thing he was searching for. He already had it, he just didn’t recognize it. He sold his acres of diamonds in the unsuccessful search for diamonds elsewhere.
Oh hot dang, are we doing the same? We’re searching for purpose, while abandoning the fields of purpose we already have. The desires of our heart have been given to us by the Almighty, but in their raw state they don’t look like purpose; they look pointless, they look powerless, they look like a problem, like a pest, like a punishment. But they just require polishing. They require our partnership with God to fulfill the good plans he has for our life. They require our faithfulness with the opportunities of today. They require our commitment to not give up again, not check out again, not overlook it again. To stay put, to put in the work, and to be continually grounded in gratitude for what we have already been given. Desires of our heart that were seeds of purpose. Seeds that will grow to be become something so much greater, but continual work is required.
Let our prayer be, Lord, open my eyes to the desires of my heart you’ve already given me. Help me to see what I already have and what I’m destined to grow. I want to be faithful with all the seeds of purpose you have planted within me. I will not walk away from this harvest!
Purpose comes in seeds. Seeds of desire. Sis, look around … you woke up today with more seeds than you know what to do with! Be faithful in the process and you will reap your harvest of tremendous purpose!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Can you make peace with having what you have, and not having what you don’t? Are you content with life as is, or is there something more you cannot bare to live without? What is it that you want, and what are you going to do about it?
David wrote in Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
Cool … but what if you still do want? What if you’ve taken an inventory of your life, and there are still things you really want that are missing? Does that mean the Lord is not your Shepherd? Does that mean you haven’t learned to follow him the right way yet? Does that mean you’re being stubborn, or punished, or misled?
I wrestled with this scripture yesterday. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. I shall not want. But if I’m still wanting, I must not be following the Shepherd well. What am I missing here … because maybe you feel like you’re missing it too.
Jesus declared himself as the good Shepherd. A shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. Every moment of his life is invested in guiding, protecting and caring for his sheep. If a sheep wanders off, the Shepherd sets out to find it. If a sheep is in trapped, the Shepherd frees it. If a sheep is hurt, the Shepherd cares for it’s needs. He continually guides them past dangers into safety. He leads the sheep into what is best for them, where they will get everything they need.
This is exactly what Jesus does for us. His entire life is given to guide us, protect us, save us.
If Jesus identifies himself as the GOOD Shepherd, could that mean there is a BAD Shepherd? Is there one trying to harm us? One trying to lead us astray and get us lost? Absolutely. My sister, be careful who you follow! Jesus said in Matthew 7: 15 “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.” If their fruit is chaos, if their fruit is division, if their fruit is hungry applause, that’s a Shepherd that will lead you astray. Not all who say good things are up to good things. Examine the fruits. Don’t be fooled.
Jesus can always be trusted. Always. If you are seeking his guidance, he will never fail you. He will always rescue you. Yes, even if you’re that one that continually wanders off and gets herself into trouble, he will come and get you. He will leave the 99 and come searching for you, just you! Why? Because you’re that valuable to him. You’re that precious. You’re that loved.
Sis, when you get that truth down deep in your soul, all the guilt and shame you’ve been carrying around with you finally gets dropped. And without that extra weight, you likely get lost a little less. Oh that good Shepherd, how he cares for you!
David also writes in Psalm 77: 19-20 “Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
He is remembering how God led his people. How he took them through impossible territory to delivery them. So when David says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”, he is declaring what God did for them, he will do for me. What he was trusted with then, is what he can be trusted with now.
He is MY Shepherd. This is personal. He is here with me. He is personally guiding me. I am not alone. Although I may not know the way, I am not lost because MY Shepherd is with me and he knows exactly how to get me from where I’ve been stuck, to where is best for me now.
So, when David says “I shall not want”, he is saying, “I will not flip out here!”
I will not act in desperation. I will not allow my mind to wander off into dark gutters and get stuck there. I will not allow my spirit to become weary and my heart to become burdened. Because God is guiding me, I know he will make a path straight through the sea if that is what is needed. Because God is guiding me, he will make a way through the mighty waters and I will walk through on dry ground. He will not leave me here. This isn’t over.
Is Jesus your Shepherd? Are you trusting him to personally guide you? Do you believe he knows exactly where you are, and is fully capable of guiding you to the path leading to ridiculously good plans for you? Okay then, you don’t have to flip out!
Can you believe that everything you truly need, you already have. And everything you will need for every moment of your future is already in alignment for you, delivered by the hands of the Almighty when you are ready for it.
Sheep have no need for green pastures they cannot eat today. They have no need for miles of streams, when they can only drink from the spot they’re at right now. The Shepherd’s job is not to show them everything he is leading them to, but instead to show them where they are right now.
Yes, where they are right now!
My Sister, the Good Shepherd is trying to show you where you are right now. Yes, he has good plans for your future and he’s going to help you get there, but that’s not of concern today. Right now, you have what you need, you’re here in this place where you’re secure in the care of the one who guides you.
This is what it means to not want.
To be here, and be content with here. To know when the time for next comes, next will be covered, but I don’t have to flip out about it.
When you are led by Jesus, you are filled with something that indescribably fills all the still empty spaces in your life.
You can desire children, yet not flip out as you wait for children, because as Jesus guides you, he shows you that where you are right now is good.
You can desire a strong marriage, but not be consumed by a want that is yet to be realized yet. The Good Shepherd shows you that where he has led you today is exactly what you need, and the journey will continue beyond this, if you trust him.
You can desire a fulfilling career, and not be miserable as you continue to show up at an unfulfilling job that pays the bills right now. How? You look around and see that where Jesus has brought you is a place of provision for today, but this isn’t where you will be forever.
This field is for right now, but there are green pastures he will lead you to that you cannot see yet. But for right now, you don’t have to stress over how you’re going to get there. You can find contentment in being where you are, trusting Jesus to lead you to where you’re going next. Just stay close to him.
Every morning, when I’m praying on my knees, I excitedly ask my Good Shepherd, “what awesome things can we do together today?” Where have you brought me, and what do you have for me to do here? What do you want me to see? Who do you want me to meet? How do you want to use me? What do you want to teach me? This prayer has changed my days. It has me living in contentment instead of want. It has me enjoying the fields of today instead of stressing about the pastures of tomorrow.
When the Shepherd guides you, you will not want. You will not be taunted by desperation. You won’t be filled with worry over what is next. You will be fully engulfed by his provisions of today, seeing this is everything you truly need. And tomorrow will always be taken care of by the one who can get you there. There’s absolutely no need to flip out about what you think you want.
What do you do when you still don’t have what you want? You trust the Good Shepherd with exactly where he has brought you today, and know he will faithfully guide you into the good plans you don’t even know about yet!
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He is guiding me every step of the way, and where he has brought me today is where he will provide for me, and prepare me for what is next.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Once you know who you are and why you’re here, the days of your life begin to fall into place.
The question is, do you know who you really are? Have you become friends with this gal God created you to be? Is the gap between how you’re living and how God says you could be living growing less and less? Is your potential building within you and beginning to crowd out your doubts and fears?
That’s the journey you’re on. That’s what is happening here. You’re understanding who this girl is that God designed. You’re understanding how all of your quirky uniqueness is anything but random, but rather it is for the intentional alignment of your purpose. That’s why you’re here. You’re here to be fully who God wanted you to be, walking the divine path he has for you, living this one and only precious life as only you can.
This is what brings him glory: You being fully you, fulfilling the good plans he has for you.
And this is why anything less than this leaves you feeling unfulfilled and empty. That yuck you have at the end of a day that wasn’t lived to it’s greatest potential … yeah, that’s the way you’re supposed to feel at the end of a day like that. The yuck isn’t there to condemn you, it’s there to alert you to crappy living and remind you that you can do better.
Crappy living will not bring you to the fullness of God’s good plans for you. Crappy living simply leaves you doubting who you are, questioning your value and worth, and dismissing yourself from the goodness God has planned for you.
Does God get any glory in that? Nope … but he sure will when you let him help you turn it around!
Girl, it’s time to turn this around. It’s time to begin living your days in a way that glorifies God. That means no more playing little. No more dismissing yourself and assuming you’re not good enough. That means no more buying your own lazy, lousy excuses. There’s greatness within you. There’s an unstoppable power dwelling inside of you. You have a partnership with a mountain mover, chain breaker, wall tear-er-down-er. (yes I said that) God didn’t co-sign on your dreams, he is the author of your dreams. He put those dreams deep within you so that you would believe that’s what you’re actually capable of! And because it won’t come easy for you, you will need to continually seek him. Yip, that’s genius design there!
Imagine the glory God gets when he helps you turn this crap around! Imagine the testimony you walk away with when you and him make some impossible things happen. Yes impossible things. That’s what your partnership with the Almighty qualifies you for. Remember Jesus promised in Mathew 19:26 ” With God, all things are possible.”
Are you with God on this? Great … then it’s possible! Maybe not easy. Maybe not instant. Maybe not in any way you imagined. But when you’re with God in it, it’s possible!
Ephesians 1: 11-12 in the Message translation, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
This is how we find out who we are and what we’re living for. It comes through Jesus. And before you ever even knew to get excited about this, Jesus had his eye on you and he had the designs for you to live gloriously. That means while you were still off doing your own thing, screwing things up and making a mess, Jesus still watched you to work it all together to bring you into his best plans.
This promises we haven’t missed his good plans. This promises it’s not too late for us. This promises even the messes we’ve made can be worked into his design of glorious living for us! And girls, all we have to do is continually get ourselves in Christ where we discover more and more of who we are and what we are living for.
Okay cool, so how do you get yourself IN CHRIST? Is that like a certain number of hours per week in Church? Is that a set daily scripture reading? Where is the box to check and how do I check it?
Before Jesus, there were boxes … then Jesus came and blew the boxes to heck! No more sacrifices. No more rituals. The debt was paid, and the boxes were gone.
I googled “How do you live in Christ” … the first thing that popped up was a checklist. “10 Ways To Live In Christ.” Each with a great little sketch that showed perfect little people doing perfect little things with hands always folded in prayer sitting in a pew. Crap. I’m pretty sure I’m not nailing any of those. Now they’re all great suggestions no doubt. Definitely ways to grow in your understanding of Christ. But still, they’re just boxes to check and I’m pretty sure God has proven he’s above boxes already!
In Paul’s writings, he often uses the phrase “in Christ”. He’s not referring to a list of daily tasks, rather he is referring to a sphere of power. A spiritual domain we cannot see with our human eyes, but we are directed by with the Spirit of God living within us. Living in Christ is the transformation that takes place as we become more like who he created us to be, and live the glorious life he has planned for us.
There is a transformation happening within you. Girl, you are becoming more and more like the girl Jesus always knew you could be. This transformation is a result of power in a spiritual domain you cannot fully understand, yet you are being directed by. You know what I decided to do … I decided to stop trying to figure it out and just trust it!
I trust the transformation God is directing in my life. I trust he knows exactly what he is doing. I trust Jesus has always had his eye on me and he’s always been working everything together to bring me into the glorious living he has planned.
Will you just trust that you too are being transformed? Transformed by a power that makes impossible things possible. Transformed by a power that intentionally chose you as its dwelling place. Transformed by a power that isn’t dependent on boxes to be checked and perfect living to be achieved.
Whew, thank God, because my life looks nothing like the one in the sketches of the “10 Ways To Live In Christ”, and my guess is, yours doesn’t either. Listen up Sis, you aren’t defined by the things you did wrong. You’re defined by the things Christ did right. Living in him is the transformative power that HE WORKS in your life when you decide to follow him.
So today, we decide right here and now, I’m seeking to follow Jesus. We don’t always get it right and we may stumble again today, but we’re here to live IN CHRIST, in this power we can’t see and don’t fully understand, but we trust that it is transforming us. And it’s here in Christ that we find out who we are and what we’re living for. It’s here that we step into his plans of glorious living and partner with him to see impossible things made possible!
That’s the transformation power all around us as we live in Christ! He is transforming us to become divinely who we are designed to be.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How do you rest when there is so much to do? How do you find rest when things are in complete chaos?
Girl, if you’re exhausted and worn out, overwhelmed and unsettled, God has a word for you today! If you’ve prayed asking how in the world you’re supposed to get through what you’re going through, you need to know God has heard every word of your prayers and he has every intention on showing you the way through. Now listen closely for your answers.
You will find rest in the Father’s hands, when you leave the rest in the Father’s hands.
Your unrest comes from trying to control the things you cannot control. Your overwhelm comes from worrying about things that aren’t even happening today. Your exhaustion comes from not settling into the place that is perfectly fashioned to carry you through this. The Father’s Hands.
I mean what … you don’t think he is capable of handling this? You know those hands formed all of creation, right? You know those hands hold the entire universe, right? You know every care and worry you’ve been dragging around with you are covered by his hand, right? Okay then Sis, why are you still trying to carry it? You can leave it here in his hands. His hands have been proven mighty, powerful, capable and caring.
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
What does it mean to humble ourselves? Humble under God’s mighty hand? To be humble means you are fully aware of your inability to do this on your own. Humility recognizes, he is God, and you are not. A proud person thinks they can handle life and tries to control everything. A humble person realizes they can trust God to handle every issue in their life, as they partner with him.
So where are you? Are you still trying to control all of this? Are you still trying to force things to happen the way you think they should happen? Is your refusal to bend ultimately going to lead to you breaking?
I bet you’re feeling pretty anxious aren’t you? You feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, because honey you’ve been trying to carry what was never yours to carry.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but I’m just going to say it … Girl, you are not Jesus. You can’t save them. You can’t fix them. You can’t heal them. You can’t change them. The weight of this burden was never intended for your shoulders, but you’re the one keeping it there. And you know what keeps it there? Ultimately it’s pride. Pride thinking you can do this.
Whew, and here you’re being humbled.
Humbled not for the purpose of being broken, but humbled for the purpose of being held.
You will find rest in the Father’s hands, when you leave the rest in the Father’s hands.
Yes, the rest. All the rest of this mess that you can’t fix. The rest of this chaos that you can’t understand. The rest of the details you were never given. The rest that is beyond your understand, beyond your ability, and beyond your calling. This is what causes your anxiety. This is what causes your hopelessness. This was never meant to be carried by you, it was always meant to be cast into the Father’s hands.
There was a time in my life when I had no idea just how much God cared for me. A time when I didn’t understand his hand was in every detail of my life. A time when I felt like if it was going to happen, it was going to happen because I made it happen. A time when I placed all the weight squarely on my shoulders … and my knees buckled.
You know what happens when you try to carry a weight that isn’t yours to carry and your knees buckle … you naturally fall to your knees. and here on my knees is where my pride hit the floor and I was humbled. Humbly reminded I am not Jesus!
Could this be why God allows the weight to become so heavy sometimes? Because he wants you to stop trying to carry it!
You see, when you’re spending all your time and energy trying to haul around a mountainous load of crap you’re not supposed to be carrying, you have no time and energy left to be doing the things you really should be doing with your life. The things you were created to do are left undone because your hands are full with all the stuff you weren’t intended to be picking up.
You come home so stressed out from work, that your family only gets the crabby, exhausted version of you. Wait right there … is that you? You’ve allowed the blessing of the job you once prayed for to become the reason why you’re an exhausted hag when you get home? You’ve allowed the place that PAYS YOU TO SHOW UP, to become the reason why less of you comes home? Girl, no!
You’ve been picking up things that didn’t have you name on them, dragging them around like they belong to you, then wondering why you can’t rest.
You will find rest in the Father’s hands, when you leave the rest in the Father’s hands.
Repeat after me:
Not my circus, not my monkeys.
That’s humility.
You want to run this circus and make the monkeys yours. But you are not the ringmaster here, girlfriend. Once you figure that out, and resign from your position as chaos coordinator, then guess what … the chaos moves on.
Really, the chaos moves on. Chaos is attracted to where it is catered to. When the chaos is no longer received with catering, the poop parade just moves on down the road. And you’re left with open hands to do what you’re supposed to be doing, because you put the rest in the Father’s hands. And here, you find rest because you’re held in his hands.
Some of us are addicted to chaos. Chaos gives us a feeling of importance. Why is it we only feel important if we’re busy. I assure you, busy is not an indicator of value. Most of the time this extreme busyness you put on display is a result of poor time management and focusing on low priority tasks.
Ohhhhh, did that sting?
You want rest? You want peace? You want the chaos to calm the heck down? Now really think about that because that may mean you have to relinquish control and let some stuff go. (Ohhhh, that’s cringey to my enneagram 1, 3 and 8 friends. My perfectionists, my achievers and my leaders are hating on this 7 enthusiast right now.) But God, who designed every personality as a reflection of his divine nature says, “If you will turn that over to me, I’ll take care of it.”
I have a song for you today. It’s one I’ve used in a devotional before. “Bigger Than I Thought” by Passion Conferences:
So I throw all my cares before You
My doubts and fears don’t scare You
You’re bigger than I thought You were
You’re bigger than I thought
I stop all negotiations
With the God of all creation
You’re bigger than I thought You were
You’re bigger than I thought
And now, here it is … this is what you need to hear today ….. Ready????
I will rest in the Father’s hands
Leave the rest in the Father’s hands
Ahhhh, did you feel that? That was peace. That was release. That was rest. That’s what God wanted you to hear today. He’s got this and he’s got you. Hand it over to him today.
You haven’t been feeling rest, because you haven’t been leaving the rest.
I cannot control this. I’m not supposed to control this.
I cannot carry this. I’m not supposed to carry this.
I cannot fix this. I’m not supposed to fix this.
I cannot understand this. I’m not supposed to understand this.
I will work in partnership with God, doing all I can do to the best of my ability (refusing the false invitation to promote myself to ringmaster once again) and cast all the rest into the Father’s hands. Then, I will rest. I will receive peace as I am held perfectly in the Father’s hands.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Are you waiting? Waiting for God to reveal to you what is next. Waiting for something to happen, something to change. Well, what are you doing while you wait?
I believe it’s what we do while we’re waiting that can make a radical difference in our lives.
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
So, what does it look like to properly wait for God?
Does your couch and Netflix qualify? Does saying no to everything that doesn’t have a flashing sign declaring “I AM FROM GOD”, qualify as proper waiting? Waiting for a knock on your door? Waiting for your phone to ring? Waiting for someone to pick your name on the list, but you haven’t even applied for the list? Is this how you wait?
Some of us are allowing the most precious years of our life to pass us by as we sit around waiting on God. And some of us have created complete chaos in our lives as we ran ahead and rushed into things we had no business in. So where’s the sweet balance between sitting it out and messing it up? How do you wait for the Lord, without becoming passive about your own life?
This is a question I often get. I’m waiting, but what do I do while I wait? I’m looking, but I’m seeing no signs. I’m asking, but I’m hearing no loud booming voices with my answers. So what do I do now?
Is that you? Are you wondering how exactly to wait for the Lord? How do you stay strong, and how do you take heart as you wait? How do you wait and not waste?
Here are two words for you, Sis. Are you listening? If you’re wondering how to wait for the Lord without wasting the time you have been given, ACTIVELY WAIT.
Just because you’re waiting doesn’t mean you’re supposed to be sitting around on your hands. Just because you don’t know what God has for you next, doesn’t mean you’re staring at blank walls waiting for magic signs to appear. Just because you aren’t clear doesn’t mean you reject everything else in your path.
Waiting is an action. This isn’t passive. This isn’t checking out. This isn’t dismissing yourself from what you can do, where you are, with what you have. You’ve been looking at waiting all wrong.
Are you ready for a perspective shift? I’m telling you this will blow your mind and change the way you see waiting for the Lord. Ready?
What did we used to call servers in a restaurant? Think about it … they were waiters.
Yes, a waiter took your order. A waiter filled your cup. A waiter brought your meal. A waiter wouldn’t lean against a wall and wait. A waiter wouldn’t plop down in the next booth and resign themself to that position until someone with authority told them exactly what to do next.
What was a waiter doing? They were serving!!!!
And girlfriend, this is how we wait for the Lord! We actively wait. We serve!
I heard this earlier today while listening to an old Elevation Church podcast and it was like the heavens parted and the angels began to sing! Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa THIS IS HOW YOU WAIT!
You find what you can do, and you do it. You find how you can serve, and you serve. You find what is needed, and you meet that need. If you’re waiting, then be a waiter.
Waiting can be exhausting, but God wants you to be strong! Let me tell you something, strength is never found sulking on your couch. Strength is never dug up doing absolutely nothing. Yes, faith can move mountains, but don’t be surprised when God gives you a shovel. Sometimes God says, “my girl, we’re going to move this mountain together, and your job is one shovel full at a time.”
What if waiting has absolutely nothing to do with inaction, but everything to do with doing the next right thing even when you don’t know where that step will lead? What if the very thing you are waiting on will only be found when you show up and do what you can, where you are, with what you have? What if waiting is more like serving than sitting?
Read Psalm 27:14 again, thinking of waiting as the action of serving. You are now a waiter in the restaurant of the Almighty. “”Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
Girl, tie your apron on, grab something to take down some orders, and wait for the Lord! Serve where he has you right now. This is actively waiting.
You’re sitting around saying “Lord, I’m waiting for you. I’m waiting for you to tell me what to do. I’m waiting for you to show me what is next. I’m waiting on you to make a move. I’m waiting Lord, I’m waiting.”
And God says, “No girl, you’re sitting. I want you to WAIT for me! Wait is an action. This is a service!”
Imagine going to a restaurant today for lunch. A greeter places you by the window with a great view. Then someone dressed in black with an apron and a notepad comes to your table, introduces themselves as your waiter, and proceeds to just sit down with you and stare out the window.
And they wait. And wait. And wait.
AWKWARD.
They’re waiting.
Isn’t this you? Isn’t this what you’ve been doing? God, I’m waiting on you. So I’m just going to sit here and do absolutely nothing.
Nooooooooo girl, get up! Serve!
I wanted a big family, but God said wait. So we actively waited by serving at an orphanage once a month in Mexico. Where did waiting for God lead us? Well a few years later, we brought home two little girls from that orphanage and called them ours forever. One of those little girls is now married, living in Italy, and pregnant with our very first grandbaby due to rock our entire world in just 4 more months! My guess is what has become one of our greatest blessings would have never happened if we would have been waiting on our couch.
I wanted to become a motivational speaker, but guess what … no companies were beating down the door of some unknown gal with sweaty armpits 20 years ago. So I actively waited. I served as a stroke survivor with the American Stroke Association and I went to every function and gave every speech they needed, for free. I grew stronger and more confident as I served, and when God saw that I was really ready, he opened doors I could have never imagined. But once again, my guess is that would have never happened if I would have been waiting on a big breakthrough, passing up all the little opportunities.
Before you today is an opportunity to wait for God. Yes, actively wait. Here, where you don’t know where he is leading and what he is trying to show you, you simply WAIT FOR HIM. You are a waiter. Not a sitter. Not a sulker. Not an over-thinker.
You’re a waiter.
And what do waiters do?
They serve!
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
Actively waiting, not passively waiting. Don’t be awkward. This isn’t about sitting, this is about serving.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Could the rejection you’re experiencing be God’s guidance to something different? Could the attack ultimately be his protection? Now I know it doesn’t look like it, and it certainly doesn’t feel like it, but honey, God works in seemingly negative situations for positive impact in your life.
Check this out … the Israelites were God’s chosen people. He had good plans for them in a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. But their current reality was 400 years of slavery in Egypt. How would he get them out of Egypt and keep them out? How would he push them on to freedom? Through attack!
After the plagues of blood turning to water, frogs, lice, gnats, boils, hail, locusts … I mean everything bad happening in Egypt making life absolutely miserable, Pharaoh was finally convinced he couldn’t keep his slaves any longer and he let the Israelites go. But the story wouldn’t end there. Y’all, guess what God, in his divine wisdom and power, did next. Just go ahead and guess. You would never guess. You wouldn’t imagine what he did next.
Exodus 14:4 “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them.
After the Israelites were set free, he hardened Pharaoh’s heart to chase after them. I crap you not. That’s for real what happened! I can’t make this stuff up!
Wait, God, after 400 years you just set them free. You just did all these crazy plagues to make Pharaoh see your favor upon your people and cause him to loosen his grip on them, but now you’re hardening his heart so that he will purposely pursue them? You want him to chase after them? What???? Is God like bi-polar or something.
Let them be free. No, let Pharaoh chase after them. Protect them. No, pursue them. Which is it God. What are you doing? And while we’re questioning why God would do this to the Israelites, we’re really questioning him for ourselves. God, why are you allowing this hardship in my life? Why the rejection? Why the closed door? Why the struggle? I thought you were working for my good, but this just seems really bad right now.
Oh but sis … read the rest of the verse. God reveals his why.
Exodus 14:4 “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”
God had plans to reveal himself through this pursuit. Not only reveal himself to the Egyptians, but reveal himself to the Israelites who were being pursued.
Were the Israelites afraid? Absolutely they were! Verses 10-12 “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Ahhhhh, there it is. Ding, ding, ding. The Israelites were willing to just settle in Egypt. They were willing to remain slaves and die in what was familiar than risk freedom in the unknown. And I assure you, without the Egyptians chasing them now, they would have surely hit the first little bump on their journey through the desert, and they would have turned to go back to what they had just escaped from.
Just like you would go back. You too would have gone back and settled in a life far short of what you were created for. You would have opted for familiar misery over the hard pursuit of the unknown. And that is exactly why God slammed that door. That’s exactly why he said NO, not now and not ever. Because he always had something greater for you.
Don’t you know God loves you entirely too much to just let you go back to what was never working in the first place? And don’t you know God will harden some hearts along the way to make sure you don’t go back?
The Israelites were convinced they had been brought all this way to just die. Here comes Pharaoh and 600 of his best chariots, chasing after them as they are hemmed in by the Red Sea. Certain defeat. Certain destruction. Certain death.
BUT GOD …..
Don’t you know when things look inevitably hopeless it’s God’s perfect stage to reveal his unfathomable power?
What came next? Yassssssss, the parting of the Red Sea. The miraculous splitting of the sea where it stood on it’s ends, making a perfect dry path for the Israelites to walk right through, unharmed. And this only happened because first, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and made him chase after them.
First the hard stuff, then God’s impossible stuff.
Are you going to have to walk through the hard stuff, with some people, and some odds, stacked against you? Yes.
Some of that is because people be confused and do stupid stuff sometimes. But let me assure you, that’s not always the case. Sometimes you’re faced with people and odds stacked against you because God said it would be this way. Why? So you would be pushed to the better plans he has for you. So you wouldn’t turn back when the going got tough. So you would have no other option but to face the impossible and see God working on your behalf. And then … well, then you know!
You know God works in mysterious ways to bring you to miraculous places.
Yesterday we learned that God can cause our eyes to not see what’s right in front of us, and cause our minds to not comprehend what we’re reading or hearing. And at just the right time, God opens our eyes and our minds to reveal himself to us. In the same way, God works through hardened hearts, closed doors, rejection, hardship, and persecution!
This isn’t to defeat you. This isn’t to destroy you. This is to get you to step into your destiny and never turn back to what is familiar.
Romans 9:18 “Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”
You are loved beyond your wildest imagination by the God who created you, then sent his son to rescue you. And let me tell you, he has no problem with hardening the path, hardening the journey, and hardening a few people along the way, to ensure you walk in the mercy he has planned for you.
Don’t you understand, you can’t go back there because there’s something so much greater waiting for you, and it’s not back there. God, in all of his infinite wisdom, knew his girl would go back if she could, so he had to shut that down.
This is why it didn’t work.
This is why they said no.
This is why you weren’t chosen.
This is why it fell apart.
This is why it got so darn hard.
You’re being pushed toward a greater destiny ahead. And maybe you can look around at your life right now and see it. You see proof of God’s mercy and glory in your life. You see the greater things he had waiting for you as your reality now.
Or maybe you’re still standing on the edge of the sea, watching the attack close in, feeling overwhelmed, feeling discouraged, asking why would God do this to you. Well Sis, what you don’t know, is God is about to part that sea and make a way for you. And when he does, you will know you were always destined for greater things and going back to what he rescued you from will never be in your future.
Look around. There’s a deeper meaning. God is guiding you to what he has promised you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What if today, on this very day of life, Jesus is in your midst, working in the details of your life? What if he is going before you? What if he is with you? And what if you just don’t recognize him?
You think you would recognize Jesus … but would you?
Yesterday morning I sat down and read the Easter story in Luke 24. I read how early on the third morning, the women went to the tomb of Jesus and they found the stone had been rolled away. I read how Jesus appeared to the disciples again and then rose to Heaven. But this time, while reading it, I saw something I had just skimmed right over in the past. Something that caused me to wonder if maybe I too haven’t been recognizing Jesus.
Scripture says two disciples were walking down the road, talking about the events of the past 3 days, now wondering where had Jesus’ body gone. Luke 24: 15-16 “As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.”
These were men who had spent the past 3 years living with Jesus. They had likely walked this same exact road with him before. Just 3 days earlier, Jesus had washed their feet. Now, here he is walking with them, and they do not recognize him. How is that possible?
Well Sis, you likely do not realize just how dependent every function of your body is upon the command of God. If God says you will live, then nothing can stop you from living. You will live through impossible circumstances. Some of you listening at this moment know that is true because God himself is responsible for you being alive today, and you know it.
Without God, your eyes don’t see, your ears don’t hear, and your mind doesn’t process thoughts. These two disciples were KEPT FROM RECOGNIZING HIM. Yes, God in all of his providence blocked their ability to know the very one they were talking about was with them at that exact moment. The one questioning them about what they had heard and seen, and what they believed, that WAS JESUS!
Wait … does God keep you from recognizing him and his work sometimes? Absolutely! There’s a mystery in his work that leaves us in awe. Sometimes, for reasons we cannot understand, God intentionally keeps us from recognizing him. But just because we don’t see him, doesn’t mean he’s not right here with us!
The disciples walked with Jesus, not yet knowing it was Jesus, telling him all about the crucifixion and the empty tomb. Then, they invited him in to stay with them. Now, this is where it gets really good. Luke 24: 30-31 “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”
Yes, they recognized this man was Jesus. Their eyes were opened to the truth that had been right in front of them! Scripture gives no account of some magical transformation, it was simply a matter of God allowing their eyes to see.
Have you ever asked God to simply help your eyes see what is already all around you? Have you ever asked him to allow you to recognize his presence that is already here? Would he do that? Would he enable your eyes to be opened as they’ve never been opened before? Would he empower you to recognize him?
I know he can! It’s right here in scripture. And that means it’s possible for us too.
Why not ask him for it? Why not ask him to open your eyes to what you have been missing? Remember, every function of your body is completely reliant upon the command of God. Your eyes may be seeing, but they may not be seeing all there is to see.
Lord, open our eyes to recognize you!
This is discernment. There are things happening all around us, movements of God, his divinity in the details, and we’re walking around clueless. We desperately need discernment. We need the opening of our eyes which only God can do, to help us really SEE what it is we’re seeing.
Now, after their eyes were opened and they were able to recognize it was Jesus with them, these two disciples went to the other disciples and told them all about their experience.
Luke 24: 36-45 “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see.’ They still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. THEN HE OPENED THEIR MINDS SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES!!!!!”
Suddenly, they were able to make sense of the events that had just unfolded. They understood the words they had read all along about “The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations” … ohhhhh, that’s what all of this was! They had read it before, but now they were able to understand it. And understanding it would change the trajectory of their entire lives and set them on a path to their purpose.
Girls, are we reading things, yet our minds do not understand? Are we studying the right scriptures, but our minds are not comprehending how it applies in our lives? Have you ever asked God to open your mind so you can understand? What if the words you have been reading are clues to your purpose, you just haven’t been receiving them fully?
When we read God’s word, we’re reading deep mysteries. We’re reading an account of impossible things and divine details our human minds cannot possibly make sense of. But what if God opened our minds so we can understand? What if there have been things you didn’t understand before because you weren’t ready to understand, but now God is ready to open your mind?!!!!
God opens eyes and he opens minds, to see the things we have been missing and understand the things that previously made no sense. Our role in this is to simply be at the table!
Both the opening of the disciples eyes to see it was Jesus with them, as well as the opening of their minds so they could understand scriptures, happened while they were at the table communing with Jesus. They made time. They stopped everything else they were doing, and they sat down.
What if in the rush of your busy life, and the noise of all that bombards you on the daily, you’re missing that God is right here with you? What if you’ve been running around thoroughly confused, when all this time God is trying to open your mind? Girl, sit down at the table.
You know you’ve been standing up eating. You know you’ve been eating your meals in the car. And you know I’m not really talking about eating, right?
I’m talking about your rush. I’m talking about your distraction. God is all around you and maybe you’re missing it! He’s written love letters just for you with details about what you’re going through right now and where he’s leading you next, but you’re not getting the message.
Get yourself to the table. Sit down and be still. Ask him to open your eyes so you recognize him in the details of your life. You may be amazed by what you start seeing! Seriously, hold on to your butt, Sis, because he’s here and he’s working and once you see it, you can never un-see it! Ask him to open your mind to the meaning of his words. Ask him to show you how they apply to where you are and what you’re going through.
You want to know why sometimes these devotional just hit you in the gut and seem like they’re written just for you? Well that’s simply because I started asking God to open my eyes and my mind to what he has for me to share with you. And without fail, he does.
Girls, he does. He does impossible things on your behalf when you seek him. And my guess is, he’s already doing impossible things on your behalf, maybe you just haven’t really been seeing or understanding them.
Everything changes when you sit at the table with Jesus. And the good news is, he’s sitting at the table waiting for you now! Always.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Sometimes you’re afraid. Afraid you’re not good enough. Afraid you’ve screwed this thing up beyond repair. Afraid you’re in over your head and can’t make it work. Afraid you don’t have what it takes and this is as far as you will ever go. Afraid if your truth is told, bad things will happen. Afraid you will always be stuck here. Afraid this is the end.
What are you afraid of right now? What worried you as you went to sleep last night? What weighed heavy on you from the moment you woke up this morning? Oh, we’re all carrying around a weight like that. We’re all facing scary and unknown situations which make us question what will happen next.
Name your fear. Go ahead and put it on the table and let’s talk about it.
Sometimes our fears are completely valid. Other times they are imaginary threats we’ve created in our own minds. Real or imagined, valid or never even going to happen, the truth is these fears impact us in the same exact way. They steal our peace. They rob us of our joy. And they render us incapable of taking the next step, when in truth, we are fully equipped for it.
God doesn’t want you to continue with this fear.
Did you hear that? This fear, the one you just identified, God wants to lift that from you now. And for my sister who just couldn’t bring herself to name the fear you’ve been carrying around, the one that wasn’t laid on the table, God especially wants to lift that from you. You are his prized girl, and He says that fear has no place in your life.
Tucked away in God’s word is a sweet and powerful promise to you from your Creator. A promise you were destined to be reminded of on this very day of your life. A promise over that exact fear you’re dealing with now.
Isaiah 43: 1-4 MSG:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You are mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end –
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you …
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.”
And let me assure you sister, these words from God are FOR YOU. Don’t dismiss yourself from this promise. This covers you. When God spoke these words, you were on his mind. If you were the only person in the whole world, he would have done it just for you. Why? Because as verse 3 says, I am your PERSONAL GOD.
He’s not some white bearded wizard that sits on a throne with a big stick looking down at you. Is that the image you have of the Almighty? Angry, ready to strike, impossible to please, judgmental and temperamental? Dang it, where did that come from? That’s not who he is! God is love. He is the ultimate love in that he gave his own son for you. And y’all that’s a whole other level of love. I love you, in fact I love you wildly, but you’re not getting one of my kids! Nope, not happening! But that’s the kind of love God has, unstoppable, relentless love. And He’s YOUR GOD and you are HIS GIRL. This is personal. And he is personally invested in lifting your fears.
God makes it very clear, life is not a matter of if you ever get in over you’re head, it’s WHEN you do. You will be in waters so deep you can’t touch. You will be faced with impossible odds, but what are impossible odds when God is on your side?
Two scriptures to remember in your deep water:
Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
Matthew 19:26 ““With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
God is WITH you and God is FOR you, so my sister, this is NOT IMPOSSIBLE. This thing you fear may be big and scary and overwhelming, and it may be wayyyyyyyyyyy over your head, but remember this, Jesus walks on this deep water you’re flailing in, and he walks straight to you!
God also makes it very clear this won’t always be smooth sailing for you. That water is going to get rough and you’re going to get tossed around. Not because you’re being punished, not because there’s something inherently not good enough in you, not because you’re broke or damaged, honey just because you’re alive! Rough waters are part of this world.
But, have you ever flown over the ocean? Have you ever noticed the higher you get, the calmer things look? You know that’s the perspective of God, right? You know he sees how all of those rough waters are actually held perfectly within their boundaries and nothing is out of his control. He decided where the water would end, and that’s exactly where it ends. And Sis, he decides where your rough waters end. He decides the boundaries of what this can and cannot touch, and he hasn’t lost control. His promise to you is even though these waters will get rough, you will not go down!
Did you hear that, you’re not going down in this!
When you’re in that dreaded place we call “between a rock and a hard place”, and again, it’s not a matter of if you will ever be there, it’s WHEN you are; you must remember, this is not a dead end. This isn’t over. This isn’t as far as you will go and now you’re tapped out. This isn’t your max. This isn’t your peak. This is your rock to the left and your hard place to the right, and it’s going to suck going through it, but there is a way through it.
God promised this isn’t a dead end. He has made a way, but you have to decide to follow him in the way and not settle here and stay stuck. It may be a one lane, rough butt dirt road through uncharted territory with no road signs and a dude playing a banjo in the ditch, but dang it sis, there’s a way through this! Decide now you’re continuing the journey and not giving up here!
When God says he would trade all of creation for you, he means it! He’s not just trying to blow wind up your skirt or smoke up your arse (Can I say that in a devotional? Welp, I just did, so there’s that.) God doesn’t just say things to say things. He had no need to throw in filler lines in his Holy word. He said it, he meant it. It is written, it is truth. And God’s truth sets the whole world in motion. The whole world revolves on His truth, and His truth is, he would trade it all for YOU!
You are that loved, that valued, that treasured. Girl, you are THAT chosen. THAT redeemed. THAT empowered.
I love to put my name in a scripture and receive it as the personal promise from my personal God, as it was intended to be. So we’ve done this before, it’s time to do it again. When I say “your name”, go ahead and plop your name right in there.
Isaiah 43: 1-4, God’s personal promise to you, his prized girl for precisely this day of your life:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. (Insert your name), you are mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end –
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you …
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.”
So go ahead and let God get you back now. You don’t have to be afraid. Your fears don’t have to carry you away any longer. God carries you now. He did all of this to get you back, back from the fears that cause you to hide, back from the fears that cause you to freeze up, back from the fears that cause you to settle. And now that you’re back, let him show you the way through this.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Where were you on this day 2 years ago? Think back. Do you remember. You, like the overwhelming majority of us, were likely at home. The kids were home. Spring break plans were cancelled, and you weren’t going anywhere.
2 years ago was the beginning of the lock-down, shut-in, quarantine at home. Everything changed in an instant. Suddenly, for the first time ever, we were counting the squares of toilet paper and rationing. We were learning how to Zoom, how to be the teacher, and how to fill hours of days that passed ever so slowly inside. At the time, I lived in a downtown loft where on Friday nights we would open our doors to hear the live concert happening in our hall. We paid the musicians in rolls of Charmin. Heck, I was taking an online class on Happiness through Yale. (I can officially add that I went to college at Yale, because I did! And I was a Yale drop-out, so there’s that.)
Where were you? What were you doing? How were your days different? March 2020, when the whole world shut down and families stayed home.
Do you remember missing the simple things? The simple things like being able to go see Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa. The simple things like sitting down at your favorite restaurant. The simple things like seeing smiles and giving hugs, going to Church, dropping the kids off at school, having a reason to put on a bra.
And I remember, 2 years ago right now saying WE WOULD NEVER TAKE THESE SIMPLE THINGS FOR GRANTED AGAIN.
Oh but Sis, have we?
Have we allowed life to go back to the way it used to be without an awareness of how sweet it is to get to do all the things we get to do? Have we slipped back into old habits and routines without recognizing how good it is to do these simple things again? Have we neglected to do the things with intention we swore we would do once we could?
When’s the last time you counted the squares on your toilet paper roll? You’re not rationing anymore are you? Well, are you remembering to be grateful for that abundance now? Are you saying the same prayer of thanksgiving now when you see a stocked shelf at the store with what you need, or was that gratitude only during a crisis?
Girl, can you stay grounded void of a crisis, or does it require a global pandemic to keep you grateful for the simple things? Can you live intentionally with your priorities given first place here, or was that only during shut down?
Have you gone back to that old you with that old way of living, pre-2020? Are you no longer noticing the beauty of the smile now that it’s not covered with a mask? Are you no longer making time to go see Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa because you can always do that now? Are you driving those kids to school and dropping them off in a mad, angry rush, forgetting that this is exactly what you prayed for? Here we are living in our freedom and life that has returned to more of a normal than we thought possible, but have we forgotten?
The Israelites spent more than a few months in lockdown. They had greater concerns than homeschooling and toilet paper rationing. They were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They had no freedoms. No luxuries. No comforts. They begged God to set them free, and guess what … he did!
God worked through plagues and crisis, hardship and turmoil, split seas and washed away enemies to bring them to freedom. They walked right out of the gates they had been held behind their entire lives. And in their freedom, something happened … they did what we all eventually do, they took it for granted. They began to whine about the luxuries they had in freedom that they could only dream of while in slavery.
Oh my gosh, isn’t this us? Here we are living in freedom again, free to do the things we were begging to do 2 years ago, and we’re now whining about HAVING to do it. We’re now walking in a reality we day dreamed about in quarantine, but are we even aware of it?
Deuteronomy 6:12 “Be careful not to forget the LORD who rescued you.”
This was a warning given to the Israelites who were living in freedom after 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Never forget your rescue. Never forget what God drug you out of. Never forget how the Lord brought you through. Never forget the simple things you would have given anything for, and now here you have them. Do not forget this!
The Israelites forgot. They got in the middle of their 10 day journey from where they had been to where they were going, and they forgot. They forgot who God was and the power he had shown them. They forgot if God was for them, who could possibly be against them. And because they forgot, they were overwhelmed by the threat of an enemy they felt they couldn’t defeat and they stopped moving forward.
My sisters, when we forget what God has already brought us out of, we fail to recognize his power to bring us through whatever is next, and we simply stop moving forward. When we stop moving forward, we forfeit the opportunity to step into God’s good plans for us just ahead.
Ridiculous goodness awaited the Israelites in a land God had promised them. It was the land they dreamed of for 400 years while slaves. But now, on the journey there, they forgot the power of the God who had rescued them, and they settled in the wilderness on the way.
Oh, we talked about that wilderness walk yesterday. Sometimes God leads us through the wilderness to bring us to our destiny, but my sister he doesn’t leave us there. His purpose for a wilderness is to walk us through it, not set up camp in it and make it our home. God didn’t rescue them to just leave them in the wilderness, but that’s what it felt like to them. And they let their feelings create fear that prevented them from stepping into their destiny.
Ba-Bam!!!!!! Have your feelings created a fear that is preventing you from stepping into your destiny? Just let that resonate for a hot minute.
So, they remained in their wilderness for 40 years. An entire generation died in the place that was just supposed to be the temporary pass through. Why? Because they had forgotten the Lord who rescued them. They had forgotten his power was greater than any obstacle they could face. They had forgotten if he had already done the impossible to save them, he would surely do the impossible to get them where they were going!
What have you forfeited on the journey my sister? What feelings have sidelined you? What fear has taken over and made you forget about the sheer power of God working for you?
God says “be careful not to forget your rescue.” Be careful. Full of care. This requires your thought, your awareness, your attention and your intention. Carefully remember how God has rescued you. Intentionally take yourself back to see how he provided. Be fully aware of the growth you experienced on that journey and use it for good now.
Pause today. Here you are 2 years after being shut-in, locked down, and quarantined at home. Have you forgotten the promises you made then? Have you returned to normal and failed to uphold the lessons you learned there? Have you hurried back into normal and taken these precious things for granted again?
Do not forget what God rescued you from. Don’t forget how good it is to sit down in a restaurant. Don’t forget what a gift it is to be able to smile at people, and see their smile returned. Don’t fail to go see Mom or Dad or Grandma and Grandpa just because there’s always time and opportunity to do it now. No. No there isn’t. These are still priceless moments you’re dealing with, it’s just a little more obscure now.
Don’t forget. Remember. Remember and be better. Remember and be grateful. Remember and give God praise. God brought us through that, and here we are now. Won’t he bring us through every single thing we’re worried about here? Won’t he make a way just as he has always made a way? Won’t he do it again?
Be careful not to forget the Lord who rescued you.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, God is right there with you my sister. He is here with you in this. He is by your side, comforting you, guiding you, providing for you, and making a way through this. You are never alone. You are never without help. You are never, not even for one moment, without the power of the Almighty in your life.
Can you see him here? Can you feel his presence? Do you notice his fingerprints on the details as they unfold?
Oh it’s good when you do, but sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you don’t hear him. Sometimes you don’t see him. Sometimes you don’t feel him. So, where the heck did he go? Where’s God now?
The truth is, sometimes it feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of chaos like you’re Catness in the Hunger Games and you have to fight for your life with no lifeline in the fight. And maybe you’re just really tired of fighting.
Sometimes it’s just dark. Dark like the new Batman movie. Y’all the sun never shines in Gotham. It’s always dark and rainy, have you noticed that? No wonder those people are cranky and fighting, they are seriously Vitamin D deficient. But maybe that’s the way your life feels. Like the sun is never going to shine again. Like this darkness is always looming over you and it isn’t going away anytime soon.
What do you do when you can’t see God in your circumstances? Where do you turn when you can’t feel his presence in the middle of your problem? Honey, you turn to his promises.
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
These are the words of God spoken through Moses to the Israelites and their future new leader, Joshua. Their reality presented them with insurmountable challenges, and God wanted them to know unequivocally that they could trust Him to lead them to victory.
Later, after Moses death, we read the same words in Joshua 1:9, spoken to the Israelite’s new leader Joshua. This time God says it directly to Joshua as a reminder of what he had already been told, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Now was his time to lead and God was reminding him, Joshua regardless of the challenges, I could be trusted to lead you to victory.
And now, these are the words of God spoken to YOU, in your present reality with all these challenges. Yes, God wants YOU to know unequivocally that you can trust him to lead you to victory. It’s time to insert your name into this scripture and receive your personal promise from God. Write it down with your name. The Lord himself goes before you ______, and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you _______. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
What does it mean to not be afraid and not be discouraged? It means stop worrying. Stop overthinking. Stop allowing yourself to be overwhelmed. Trust in God to lead you through. Receive his promise and claim it as your own over your circumstances.
You may not know the way, but Sis, you don’t have to know the way. You may not see how it’s all going to work out, but you don’t have to see it first. You may not understand it all, but your understanding was never a prerequisite for God’s power to be unleashed. Only your faith.
Will you let your faith in an unseen God and an unknown way lead you today? Will you allow your faith to rise up above these circumstances and declare you will no longer be afraid, and you will no longer stay down in this discouragement? Will you dare to courageously believe The Lord himself has already gone through this before you and he has made a way for you one step at a time, and your worry, your overthinking, and your overwhelm is only getting in the way. Don’t drag that along with you. Only faith and obedience is needed for this journey.
The Lord was with the Israelites as they finally stepped out of their wilderness and into their Promised Land. He had guided them to where the provisions were abundant and living would be easier. He had brought them to where they could rest and dwell in peace instead of constant struggle.
Understand, this is where God was always leading them. God was always leading them to abundance. He was always leading them to peace. He was always leading them to victory. And in the 40 years it took in the wilderness to get there, he was always with them. He was providing for them daily with mana, miraculous food from Heaven that appeared on the ground every day. And isn’t he doing the same for you too, my sister? As you walk through some of the wilderness areas of your life which you would rather avoid, isn’t he miraculously providing for you? Isn’t he giving you strength for this day? Isn’t he, even at this very moment, giving you exactly the words you needed for today?
You won’t be in this wilderness forever, God is leading you on to your victory. You can trust him in this.
No, you won’t always feel all warm and fuzzy from his presence, but nonetheless, he is here with you.
No, you won’t always recognize his miraculous provisions as such, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that what you have been given is directly from the hand of God.
You won’t always feel certain of your next step, and the path won’t always be clear, but remember God’s spirit dwells within you and it guides you from within. You can’t see that, but your thoughts can be guided by it. Your eyes can be led by it. Your perspective can be changed by it. Your choices can be influenced by it.
You’re not doing this alone, and you never were. Ever.
If you’re dwelling in your Promised Land today, on the other side of the wilderness you came from, don’t take this for granted. Seriously, what do you have today that you once prayed for? Praise God for that today! Here you are dwelling in abundance, surrounded by peace, never forget who brought you here. God has always been with you, he has never forsaken you, and you’re living in proof of his good plans for you!
But maybe you haven’t reached your Promised Land quite yet. Maybe you’re still walking in the wilderness where life is freaking hard and every day is a struggle. This is where you get to see the hand of God in your daily provision. This is where your eyes get to see what your soul already knows, and that is the fact that God is in EVERYTHING. He is in every detail. His fingerprints are on every moment of your life, and this is where he is working all things together for good because you love him and because your life is destined with a purpose.
This wilderness walking is tough, but it’s what God is bringing you through to take you to your victory. It’s the way to where you’re going. It’s where you know every step you take, you don’t take alone, you are being guided, and sometimes you are being carried.
Walk when you can Sis, let him carry you when you can’t. You’re going to get through this. Although your reality presents you with insurmountable challenges, your God wanted you to know unequivocally today, that you could trust Him to lead you to victory.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You have forgotten your power, my sweet sister. You have allowed past failures and current struggles to dim your light, now you’re not shining in the full strength you could be. Today’s message from the Almighty is the perfect and simple wrap up of a big week of God speaking directly to each of us.
On Monday we learned to not get our panties in a wad. Today is a gift, a gift that is under attack, and a gift that must be protected. Satan is continually trying to screw up our day, and he has been training us how to even screw it up on our own. Be a drop out in the school of screw up, get those panties out of a wad, and make sure as you get this day, this day gets YOU. The best of you.
On Tuesday we learned to number our days. Life is brief and it’s passing ever so quickly. Most of us are not content with life passing as it has been, so we recognize our God-given alarm within that wakes us up and says ‘this doesn’t feel good’. If the way we’re living doesn’t feel good inside, then we have to change how we’re living. We start by honoring each day as the stand alone, individual day of potential it is. We don’t wait for a crisis to make time stand still, we stop in the beauty of the ordinary and we choose to stand still and capture the moment in this numbered day.
On Wednesday we learned to stop stressing over all we cannot understand and make peace with the things we question. We’re not dismissed from the good plans God has for us just because we have doubts along the way. God wants to use those of us who still wonder how it’s all possible, those who still pray but sometimes question if God is going to answer. Understand we’re in spiritual PROGRESS here! Perfection comes on the other side of this life. While we’re here we won’t be reaching it, and that’s really okay. It’s okay to question. It’s okay to not know. It’s okay to believe and still have unbelief. Jesus will help you with that unbelief, now keep moving toward the life he has for you here.
On Thursday we learned to forgive ourselves and put the self-sabotage to a stop. The unforgiveness towards ourselves for anything in our past is really a dangerous disobedience. When Jesus taught that we must forgive everyone to receive the full power of his forgiveness, everyone includes OURSELVES. When we hold things from our past against our own selves, we block the full redemptive power of Jesus. We fail to walk in the grace given to us, and this not only hurts us, it hurts others. God declared you worthy of redemption, go ahead and walk fully in it Sis.
And that brings us to today … how do we wrap up a week like this? How do we step into this precious and priceless numbered day of life, with our new found self-forgiveness, unwadded panties, and permission to just be a work in progress? What does God want to tell us next?
This was the sentence He gave me for you right here, right now:
YOU ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH IN THIS WORLD BECAUSE THE GOD WHO MADE IT LIVES IN YOU.
All this time, God has been pouring his truths and his promises into you, carefully ensuring those old wounds are healed, and the past is left in the past.
He’s been teaching you the value of each day of your life, because he’s been bringing you to this day, the day every other day has brought you to. Your whole life has been building up to this.
He’s been showing you your role in this partnership between Him and you. Ahhhh yes, you’re not a puppet on a string, just here playing out days that have already been pre-determined in a life you have no say over. No, you’re here as an active participant, creating with the Almighty! He has given you choices, and the choices are yours to make. He has set paths before you, and with his guidance, you get to walk down the right path. And when you screw that up, he always offers the opportunity to come back to the right path at any moment.
Now, sweet sister, you must know about the power he has put within you. You must know about the life force which you carry within you into this day. You must know you are a vessel for the Almighty and you are here for a purpose to do powerful work God has chosen to do through only you.
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”
Yes, God, the one who created all of Heaven and Earth with the power of his words. The one who measures the expanse of the universe in the palm of his hand. The one who ensured the sun came up right on schedule today and keeps your whole world spinning in absolute perfection. That God … HE LIVES IN YOU!
And that is why you are a force to be reckoned with in this world. You’re walking around with that power inside of you. That’s why you can do freaking hard things. You’re equipped by the Almighty, LITERALLY. It’s the Almighty dwelling inside of you. He didn’t just give you what you need, HE IS WHAT YOU NEED and he has declared YOU as the temple where he lives.
So Sister, get yourself on up today. I know you’re tired and maybe this has been a hard week. I know you’re feeling like you’re not good enough to do this and defeat feels immanent. But girl, your feelings can’t be trusted here. Your feelings are fickle and sometimes they lie. The truth is, the God who made this whole world lives within you, and whatever you’re facing today is no match for that power you carry.
Just remember, you carry it, so that means you’re responsible for getting up with it. You’re responsible for showing up with it. You’re responsible for unleashing it in your life. You’ve got the power!
Oh, there’s a song for that. Take yourself back to 2003, C&C Music Factory sang:
I’ve got the power
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah
Gettin’ kinda heavy
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda hectic
Yessssss girl, when life feels like it’s getting kinda heavy, when everything is getting kinda hectic, you remember … you’ve got the power! You’re a force to be reckoned with in this world because the God who made it lives in you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Jesus forgave you, why haven’t you forgiven yourself? Jesus deemed you as worthy, why have you demoted yourself to unworthy? Woman, what are you hanging over your own head or dragging around as a dead weight behind you? Why is that thing in your past being brought into your today? It’s time to let it go. (Come on Elsa, help me out with this one, “let it go, let it go ….”)
Why are you still punishing yourself for that thing in your past? You may think it’s humble to play little under this offense of yours, you may even think it is necessary to honor the severity of your offense, but let me be real clear what it really is, it is dangerous disobedience. Yes, dangerous disobedience. This unforgiveness and continued punishment against yourself is a disobedience to God’s word, and it is dangerous in your life.
Jesus said in Mark 11:25 “And when you are praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Well have you ever thought about all you hold against YOU? What is this unforgiveness of yourself doing in your life? Is it blocking God’s forgiveness from getting to you? Absolutely not. But let me assure you, your unwillingness to forgive yourself is blocking the full redeeming power of God’s forgiveness.
God’s forgiveness can do miraculous work in an ordinary person’s life, but if that person can’t forgive themselves, then they continue to live in the condemnation Jesus already died to clear. Girl, you have absolutely NO RIGHT to be dragging this around with you still. You have no right to look at yourself in the mirror and only see that past sin and continue to punish yourself for it. Jesus is saying to you “my daughter, I have forgiven you, you MUST forgive yourself.”
I know of a woman who made a mistake in her past. I know, I know, you’re pulling back thinking “wait, she’s talking about me now.” Yes, isn’t that because we’re all women who made mistakes in their past? You’re not alone in this sister. It’s ridiculous to think you are. But this woman knows and love Jesus. She has received the forgiveness of Jesus over and over again, and she doesn’t doubt that. However, after all these years, she just can’t forgive herself. So she punishes herself. It’s self-sabotage at it’s finest.
And sadly, she’s made peace with her self-sabotage. She’s reasoned it out in her head and told herself she’s not deserving of better, she’s not trustworty to handle better, so she continues the punishment for a sin that was forgiven the moment she asked for it. The result is, a life short of the goodness God has planned for her. And it’s eating her up. She doesn’t love who she is, or how she’s living.
She’s doing this to herself. It’s her long-term punishment for a sin she’s unwilling to fully forgive herself of. It’s maybe why she overeats. It’s maybe why she makes promises to herself and breaks them. It’s maybe why she willfully chooses again and again to let herself down, and dig this ditch deeper where she has been stuck for so many years. She cheats on herself because she feels like that’s what she deserves for what she did in the past. And if she keeps herself in this ditch, she won’t hurt others again. She created this mess, so she feels it’s her mess to dwell in. But where does that stop?
Let me tell you, it stopped with JESUS!
This woman I know, a woman a whole lot like you and I, SHE IS HOLDING HER PAST SIN AGAINST HERSELF. And when she won’t forgive, she blocks the full power of Jesus’ forgiveness and redemption. He wants to strengthen her to NEVER ever make that past mistake again. To never feel those feelings again. To never return to that darkness. To never walk that path again. That’s His plan. He wants to use her pain for a purpose. He wants to redeem that mistake and make it a message. But she isn’t walking fully in that redemption because she’s still holding it against herself.
Dangerous disobedience. You think the enemy doesn’t play in that ditch you’ve dug for yourself? You think he doesn’t delight in you settling here in this life of self-punishment you’ve created for yourself? Every time you pick at yourself and dig up your past for punishment, the devil adds a point on his scoreboard. He might not win your soul, but he will win your imprisonment. He will celebrate as you continue to be held back in something you did, but Jesus already fully paid the price for.
Am I telling your story?
Are you a woman who has freedom before her, but a past behind her, and you can’t step into the fullness of the future because you’re still playing with regret of the past? You’re still holding that crap against yourself?!!!! You may think it’s reasonable, you may think it’s justified, and you may think it makes perfect sense, but let me tell you something, it is absolutely RIDICULOUS.
It’s ridiculous for a saved, rescued, redeemed girl like you to think she’s justified in holding anything against herself. You don’t have that right any longer. Stop it. Stop blocking the full intent of Jesus’ sacrifice. Stop getting in the way of God’s power over this situation.
What are you holding against yourself?
What burden are you carrying with weighted heaviness, causing you to live a life of self-punishment?
Could this be the very thing holding you back? Could this be what has kept you from living up to your true potential? Could this be why you haven’t stepped into the BIG Life you were created for? Why you still feel that way? Why you still struggle? Why you still hurt? Because you haven’t forgiven yourself for that failure.
And so, you punish yourself.
As a result, your life suffers.
Now maybe you’re okay with your life suffering because you feel like your life should suffer, but are you okay with the suffering you’re causing others?
Understand, as a Mom, you’ve been teaching your children to do exactly as you do.
As a wife, you live guarded with your husband and hold a bit of bitterness within which he is not responsible for. You have a hole he can’t fill, so he carries a feeling of inadequacy.
Are you okay with this? Are you okay with your self-created punishment flowing over onto those closest to you? Maybe you feel like you deserve the punishment, but do they?
Forgive yourself of every failure. Your future depends on it. Your family desperately needs it.
You can’t carry around the bitterness of unforgiveness against anyone, especially yourself. Jesus warned you against this. He warned you of the damage this would do. He warned you of the danger.
That self-sabotage, girl it’s GOT TO GO. That self-hatred, you have no right to be hating on God’s finest creation. Jesus declared you as worthy of full forgiveness. He deemed you as worthy of nothing short of the good plans God has always had for you. You haven’t been dismissed from that goodness, so stop dismissing yourself.
That’s enough! Forgive YOU. Stop using this against yourself to stop short of the potential God has placed within you. You have no idea the power of God’s forgiveness until you get out of the way of his redemption!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you have God all figured out? Do you understand the way he works? Do you know exactly how he is going to answer your prayers? Do you even know for sure that he will? Are you shelfing the life you could be living and the purpose you could be walking in, waiting until you understand all of this? Do you feel like you’re disqualified because you don’t know everything yet?
Bob Goff puts it this way “We’re following a God we can’t see, for a lifetime we can’t measure, to a heaven we can’t comprehend, because of grace we didn’t even earn.”
Doesn’t that just sum up your life? Can’t see it, can’t measure it, can’t comprehend it, and didn’t earn it. And yet, this is exactly God’s design for you. He never wanted you to understand all of this. He never expected you to know everything. And he never thought for one minute you could earn it, that’s why he paid the price in advance for you.
I don’t know about you, but I thought after seeking God since I was 15, I would probably be like professional level Christian. I would have answers. I would know things. And I would be more certain. But y’all, I still question. I still wonder. I still read things in God’s word and feel conflicted by what I read the day before. When I pray, I still have a little part of me that speaks logic and says “for real girl, you think the creator of the Universe is actually listening to you right now?”
So, God prompted me to speak today to the one who is seeking, but not sure she is really finding. To the one who believes, but still really internally struggles with some unbelief. To the one who questions if her unbelief disappoints God and dismisses her from his promises. To the one who has been praying, but really isn’t sure God has any intention on answering.
Is that you? Is it okay if I tell you, that’s me. That’s me on most days. Some of the things I believe, I still question. Some of the things I’m counting on, totally don’t add up. Sometimes I feel 100% guided, and other times I feel like I’m trying to fly this thing alone. I don’t have it all together, and the truth is, I have no clue how to get it all together, now I’m wondering if God even wants me to get it all together, or does his Glory shine best in my scatteredness?
Yesterday I watched a video of one of my prized BIG Life girls share her testimony. It was her first time putting her story into words. A story of a life absolutely ruined by alcohol, and she knew she was to blame. Over and over again, she wrecked her own home and family, looking for something to fill her at the bottom of a bottle. This woman is now healed, restored, redeemed, and on her way to unleashing the good God always planned to do with all the enemy’s attack of evil in her life. I’m telling you there will be a book of the story of Catherine Cody one day. She will stand on stages and speak to crowds, and she will be used as the key to unlock the prison of many.
Catherine shared she did not know anything about this greater power than her, but she decided to fully turn her life over to his care. She didn’t know who God was, she didn’t know of the love of Jesus, she didn’t know how his redemption could possibly work over her sins and transgressions, but she just decided to lean in and trust it. She couldn’t name it, but she knew she could feel something. There, in a rehabilitation center, with a copy of Alcoholics Anonymous in her hands, she committed to spiritual progress over spiritual perfection.
Y’all THAT is it. We need to commit to spiritual progress and not get caught up in spiritual perfection.
You’re not dismissed from a personal relationship with Jesus just because you don’t understand how he works.
You’re not disqualified as a vessel carrying the powerful Spirit of God just because you cannot comprehend how that power really dwells within you.
God’s good plans for your life are not cancelled just because you don’t see those good plans in your current circumstances.
We’re in SPIRITUAL PROGRESS, not SPIRITUAL PERFECTION. The perfection part comes on the other side of this life. Perfection comes when we stand before the throne of the Almighty and we gain his perspective on this entire human experience. Until then, we are works in progress, and so is our understanding of all of this.
Don’t get hung up in all you don’t know and can’t understand. That’s all okay. Continue on with your doubt and uncertainties.
In Mark chapter 9, a father brings his sick little boy to Jesus and asks for his healing. Jesus replies, “everything is possible for those who believe.” And the father with all his doubts and questioning honestly says ““I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” And guess what, right there in the father’s unbeliefs, the boy is healed by Jesus!
2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
To grow in it means you’re not all the way there yet, and you’re not supposed to be. Your entire life’s journey is just growing in this grace and knowledge of God.
Go ahead and take everything you don’t understand, everything you’ve been questioning, everything that just doesn’t make sense to you, and lay it on the table. Go ahead, put it out there. You don’t have to drag that around with you. You don’t have to be burdened by this. Lay it on the table and say “Lord, I don’t understand, but I want to grow in understanding.”
Ahhhhh, don’t you feel a hundred pounds lighter just knowing little steps of progress, lined with doubts and uncertaintinties and wondering, are perfectly acceptable to God?!!!!
2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Are you always going to get it right? Nope. But this scripture simply says “do your best”. Do your best to handle this correctly. And when you screw up, which you will, keep coming back and trying again. Return to God’s word again to receive grace and gather his provisions for each new day.
Another one of my prized BIG Life girls is battling cancer. And when I say battling, I mean like she’s already outlived the predictions. This woman’s faith is beautifully on display and if healing is granted based solely on faith it will be received, I don’t understand why she wasn’t healed a really long time ago. But that’s just it, we don’t understand. We don’t understand why this week’s MRI revealed growth on the tumors again. We don’t understand why God hasn’t swooped in with all of his undeniable power and just miraculously healed her. We don’t understand why his answers seem to be delayed. We don’t understand why this struggle continues and why she has to suffer in the process.
Is it okay to have no answers here? Is it okay to pray, but not know how or when God is going to answer those prayers? Is it okay to be frustrated in the wait and question the way? YESSSSSSS!
You know why? Because we are not in spiritual perfection. This hasn’t all been revealed to us yet. God doesn’t expect perfection of us this side of Heaven. We’re just here to make spiritual progress. And sometimes progress looks like not understanding a darn thing, questioning every ounce of it, yet choosing to still believe when it doesn’t make sense to believe. I do believe, help me with my unbelief.
That’s where I am on my journey. I still have a whole lot of questions. There’s a whole lot more I don’t understand than I do understand. But I still choose to believe. Believing is a choice. And we’re here to make progress in believing.
Here we go sisters, it’s time to take all our unbelief, all our unanswered questions, all that stuff that doesn’t make any sense, all the doubt we still have swirling around inside of us and just decide to do the best we can with it today. Progress over perfection. God will take care of the perfection part … that was never our job.
“We’re following a God we can’t see, for a lifetime we can’t measure, to a heaven we can’t comprehend, because of grace we didn’t even earn.” None of it really makes sense, and that’s really okay.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today, I’m taking you back to the seed of BIG Life. I’m taking you back to June 2009. Hubby and I had taken a little break from our crazy busy lives and overwhelming business, and we were on vacation in Belize. I was reading the book ‘The Shack’ on the beach, and although it had nothing to do with the book I was reading, I began feeling the promptings of God to do something about the desire I had been wrestling with.
The desire seemed silly, and honestly it seemed too late. Instead of being driven by the desire, I was discouraged by the desire and filled with regret for not taking action earlier. I wanted to document the days of my life with a daily gratitude photo. Just one photo to remember each day’s special moment of deep and true gratitude. Like a gratitude journal with photos instead of words, because each photo is worth a thousand words.
But my kids weren’t toddlers anymore and I felt it was too late to begin with them already in Elementary. I had missed the opportunity to capture gratitude for the days already passed, but I hadn’t missed the days ahead. There was still time. I could begin living with greater intention. I could start that day.
So I did. I started that exact day. One moment of sheer gratitude, simply captured in a photo, and documented as a day of life given. And this was the seed for BIG Life. The beginning of a different way of living more grounded, centered, focused and intentional.
I haven’t missed a single day since then. 4,652 days captured in 4,652 photos of gratitude. This process changed me. It changed my perspective on ordinary days of life. It set my mind to seek out special moments and make them stand still so I could savor them longer.
I now understand fully what it means in Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
This has become sortof my life mission, to teach how to number our days. Why? So we may gain a heart of wisdom. So we can live each day like it truly matters, because actually it does. So we can remove the filters, and see the moments unfolding for what they really are … priceless and never, ever happening again.
Today is NEVER happening again for you. Ever. You are surrounded by once-in-a-lifetime moments. Yes, for real, they’re unfolding all around you. But are you too distracted to notice?
This month I’m mentoring 600 women. I just led them through a 1 week Mental Cleanse. A time of intentional disconnecting from the distractions so they could be fully present for what was most important to them. We started with a question. A question that set the stage for some powerful commitments to be made. Now I ask you that question:
ARE YOU CONTENT WITH LIFE PASSING AS IT HAS BEEN?
Dang, doesn’t life seem to be going so fast? Do you ever come to the end of a week, the end of a month, heck the end of a year and look back and wonder where it went? Do you sometimes struggle to remember how you spent those days and regret there isn’t more to show for the time you had? The days just all sortof lump together and become a monotonous mountain of repeated actions and chores with nothing spectacular that really stands out.
And so our entire lives pass. We go from one phase into the next. Kids grow up. We get older. Some things change and some things just stay the same. And our eyes are glazed over with this film of distracted boredom in our reality. Y’all, we can’t be content with that! We can’t be satisfied with unimpressive days of living when God made this all so miraculously impressive for us!
Let’s return to number our days. Set each one apart. Today is a stand-alone day. It isn’t yesterday any more and tomorrow may never come. You have today, THIS DAY. What number is it? It can’t be left out. It is crucial to recognize its importance and value.
Today, is my 16,961st day of this life. Every day before has brought me to this day. And every potential tomorrow will flow from this day. Knowing this, I can view this day as not just an ordinary Tuesday sandwiched between an ordinary Monday and Wednesday. No, this is day #16,961 dang it. That’s important! I’ve been waiting my whole life for this day!
Did you wake up knowing you’ve been waiting your whole life for this exact day? Oh, what if you did? What if you learned to number your days in the way Psalm 90 tells us to and start living with the knowledge of it’s value? You know what would probably happen … You would probably start living more intentionally. Your eyes would probably be opened a little wider to life unfolding all around you right now. And you would live in a way that would lead to more contentment.
Yes, remember that question: ARE YOU CONTENT WITH LIFE PASSING AS IT HAS BEEN?
This is our solution to the discontent we feel in the way life has been passing. Number our days to remember each one is important. Each one is valuable. Each one is a gift. Now, let’s waste none of the gift.
I’m still taking those daily gratitude photos on year #13. The kids are all grown and living their own lives spread out around the world. Most days the only other person I see is the same man I’ve been waking up with for over 27 years. Life can get kindof boring, if we let it. We can grow numb to another rising of the sun because it’s kinda like all the other times it’s faithfully come up right on time.
But imagine if the sun didn’t come up today. Imagine the pandemonium and sheer terror. Imagine if God didn’t faithfully cause that sun to peek over the horizon on perfect schedule. Time would stand still……….. But, that didn’t happen today. God made that sun come up and here we are with a perfectly normal, on schedule, ordinary day of life. So here’s an idea, how about we respond to God’s continued faithfulness to us by actually standing still. Time doesn’t have to just stand still because of a disaster. We can pause in an ordinary moment of life and stand still in our blessings of everything being ordinary. (And if so inclined, you can snap a quick photo of it to remember it for the rest of your life.)
From today forward, I will be documenting each day with it’s number because I want to remember how quick life is passing and live it more intentionally. James 4:14 “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
The New Living Translation says your life is like the morning fog. You know about that morning fog right? It just burns right off and then there’s no sight of it again. Your whole life is quickly passing. The average life is span is about 4,000 weeks. Dang a week goes by so fast, doesn’t it? And here are our weeks dwindling so quickly.
This life you’re living will not last forever. Make sure you’re content with the way it’s passing.
Today’s challenge is one I’ve issued many times over the years, and we’re doing it again. NUMBER THIS DAY. Go to the website daysold.com and plug in your birthdate. You will quickly discover exactly what number you’re on.
Let this day stand apart. Let it be lived with tremendous intention. Let it be savored with gratitude for all that it is. And let’s not wait for a disaster to make time stand still as it does in those moments like 9-11 watching the plane crash into the Trade Tower. Or that moment we remember in 1984 watching the space shuttle Discovery launch from a tv in our classroom, then the moment it exploded. These are moments where time stands still. They happen.
But today the sun came up right on schedule. God has been faithful to keep this world spinning, and since time didn’t have to stand still with a crisis, we choose to stand still in gratitude.
Fully here. Now. In the present. This is life. The only day like this you will ever get. Live your number well.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What beauty do you have in your life right now? You know who to thank for it, right? God is the giver of all good things, and every ounce of goodness you have is from his hand. He is squarely behind it all. He orchestrated these blessings. He aligned this next level for you. He paved the way before you which you now walk. He got you out of what you were in before and led you here to experience his power unfolding in your life.
Ahhhhhh, he is good isn’t he? And I don’t mean just good like good natured and kind, but ya’ll God is ridiculously good at his job! The way he has orchestrated the details of your life to bring you into the beauty you have right now, dang who else but God could do that? That’s some epic stuff he’s been doing for you. Make sure you thank him for it!
What struggle do you have in your life? What’s gone wrong? What has been a whole heck of a lot harder than it should have been? What continues to burden you, hold you back, frustrate you, confuse you, overwhelm you? Yeah, who orchestrated that? Who’s handiwork is that mess in your life?
Going back to the Saturday Night Live days of the early 90’s, I must question, “could it be S-aaaaa-tan?”
Yes, yes it could it. It could be that slimy sucker doing his nasty work. That could be the source of your troubles. He could be behind this struggle.
But it could be you. It could be you making this harder than it needs to be. It could be you dragging your feet, delaying your progress. It could be you picking at your own wounds, retelling those same old stories, prohibiting your healing. You could be the source of your frustrations. You could be holding you back. You could be burning this down your own self. Are you holding the matches?
The goodness in your life, no doubt, ALL GOD. James 1:7 “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father.”
What you do with that goodness is on you, and that choice will make a radical difference in your life. Choosing whether you sit on that goodness or put it to use will change your trajectory. It will either unpack your greatest potential, or sit you on a shelf waiting for the next hand out in life. Honey, you weren’t made for a shelf. You were made for the fields of life, playing with your whole heart.
Today is a good and perfect gift coming down to us from God. Yes, wrapped in the rising sun, today is one magnificent gift. Now, what will you do with it? This is on you now. Gifts are given to be opened. Gifts are given to be enjoyed. Gifts are given to be used. TODAY IS YOUR GIFT.
Now understand, as good as today is, as beautiful as it’s potential is, there is potential for this day to be ruined.
The enemy has his eye on this day. He loves him some Monday because Monday’s are especially easy to be screwed with. He has already twisted Monday into a day we dread, so it’s primed for his continued twisting throughout the day. Why not make today more difficult? Why not cause delays and changes? Why not disrupt plans and turn things on their end? Why not get her panties in a wad right from the beginning, yessssss, this could screw up the whole week!
Girl, he’s been poking around at your beautiful gift! Today is a good and perfect gift coming down to you from God, are you just going to let the devil mess with your gift like that? Those are your panties, you get to choose if they’re in a wad or not.
Girl, you be walking funny with your knickers in a knot? You’re all bent out of shape, flustered and frustrated, looking all kinds of funky and uncomfortable. Why would you let the enemy do that to you? He only has that kind of power over you if you let him.
Remember my sister, 1 John 4:4 “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
The enemy might try to take your gift, but you have a power greater than him already inside of you, so darn it, PROTECT YOUR GIFT. Fight for this day. Don’t let him slip in and ruin this. No Satan, not today! You don’t get to poke at this good and perfect day of life. You don’t get to bring your darkness. You don’t get to rain down your negativity. Go back to hell, because there’s no room for you here in the gift of my day.
Now, while you’re talking that smack talk to the enemy, make sure you give yourself a good talking too. Remember, you too can screw this thing up. You too can hold yourself back. You’ve been pretty good at painting darkness without the help of the enemy. You’ve talked yourself into many a bad moods on Mondays in the past. You’ve been cranky and difficult on perfectly good days of life. Is that what you’re going to do again here?
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
I don’t have to fear today. I don’t have to fear what the enemy will throw at me, or how I might possibly screw this up again. No, I’m walking around with God’s spirit dwelling in me and it is nothing but power, love and self-discipline. And girl, that’s what is inside of you!
Harness that! Step into the gift of today knowing you have everything it takes to live this day ridiculously well.
Satan loves to take what is beautiful and ruin it. He loves to weasel his way into the perfect gifts given to us by the Almighty and poke holes in them. And then he really, really loves to teach you to do the same thing.
Holy crap, have you learned the enemy’s ways? Have you learned to take perfectly good days of life, and poke holes in them with your list of things you dread doing? Have you learned to take what is beautiful ruin it with crazy expectations? Have you learned to sit out on these beautiful opportunities, then be filled with guilt and regret after the opportunity has passed? Have you learned to get your panties all twisted up, making it impossible for you to take the next step forward with grace?
That’s no way for a girl like you to be living a life like the one you have been given a chance at. What do you need to change today to live in the true power you have within you?
Get yourself back to the basics. Start right here. Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
That is a decision and a declaration. A perspective and a promise. A choice and a committed action. I’m going to take this day the Lord has made for me, and I’m going to live it with joy. I’m going to look for what is right and dang it, I’m going to be happy about it. I’m going to take every opportunity that comes my way and seize the heck out of it.
I get this gift … now this gift gets me! This day of life, in exchange for me living it with intention and gratitude. These panties shall NOT be waded today!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Every morning while I’m up early and getting ready for the day, I receive a text. This text is from a podcast listener who I now mentor. As part of her morning routine, she texts me her word for 2022 and her mantra. She is faithful and always right on time. This is how she begins her day, remembering her intention and commitment for this year.
This morning when that text came in, I felt the promptings of God tell me that her word is what he wanted me to share with you today. Okay cool, so I sat down with her word, and I began to study it and what it means in scripture.
The word is ATTEND: By definition it means to be present.
Oh dang, doesn’t that just get you? Woah, couldn’t we all use more of this in our lives? To be more than just here, but to be actually present. To be fully here in each moment, savoring the life we have been given to live as it unfolds.
I don’t know about you, but my body can be in one place, but my mind can be in 10 different places. And when this is happening, I know none of these places are getting all of me, and therefore no one is getting the best of me. Now of course, God knew this when he created us. He knew this would be a struggle. He knew we would be divided in our focus, pulled in our time, and distracted in our living. So you know what he gave us? He gave us a built in warning system to alert us when we’re here, but not really present. An alarm to bring us back to being here, in one place, fully. Present. To ATTEND.
Understand your God-given warning system so you can respond with urgency. What is it? It’s that YUCK feeling. It’s that discontent down deep within you that questions if there isn’t really more for you. It’s that slight feeling of disgust knowing you gave less than your best because you only showed up with a 1/4 of you, the other 3/4 of you was distracted with other things. It’s an echoing emptiness.
This yuck, this discontent, this disgust, that’s not your brain malfunctioning, sending the wrong signals. Nope, those are all the correct signals! It’s an alarm. The warning system is going off. You’re not supposed to feel good when you’re living this way, this isn’t your design. Something is wrong and you’re being alerted to it.
Do you remember in the past when your perfectly good television show would be interrupted by a local test of the emergency broadcast system. You knew the minute would be filled with horrible, annoying, loud horns and sirens repeating for entirely too long. You’re screaming “we got it, it’s working!” You couldn’t ignore it. You couldn’t sleep through it. It was alarming. And it was supposed to be.
Girl, I know you would love a sweet little blesseded alarm that shows up in the voice of Paula Dean and says “darling, you’ve gotten just a scooch off track here. Now maybe you would like to come on back where the gettin’s good and attend to the life you have been given.” But the good Lord knows that’s not going to work with you. Nope, only the annoying alarm will work. The one that makes you feel bad at the end of the day. The one that teaches you a lesson you don’t want to have to repeat.
The problem is, we’ve taken these God-given alarm systems within us and we’ve tried to hush them. We medicate them. We baby them. We label them as some sort of dysfunction. No, that’s not a dysfunction, it’s actually functioning perfectly. You’re not supposed to feel good when you’re not living good. You’re not supposed to be satisfied when you’re skimming through life. You’re not supposed to be happy when only 1/4 of you is showing up for the happiness.
The alarms are blaring. Alarms to bring us back to being present in our lives!
Proverbs 4:20-22 reading in the KJV “Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”
Attend to my words, God says. Life is found here. What does that mean? It means lean into his teaching. Don’t just passively hear it, but be fully present to receive it. ATTEND to it. Attending to God’s teachings is both an intent and an action. It is both seeking and finding. What will you find? Life. Not only life, but the life which Jesus came to give us which is LIFE TO THE FULL. (John 10:10)
If life has felt a little less than full, a little lacking, a little disappointing at the end of the day, and a little less than thrilling at the beginning of a new day, understand you’re missing the FULL LIFE Jesus is offering you. The offer is there, are you leaning in for it? Are you attending it, or are you only half-way here, passively hearing, but not fully engaging? The result will be a life that is not full, but instead feels a bit empty.
ATTEND. Be fully present. Lean in. Actively engage. Intently seek. The alarms have been ringing to bring you back to this way of life, and away from that scattered, distracted, noisy, nonsense that has you feeling empty.
Attend to this my sister.
Now later in this same chapter, Proverbs 4, we read a scripture that seems to be specifically written for the year 2022, just waiting for us to unfold. Verses 25 & 26 MSG “Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you.”
Oh, those sideshow distractions. They’re everywhere, aren’t they? We get distracted, we wander off from where we are and allow our mind to be separate from our body. We stop the journey of going where we most want to go, and settle for something less along the way. We no longer give the gift of our presence because we’re not fully present. And where does that leave us? LOST AND WONDERING WHERE TO GO NEXT.
Is this how you feel? Lost? Not sure of what the next right step is? Confused about the direction and uncertain about the choices? Could it be because you’ve been looking at all the sideshow distractions and you’re no longer attending anything fully? God’s word says ATTEND to his teachings, lean into what he is showing you, listen closely for his guidance, and if you will resist the offer of distraction, the road will stretch out smooth before you and you will know what to do next.
For some of you, you’re only passively listening and this isn’t making an impact. Literally right now, it’s going in your ear, but you’re only hearing, not intentionally listening. For others, you’re truly attending these words. You’re leaning in. You’re actively seeking and applying, and for you the road has just stretched out smooth before you and you know what to do next. You know to stay focused. You know to turn off the distractions. You know to lean into the moments where God has you so you can see where he is leading you next. The sideshow distractions just got cancelled and you’re on your way to attend the main show.
And now you also know perhaps those feelings of emptiness and discontent aren’t a sign of your brokenness or illness, they’re your God-given warning system turning on the alarms to say “how you’ve been living is not how you were created to live.” This doesn’t feel good because it’s not good. Respond to the alarms by making an intentional change. And I bet you will see, you start naturally feeling different.
Today, we ATTEND. Fully. Intentionally. Lean in and journey on to the main show. The show of the life God created us for, and settling for nothing less.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
How hard is it for you to believe in things you cannot see, control or understand?
I had one of my world-class adventure ideas this week that resulted in the worst night’s sleep ever. Why? Something I could not see, could not control and could not understand.
We went camping. In fact, I’m coming to you live from a beautiful camping spot right on the water on the island of Key Largo in the Florida Keys. Sounds magical, right? Well, I thought so too! We’ve been itching to use our truck-top camper, and there was finally a 2 night cancellation at campgrounds that are booked a year in advance, so I snagged it.
The setting is absolute perfection. A private tiki hut with picnic table on the dock, a full moon casting its reflection on the water, dinner cooked outside in a cast iron skillet. Sign me up for this every day for the rest of my life! How could such a paradise turn into an experience we can’t wait to drive away from?
One word: No-See-Ums
Here’s another word: Every-Freaking-Where
No-See-Ums. If you don’t know, then you just don’t know. But if you’ve ever had an encouter with No-See-Ums, then you know! You know that somehow a bug so tiny you can’t even see them has the undeniable ability to tear you up! Their bite is painful, and they are relentless in their pursuit. Unfortunately for us, our super cool, overlander style tent that sits on the very top of our truck cab, is not No-See-Ums proof. With bugs tinier than a speck of sand, they just fly through screens and have an all-night feast of you.
We slept exactly zero hours. Longest, most miserable night ever. We booked 2 nights, I can say with confidence we will be passing our heavenly spot on to the next traveler tonight.
I cannot see these bugs, but I 100% believe in them. Why? Because I’ve felt their effects. I’ve seen their impact. While I can’t see them, I see their work. Once you experience them, you will never question why someone is flinching, jerking, and swatting at thin air. It’s a No-See-Um.
God works in this way, doesn’t he? I mean in a less assaulting type manner, but in the unseen. You can’t see him. You can’t control him. You can’t understand him, but once you’ve had an encounter with God, you know he is real.
What work has God done in your life that makes you know without a doubt he is real? How do you know he is with you if you can’t see him? How have you seen his power manifest, without see the hand the power came from?
The disciples were traveling with Jesus, spending every moment of their days with him. They could see, him, but they didn’t fully understand who he was. Then, they have an encounter with the unseen.
Matthew 17: 1-9 “Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain. He was transfigured – his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white. A bright cloud enveloped them and a voice said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
The disciples fell to the ground, terrified. “Get up” said Jesus, “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up they saw no-one except Jesus.
Suddenly they saw what they had never seen before. They saw Jesus’ true identity and real power. It had always been there, they simply hadn’t seen it before. They saw where Jesus had come from and what he would return to. The light of heaven. Revelation 21:23 says “And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.”
The disciples were seeing Jesus’ face shinning bright like it does in Heaven. They had never seen that before. But this encounter for Peter, James and John would change the way they saw Jesus forever. They experienced his divine nature. They felt the power in his presence. And what they had never seen before, and would never see again, confirmed Jesus was exactly who he said he was.
Do you know Jesus is who he says he is in your life? Do you know he is your light which guides you? Do you know he is your vine which gives you strength and causes you to produce fruit in your life? Do you know he is your gate, the way from where you are to where you are going? Do you know he is your good Shepherd, the one who protects you and never leaves your side?
How do you know if you’ve never seen him? You know by his works in your life. You know by the personal experiences that cannot be explained in any other way.
Just like my encounter with No-See-Ums explains why some people swat at the unseen things in the air, and flinch in pain for seemingly unknown reasons … my encounter with Jesus explains why some people drop to their knees in prayer, or just can’t help but raise their hands in praise. They’ve encountering the unseen.
It’s real. It’s powerful. And when you know, you know.
Never question the power of that which you cannot see.
1 Peter 1:8 TPT “You love him passionately although you have not seen him, but through believing in him you are saturated with an ecstatic joy…”
All around you today is God’s power at work in your life. All around you are his provisions aligning for you. All around you are the details of his good plans for you unfolding in ways you cannot see and cannot even imagine. But it’s all there. It’s all happening. And if you allow that to get into your awareness, changing your perspective and attitude, you can be saturated with ecstatic joy because of it. Simply because you believe in that which you cannot see.
Not because you fully understand it. Not because you control it in any way. Not because you always get it right. Nope, none of that. Simply because you believe. Believing in a God you cannot see will strengthen you to do things you didn’t think you could do. It will enable you to walk in divine authority you could not anticipate.
Can you believe in the power of things you cannot see? Encounter a swarm of No-See-Ums in your tent for an entire night, you will undoubtedly believe. Encounter a God who holds your entire world in the palm of his hand and cares about every detail of your life, and you will undoubtedly believe.
Do I see him? No. Do I see his power at work all around me? ABSOLUTELY!
Last night in hour 5 of zero minutes of sleep, fighting swarms of bugs I could not see, I questioned why would God create No-See-Ums. And he told me, “my sweet child, so you could begin to understand the power of that which you cannot see. My existence and my impact in the details of your life may be in the unseen, but they are real!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There’s a God given purpose living inside of you. A designed purpose for your days using your experiences, your talents, and your passions. We often go on a search for our purpose. Maybe I’ll find it over here, as if purpose is some sort of object hidden in the bushes, waiting for you to find it. I assure you, your life has purpose and it doesn’t require a hunt to be found. You’ve never lost it. It’s inside of you. Within you is purpose.
If you don’t feel guided by your purpose, understand it’s just been laying dormant. It’s not a hunt that’s needed, it’s a movement. Your purpose needs to be stirred and moved so you’re reminded of what’s within you. Imagine it’s like you’re pregnant. You’re carrying around purpose. Sometimes it lays real still. And sometimes it gets hiccups and you know it’s there. And other times you’re not sure if it’s purpose moving around or if it’s gas. Yeah, that’s kind of the way purpose feels sometimes.
This morning I was brought back to a sermon I heard several years ago about the story of Elizabeth and Mary. About purpose being stirred in the presence of Jesus.
Elizabeth and Zachariah were unable to have children until she miraculously became pregnant at a very old age. The bible isn’t specific in her age, but it’s estimated she was in her late 80’s.
Elizabeth was pregnant with a miracle who had tremendous purpose. That miracle was a baby named John, who would grow to become John the Baptist, the man chosen by God to pave the way for Jesus. His purpose was to go before the Messiah preparing for his work on Earth.
Elizabeth’s little cousin was Mary. You know, virgin Mary … the “Mary did you know” from Christmas. Yes, that Mary. And Mary was pregnant with a miracle as well. Who was she pregnant with? Yes, Jesus! The very son of God sent to save the world.
The entire story goes down in Luke chapter 1. Zachariah is visited by an angel and told his barren wife will have a baby and that baby’s purpose is to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. 6 months later the same angel comes to Mary and gives her the shocking news that she will bare the very child of God who will save the world.
We know the end of the story, but imagine being young, unwed Mary whose whole world just got turned upside down. Everything good she had working in her life was now ruined. That nice boy she was going to marry would surely dump her knowing she’s pregnant and there’s no way that baby is is. They stone unwed mothers in this town, was her life in danger? What is a girl in a situation like this supposed to do? Oh … she will go see her cousin Elizabeth who’s pregnant too.
So now we pick up in verse 41 when Mary comes into her cousin Elizabeth’s house, “At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her.”
Elizabeth was pregnant with a baby who had tremendous purpose. Mary was pregnant with Jesus. The purpose in Elizabeth leaped within her when the Jesus in Mary came near. Ahhhhh … did you get it?
The purpose in you is moved by the Jesus in others.
Your life has purpose. You are pregnant with purpose. You don’t need to go searching for it, it’s already inside of you. Perfectly placed within you by your creator. But maybe it’s been laying still. You don’t feel led by purpose. You don’t feel driven by purpose. What needs to happen is your purpose needs to be stirred. It needs to be moved.
How is the purpose in you moved?
By the Jesus in others.
As a follower of Christ, Jesus is living inside of me. He guides and directs me, working through my hands, my feet, and my words. The Jesus in me is here today to move the purpose in you. This world desperately needs exactly what is inside of you. Someone, somewhere needs you to fulfill your purpose and live up to your potential. Their world is depending on you to seek what God has placed in you.
If your purpose has grown stagnant. If you feel like you’ve lost your way and unsure what exactly you’re supposed to be doing on this earth … the answer is GET AROUND PEOPLE WHO HAVE JESUS IN THEM.
And the Jesus in you will move the purpose in others. Today you will be surrounded by people who feel as if they have lost their purpose. People who are wandering around unfulfilled and unhappy. They’re good people, made to do good things, however the noise of the world has silenced their purpose. What they need is you. The purpose in them needs the Jesus in you. Let God work through you. Let his light shine through you. Let his love flow through you. You don’t need to do anything other than show up and greet them, just as Mary did. Jesus will do the work. Jesus does the moving and stirring. You’re just carrying him there.
Are you searching for your purpose … well you can stop driving yourself crazy hunting for what’s already inside of you. You will feel it move when you get around people who have Jesus in them. Spend time with the right people. Have conversations with the right people. The Jesus in them is there to move the purpose in you. And the Jesus in you is desperately needed by some seeking people around you. Just show up for them today and let God work through you.
Imagine this, God simply wants to use you to move someone else into their purpose today. He wants to use you to stir someone up who’s grown stale and stagnant. He wants to use you as their answered prayer. YOU COULD BE AN ANSWERED PRAYER TODAY. And all you have to do is show up with Jesus in you and say hi. That’s it.
Let the Jesus in you move the purpose in others today. And let the purpose in you be moved by the Jesus in others.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
I made a terrible mistake last night. I savored my last cup of coffee at 8 pm before beginning a cleanse. The reasoning was good, one it was my last chance at caffeine for the next several weeks, and two, I was preparing to teach a live mentoring session and I was dragging butt. I needed a little perk, but that perk lasted well beyond teaching time. So I went to bed late, still not the least bit sleepy, and started watching a random documentary on Hulu.
I’m a documentary junkie. I love the real life stories because they always relate to our real life stories in some way. Well, this particular documentary had me screaming at the TV, “just give up already, this is never going to work” and it left we awake for several more hours through the wee hours of the morning reflecting on how God works in those mysterious, mind-blowing ways.
The documentary is called “The Biggest Little Farm”. When I tell you you need to watch it, I mean it. Watch it. Watch this ridiculous dream of a husband and wife unfold in the midst of continual struggle and battle. Just watch how absurd it was for them to continue. Watch how one thing after another worked against them, then God revealed how it could work for them … and it would happen naturally.
By God’s great natural design, the same things that were killing their progress were in turn used to grow their success. You should write that down and claim it as yours. By God’s great natural design, the same things that are killing your progress will be used to grow your success.
Snail infestation, major problem. Nobody wants hundreds of thousands of big, ooey gooey snails infesting their fruit trees. But in God’s great design, that snail infestation becomes a major solution for something else. Coyotes, major problem. Every morning they would wake up to the destruction of the coyotes on their farm. Hundreds of their animals slaughtered. No electric fences, no security cameras, no firepower could eliminate the affect of their late night hunts. But wouldn’t you know, in God’s great design, hungry hunting coyotes becomes a major solution for something else.
Honestly, I would have seen each of these problems as the nail in the coffin that killed the dream. I would have given up. Again, I’m yelling at the TV, “people, this isn’t going to work.” Now, I speak from a little experience. Our family got the bright idea we would become farmers back in 2015. We found a 200 acre hunting ranch in Arkansas on Airbnb, contacted the owner, and signed a 1 year lease. Yes, for real, we did that. We moved our 3 teens to the middle of nowhere on the beautiful Kings River where we were surrounded by fertile grounds just waiting for us to grow something.
When a friend lovingly mailed us a dozen 3 day old baby chicks, the decision was easy, we would start with growing chickens. Oh it was real fun for a few weeks. We gave them cute chicken names like Teriyaki, Strips, Fingers, Buffalo and Popcorn. (get it?) I transformed the junkiest old truckbed trailer into the cutest turquoise chicken coop you’ve ever seen, complete with a window box and flowers. But, between the coyotes, owls, and a stray dog or 2, our chickens never grew to produce a single egg. We were out of farming just as quickly as we were in, and after a year on the ranch we decided we were better suited for other adventures.
So, last night watching this documentary of this ridiculous farm in the makings, I was screaming at my TV with personal experience. THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK! But I was wrong. Ridiculously wrong. Their farm worked beyond any imagination of working, and it worked naturally within God’s great design. Enemies became allies. Predators became protectors. Problems became solutions. And little things made big differences.
At the very end of the documentary, the farmer says one sentence that left me reeling. He said “we were never alone, not for a second.”
Woah. In their struggles against snail infestations and coyote slaughters, an outcast rooster and a depressed pig, pesky gophers and hungry owls, there was something so much greater at work. Always at work. They were NEVER ALONE, not for a second. And things were naturally working together in greater ways than they could imagine.
And this is why I come to you with a tiny handful of hours of sleep. Because that single thought kept me up all night, wondering how you might feel alone in your struggles, but behind the scenes of your life is a God who is at work to make things naturally come together.
Now maybe if I knew your circumstances I would be screaming, “just give up already, this is never going to work.” And maybe I would be screaming from some personal experience of failure like our own time on the farm. But maybe I’m wrong! Maybe I’m wrong to tell you this isn’t going to work, and maybe you’re wrong to believe it’s never going to work. Maybe it’s totally going to work, and it’s going to work naturally with the dynamics already at play, just with a shift of perspective.
On The Biggest Little Farm, they had a hundred ducks living in a pond that were killing all the fish with their excessive amounts of poop. They also had snails that were infesting their fruit trees. Both problems they didn’t see coming and didn’t have a solution for. But just because you don’t have a solution for it doesn’t mean God doesn’t already have it naturally worked out. Guess what ducks LOVE to eat … they love to eat snails. All they had to do was let the ducks loose in the orchards and both problems were solved. The pond became healthy and full of life again in the absence of the duck poop, and the orchards thrived when the ducks ate all the snails and their poop became fertilizer on the ground for new, abundant growth.
Two problems become a solution. That’s God math right there.
And God math doesn’t just apply to farms in trouble, it applies to marriages in trouble. It applies to families under attack. It applies to businesses going under. It applies to dreams sinking in more breakdowns than breakthroughs. Lord, we need you to take these problems and reveal to us how they will work together for a greater solution.
Can you pray that kind of prayer? I mean is it okay to ask God to do that level of work in your crapfest of a situation? I mean why not?!!!
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
Yes, this is the God we pray to. This is the God at work behind the scenes in our lives. This God who is able to do immeasurably MORE than we could ever ask or imagine. Our God can take two problems and create a solution, and he can do it so naturally it seems ridiculous. It’s simply a matter of moving the ducks from the pond to the orchard.
That wasn’t magical or mysterious. That was a farmer who stopped and looked at the situation and used the mind God had given him to see things with a different perspective. Understand, this is exactly how God’s power works within us.
Lord, unleash your power within us to see our problems with a different perspective. Strengthen us to not give up, but to continue on with ridiculous dreams you have planted within our hearts and minds.
You are never alone in this, no not one time. Never has God said, “this is ridiculous and beyond my reach.” Never has he said, “this is a problem I can’t solve.” And never has he said, “your dream was never important enough for me to show up for.” No matter what others may say from their personal disappointment and experience, know that doesn’t have to be your story.
I felt so bad for yelling at my TV and trying to convince these young, inexperienced farmers to stop being so ridiculous with their absurdly outrageous, over-the-top fantasy of a farm that simply wasn’t working, in the end after the documentary showed their full 8 year story, I laid awake praying for them. Praying for their animals. Praying for their problems that will become solutions. Praying for their family as they show others how to do the hard work that allows us to see all God is capable of doing.
Let me tell you something, what God is capable of doing in your life won’t just happen. It will come through YOUR HARD WORK. That’s how God’s power becomes mind-blowing. Read that scripture again, “to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God does the impossible and mind-blowing acts THROUGH his power that works in us. And if his power is working in us, that means we are the hands and feet of that work.
We play an active role in God’s mind-blowing power in our lives. We get to work, and work hard. Work when it doesn’t seem to be working. Work when there are more setbacks than there are successes. Work when we are discouraged. Work when we are frustrated. Work when problems stack up against us, and remember God can naturally use those problems as solutions. All we need is a different perspective.
So we boldy come to the throne of the Almighty, remembering we are daughters of the King, and we lay our requests before him. Lord, here are our problems, will you naturally work them together to create a solution? Will you do your mindblowing things that are beyond anything we could ask or imagine right here in our circumstances? And God says “yes, my precious daughter, I will … now will you allow my power to work within you and get to work? Will you allow me to show you a different perspective? Will you choose to not give up this time? Will you stop telling others to give up?”
That’s a deal God!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You are no longer who you used to be. You have changed. You don’t do the things you once did, you don’t think the thoughts you once thought, you’re not that person anymore. And it’s not that you have arrived and now you’re perfect, because honey your entire life is simply about this journey of becoming. But can we take just a moment and recognize how far you’ve come? Can we recognize how you truly have changed?
There’s the you now, then there’s the BC you … Before Christ. Girl, stop dragging around those things that you did in your BC years. Maybe you had accepted Jesus back then, but you hadn’t developed a relationship with him. Understand, it’s the relationship with Jesus that has been changing you, not a scripted prayer or formal decision. RELATIONSHIP.
In this relationship with Jesus, we begin to recognize his promptings. We see things differently. We are guided supernaturally in ways we can’t explain. But really, it’s quite simple, it’s our relationship with Jesus that has changed our journey.
Jesus said in John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
A sheep is not the smartest of all creation. They wander. They get lost. They get in trouble. They get stuck. They are in constant need of a Shepherd. And doesn’t it make perfect sense that Jesus referred to us as his sheep. He is our great Shepherd, always guiding us, providing for us, rescuing us, and bringing us back to what is best for us.
And because of this relationship with him, we know his voice.
A sheep knows their Shepherd’s voice. They wouldn’t be able to tell you why that one voice is different, they wouldn’t be able to define it or explain it, but they just know. A sheep responds to their Shepherd while all other voices will cause them to scatter. It happens naturally and by design.
My fellow sheep, you’ve been overthinking how you will know when Jesus is speaking to you. You’ve been over-complicating the process of hearing from him and receiving his guidance. YOU WILL KNOW. The more time you spend in God’s love letter to you, the more time you invest in seeking his ways, the more this relationship will grow. And as this relationship with the Almighty grows, you will distinguish his voice above all the rest.
It’s not some magical formula or secret step-by-step instruction you must follow. If you want to better hear God, seek to grow your relationship with him. Spend time with him. As you do, his voice becomes prominent and his guidance is undeniable.
Again Jesus said, “my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus KNOWS YOU. He knows you personally. He knows all about you, he knows the purpose for which you were created, he knows the potential which you carry around inside of you, and he knows the things you struggle with that get in the way. He knows it all, and he speaks to you personally and directly. As he speaks to you, you are drawn to him. Not by accident, by design.
The more we know Jesus’ voice in our lives, the more we are able to recognize outside voices as a threat. The closer a sheep grows to his Shepherd, the more he will isolate from strangers. He cannot be tricked into getting close to some dude holding an apple. If it’s not his Shepherd, he’s not getting close. If it’s not his Shepherd, then he is a threat.
Girl, if this is not from Jesus, then it is a threat. Don’t be tricked. Don’t be fooled. KNOW HIS VOICE. This is the benefit of a growing relationship with Jesus. The more we learn his voice, the more we recognize the voices that aren’t his.
If you don’t know Jesus’ voice, you may be easily swayed into listening to other voices. Voices that tell you you’re not good enough. Voices that tell you you don’t belong. Voices that tell you this will never change. Voices that tell you there’s no point in even trying. Voices that whisper in the darkness and lure you into corners you were never supposed to be sitting in.
But girl, if you’re growing in relationship with Jesus, you will know those other voices aren’t from him. You won’t be tricked by that nonsense. You won’t be lured into dark corners and deep ruts by voices that want to derail you from your God-given purpose in life. The more you grow with Jesus, the more you recognize his voice and respond to what he says, and the more you know the voices that are not him and can stiff arm that crap from a mile away.
This is how change takes place Sis. You start by recognizing the voices and knowing which one is Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
When we follow Jesus as our Shepherd, things start to change in our lives. We become a new person. Our old life is over and we have a new life, living with our new nature.
Have you ever thought about this new nature that you are given in Christ Jesus? Your nature determines what you do naturally. It’s your default. It’s your natural response according to what is inside of you and how you are wired. Because you are given a new nature in Jesus, you naturally start doing things differently! You don’t have to try to twist and contort yourself to do the things you are supposed to do forever, it starts naturally flowing from you because your nature has changed.
So sis, if you feel like you’re having to work really hard at being a good person and doing good things, don’t stress … your nature is still changing. That old life is going away and your new life is beginning. Your relationship with Jesus is changing some things deep within you, and with time you will naturally be a new person.
You’re still here learning Jesus’ voice. You’re learning what he sounds like in the chaotic crowd of life’s noises. You’ll get it. And as you do, you’ll get sidetracked less and less. You’ll lose your way fewer times as you draw closer and closer to him. And it will all happen naturally because in this process, your nature is changing.
This is how it happens. You can’t explain it while it is, and you can’t really understand it fully, but you’re just like a sheep learning to follow it’s shepherd, and that voice is becoming clearer and clearer.
Ephesians 4:24 MSG “Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”
This is the process we’re going through. God is renewing us from the inside out, changing our nature, causing us to naturally act more and more like Jesus. It’s not something we do … it’s something he does in us! We are simply the sheep responding to his voice because that’s what we’re learning to do.
Take the pressure off. Respond to his voice. You’re out of your BC years. That was Before Christ. Now you’re living in your WJ years. This is you WITH JESUS. And you WITH JESUS is a totally different ballgame.
You, with Jesus, is focused.
You, with Jesus, is driven.
You, with Jesus, is on purpose.
You, with Jesus, is moving forward.
You, with Jesus, is unstoppable.
You, with Jesus, is powerful.
You, with Jesus, is destined.
You’re living in your WJ Years. That BC stuff is over. You’re WITH JESUS now. You’re following his lead. You’re listening for his voice. You’re walking with him. These are the best years of your life! You’re changing here, getting your new nature, and soon you will just naturally start living more like Jesus.
Today, live WITH JESUS. Listen for him. He knows you and you’re growing to know him more and more. He will teach you how to tune out all the other noises and wander off less. This is the journey of your lifetime and Jesus knows exactly where he is guiding you. Just stay with Him.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Do you ever feel like you’re failing? I mean like you’re trying but it’s not working? No matter what you try, you just keep screwing this thing up somewhere along the way?
And then just knowing God sees it all. He sits high upon his throne with a view of every single thing we do, in full awareness of our next mistake before it even happens. We can’t hide anything from him. Sometimes I just want to come running to God and say “Lord, I’m trying, darn it!”
I’m trying to clean this up, but I keep making more messes as I do. I’m trying to do better, but it seems my better isn’t quite good enough. I’m really trying darn it, but I don’t have a whole lot of progress to show for it.
Did you know in God’s holy word, someone else felt this exact same way? Someone else sat and wrote similar words, and they qualified for preserving throughout all these generations because God wanted to ensure we read those words today. Words that would speak exactly how we feel in frustration with ourselves.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:15 ” I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
And in response we want to say, “Paul, SAME!!!! Dude, me too!”
Right, you too are confused by your own lack of ability to do the things you know you need to do. You too can’t understand why there’s a disconnect between knowing and doing. Oh girls, we don’t have a knowing problem … we have a doing problem.
We are directed by God’s Spirit which dwells within us. That Spirit is continually prompting us and showing us what to do. We know it. We feel it. But dang if we don’t resist it and do the thing we’re not supposed to do. We want to be good, but darn it, we keep doing bad.
The struggle is real. I’m not just saying that. Seriously, the struggle is real. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, and the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The powers of Hell come out to fight against us doing the things the Spirit prompts us to do. Why? Because if our enemy can keep us feeling bad about every little we do, then we surely won’t have the confidence to do the big things God has planned for us to do. We’re off the battlefields and sitting on the sidelines, exactly where our enemy wants us.
But understand this my sister, no matter how bad we’ve screwed up, and no matter how many times we’ve been caught in the trap of doing the thing we said we wouldn’t do, God still wants us off the sideline and on the field of this life! He still wants us in the game, in the fight, showing up for the good plans he has for us.
God hasn’t counted you out. He hasn’t dismissed you from your destiny. He hasn’t cancelled your calling. Nope, he sent his best player in to cover you. He sent JESUS FOR YOU!
And this is what the Apostle Paul realizes, he realizes Jesus is for this exact struggle. Not only to save us for an eternity, but to save us right here, right now. To change the things we can never change.
Reading in the MSG translation Romans 7: 18-25 “I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. (Well isn’t that a peak into our soul, goals, our daily schedule, and our pantry?)
It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can (help me) and does (help me).”
Reading these words is as if someone just bared your innermost struggle and thoughts publicly, right? Isn’t this exactly how you feel? You decide to do good, but darn it all, you don’t actually do it. You make decisions, but those decisions don’t result in actions. And it happens so much with you, it’s predictable. It’s predictable to the point that you’re questioning why even try again.
Is that where you are … questioning why you would even try again. Giving up. Settling right here. Oh sis, you’re hearing this right now because God isn’t letting you quit here. He’s not letting you settle now. He’s calling you on and stirring up his fight within you.
You thought you were alone in this? Girl, you’re not only NOT alone, you’re joined by all of mankind! Heck look back at Eve. Eve was given one instruction of what not to do. She had complete permission to eat everything there was, except for the fruit of one tree … and what did she do? She ate the dang apple she wasn’t supposed to do. She meant to do good. Her intentions were good. But she got tripped up.
And so do you. You get tripped up.
And let me assure you, God is not at all surprised by this. He anticipated your need for a rescue and he sent Jesus. Your answer for this is Jesus. Jesus CAN help you and he DOES help you.
Jesus, I’m trying darn it. But I still really need your help.
All this time God has been watching you. His eye has never left you. His thoughts have always been about you. And you know that thing you really screwed up … that legit worst decision of your life … that time when you world-class failed … that thing maybe you’ve never even been able to take full responsibility for and you’re still trying to hide after all this time … God saw it.
Yes, God’s eye was on you as you were screwing that up. And he didn’t turn away from you. Listen, because you need to know this, THERE’S NEVER BEEN A DAY WHEN GOD PANICKED AND THOUGHT ‘OH NO, SHE’S RUINED EVERYTHING’!!!!
That’s never happened. God’s never once been stuck in a corner, unable to work with the crap you’ve done. He’s never once felt you were too far gone or beyond saving. He’s never once written you off as broken, unworthy, or incapable of change. You’ve always been his girl. You’ve always been the one he knew was full of potential, and he knew it because he put that potential within you. You’ve always been the one destined for greater things, because he wrote that destiny.
You and I are just like Paul, coming to God and saying “Lord, I’m trying darn it!” Trying, but failing. Pushing to do better, but sometimes going backwards instead of forwards. But we’re here seeking. And Jesus promised when we seek, we will find. And what we find is Jesus here to help us. Here to redeem us. Here to strengthen us to do the things the Spirit prompts us to do.
Was God able to use Paul even though he clearly struggled to make himself do the good things he wanted to do? Absolutely. Isn’t he still using him today? For real, God is still using Paul to help us today, thousands of years later! And girl, you think God can’t use you in some way? You think your struggles and failures dismiss you from a life of purpose?
With Jesus, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. You haven’t ruined anything. God can work with this! Jesus, today, please help us do better.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today we’re going way back to the best days … the days of the 80’s. The days of big hair, neon legwarmers and cut t-shirts. And no doubt, the days of the best music ever. I’ll start the song, and I know you can sing it.
- The big hair band Poison.
Every rose has it’s thorn.
Just like every night has it’s dawn.
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song.
Every rose has it’s thorn.
Yeah it does.
But why? Why does every rose have it’s thorn? Have you ever thought about that? Why did God create beautiful, delicious smelling roses to have pesky thorns? Thorns are there to protect the rose! This is the rose’s God-given protection from being eaten by all the predators attracted to it’s sweet fragrance. Because it is so sweet and so beautiful, it must be protected from danger, thus the thorns.
So yes indeed, every rose really does have it’s thorn. And these thorns are a good thing.
What is your thorn? What purpose does it serve?
Just last week we talked about Paul having a thorn which God refused to remove. Episode 1066 “That Continued Problem”. We learned that God’s grace is perfectly sized and just enough to cover anything and everything you are going through. But honestly it’s sometimes conflicting because yesterday in episode 1070 we learned about “The Offer of Healing” and how sometimes we don’t really want to be well because of our addiction to the pity, the pass, or the perks our illness gives us.
So God refused to heal Paul of this thorn in his side that was tormenting him, but Jesus is making sure we understand we must truly WANT to be well. So which is it, do we get healed, or do we not? Are we not healed because we don’t really want it? Are we being punished? Is this for a greater purpose than we understand?
There is no one answer.
Does Jesus heal? ABSOLUTELY!
Does God do the impossible on our behalf? YOU BET YOUR BUTT HE DOES!
Can you get in the way of God’s offers of healing and restoration? YIP. BEEP BEEP GIRL, MOVE IT.
Do some requests seem to go unanswered? Yes. But remember, no is an answer. And if God says no, there’s a greater purpose than a yes could possibly bring.
Sometimes we’re called to trust the ‘no.’ Sometimes we’re asked to believe what we cannot understand and lean into the all-knowing Almighty.
Paul struggled with a problem. We don’t know exactly what this problem was, perhaps a physical ailment, a mental challenge, or an internal battle, but whatever it was we know it tormented him. It was his torn. Nearly every translation of the bible refers to Paul’s problem as a thorn. Que the music Poison, “every rose has it’s thorn …”
Why? Why does every rose have it’s thorn? Not to punish it, to protect it!
Paul’s thorn wasn’t a punishment, it was his protection! 2 Corinthians 12:7 “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”
The danger to Paul was in becoming proud. If everything was so good in his life, he would potentially become conceited. God, in all of his wisdom, knew Paul was capable of great and mighty things, but he also knew the dangers of him becoming all puffed up in his own greatness. God knew Paul being conceited would hurt the purpose for which he was created. So, to protect him and all the goodness he had within, he was given a problem that continually humbled him.
And although Paul genuinely wanted to be made well, and asked God 3 times, God said no. Not as a punishment, but as a protection. This torn protected Paul from the greater danger of being conceited. So, he was humbled.
Could the problem you’re dealing with right now be for the same purposes? Purposes of protection? This isn’t a punishment, this is to protect the potential God has placed within you. What you have is precious. What you can do is powerful. But understand it is constantly under attack.
Why wouldn’t God just let you be wildly successful and make this look easy? Oh honey, haven’t you seen the enemy wreck havoc in lives that seem to have absolutely everything? Haven’t you seen the damage he can do in success? Haven’t you seen the touch of his darkness in the spotlight?
When you understand sometimes continual setbacks and struggles, failures and frustrations, are actually thorns that protect you from the dangers of your predator, then you can receive God’s grace that is indeed sufficient for you.
For 8 years I fought and failed. I tried everything to grow this dream God had placed within my soul to encourage others. It was the worst tango ever with 1 step forward and 2 steps back, and everything always in the red. On year 8 I officially gave up. I mean full on surrender, on my face, shameful disgrace quit. God wasn’t removing this thorn, and I felt I couldn’t continue on with it blocking me. I was constantly hurt by what others said, failed more than I succeeded, and never felt good enough.
And in this time of giving up, God showed me his power. Yes, that same power Paul spoke about through his thorn in 2 Corinthians 12. Now verse 8-10 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
If you’re in this place that I once was, this place of feeling like you just can’t go on if God doesn’t remove this struggle, I pray you too can see the perfection in God’s power at work right now. Without this problem, would you be listening today? If everything were easy, would you be here seeking God’s direction today? Or would you be proud .. proud of all you can do on your own and conceited in thinking you’ve always got what it takes?
That’s not who you are because honey, just like Paul, and just like me, you’ve got yourself a thorn. A thorn that humbles you. A thorn that makes things hard. A thorn that continually reminds you of your struggles. And although it doesn’t always look or feel like it, that thorn is God’s protection of all he has placed inside of you.
Every rose has it’s thorn, and every daughter of the King created to walk in a great purpose has her problem. Within that problem is God’s power at work. Within that problem is a humbling effect to keep us from running off with wild success into the pit of our enemy who prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour.
I’m going to tell you a little story I don’t often tell. It may not be for all ears, so proceed with caution. It’s a funny story, but slightly inappropriate.
As a really little girl, a woman once visited my home and asked me what I wanted to be. I proudly exclaimed with zero hesitation, “I want to be a stripper!” I don’t remember anything else about that conversation.
But you see, the night before I was watching TV, and there was a woman dancing on a table. I’m a full-fledged, flaming 7 on the ennegram, so I looked at that woman dancing on a table and I said “Daddy, what is she.” My Dad being the straight-shooter that he was said “honey, that woman is a stripper.” Okay, note to self, I want to be a stripper! This is my life goal!
As a 7 on the ennegram, we are the fun ones to be around, but let me tell you, we can be a hot mess without constraints. So, the good Lord gave me a thorn to protect me. Y’all I can’t dance to save my life. I’m tragically bad. Like a mix of Phoebe from Friends and Elaine on Seinfeld, and maybe a little Carlton from Fresh Prince, but I also inadvertently throw gang signs when I dance, so there’s that. I could mope around and ask why God didn’t give me the groove, but I know … it’s one of my thorns. He was protecting me and keeping me off the pole. Thanks God!
In all seriousness, God protects his girls! Today, let’s take a moment to thank him for the thorns in our lives that protect us from the intended harm our predator had planned. We are His precious rose, and we are protected!!!!!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
We refer to Jesus as the Great Physician. He is the one who heals the sick, restores sight to the blind, makes the lame to walk, and gives life where there was none before. No where in our Bible do we find an account of a sickness too great for Jesus’ healing powers. Never once does Jesus walk away and say this is too far gone. Nor does he ever say this isn’t a big deal, why have you bothered me about this headache?
You go to the doctor because you’re sick and you’re seeking a solution. You go to Jesus because you’re sick and you’re seeking a solution. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. Sick of being sad. Sick of being worried. Sick of being miserable. Sick of hurting. Sick of nothing changing.
I don’t know about you, but I’m super quick to pray for someone else’s healing, but I think of 10 other things before I consider that for myself. What if Jesus really just wants you to say very specifically today “I WANT TO BE MADE WELL.”
Now girl, if you are made well, you realize what you will have to give up, right? That means you’ll probably have to get some work done because your excuse to lay on the couch will be dismissed. You realize you’ll have to sacrifice the pity you receive in your sickness and you don’t get to be pitiful any more. The story you tell over and over again will have to be left in the past, because when you’re healed it doesn’t get to be drug into your future.
Isn’t that why Jesus asks “do you want to be made well”? Healing will require a release of many other things that become almost addictive to us. Healing may require an active participation on our part, and we may have been laying around miserable for so long that we no longer identify with being whole.
In John 5, Jesus, the Great Physician, comes to a pool where all the sick are laying, awaiting healing. There he finds a man who has been disabled for 38 years. This man had given up on his healing. He was only laying by the water because it was what he had always done.
Maybe you’re not laying by water, but you’re laying on the couch. You’re dragging butt through your days because that’s what you’ve always done. You’ve always lacked the energy to do more. You’ve always struggled with the confidence to do something different. You’ve always hid in the corner, or sat on the bench of life.
But my sister, what if it could be different? What if the rest of your life could be a different story? What if your healing begins with one thing? What one thing would it be?
Verse 6 “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
Jesus begins with our desire. Do you WANT to get well? Notice it says Jesus asked this after learning that the man had been in this condition for a long time. He knew once we’ve suffered with illness for a long time, it becomes our identity. It becomes our only story. And we become dependent upon the pity. The excuses it gives us become our only crutch to carry us through.
DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?
Do you want to be the healthy one without a single reason to sit it out again? Really think about that, because sitting it out feels kinda good sometimes, doesn’t it? It’s your ticket to get away with doing less … do you really want to forfeit that ticket?
Do you want to be the well one who has no worthy story of pity? Do you want to be the one who gets zero benefits because you have absolutely nothing holding you back?
This is why Jesus asks, because sometimes we’re real attached to our illness. Are you willing to trade that for healing? Are you willing to never use this as an excuse again? Are you willing to never stand out as “special”?
Healing begins with first the desire to be well.
God, we desire healing. We desire wholeness. We desire the ability to never excuse ourselves from the hard stuff again. We desire to never need this dang mat to lay around on again.
When Jesus heard the man’s reply of a legitimate problem with a genuine desire, an invitation was given.
Verse 7, the disabled man says “Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
Genuine desire is shown here. He has been trying to get in the water for healing, but there is a legitimate problem. The problem is, when the water is stirred, only the first one to touch the water is healed, and someone always gets into the water ahead of him. After 38 years of this, of course the man had given up. Just as maybe you have given up. You’ve lived with this problem for so long, it’s just become part of your life. You’ve adapted and perhaps even adapted to find the benefits in the struggle. Now those benefits are a little hard to let go of.
You have a legitimate problem. Now, do you have a genuine desire? A genuine desire for healing. A full release of all the things an illness may give you as a side benefit.
Jesus wants to know, “do you want to get well?” I mean all the way well. I mean no longer having an excuse to sit out a single thing in your life. I mean no longer having a sad story to tell. I mean being completely capable of doing hard things, and those hard things being required of you now because you no longer get a pass.
Yes? This is what you want? Are you sure? You want to walk away from this and give up the mat you’ve been laying on for all these years? You want to have zero reason to be lazy? You want to have no good excuse from this day forward of not giving your absolute best? You want to receive no special treatment, no pass, no pity?
Alright, then maybe Jesus has an invitation for you today just as he did this man at the pool. The invitation comes in verse 8, Jesus says “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
Girl, are you ready to get up? I mean really get up! Get up from the things that have been dragging you down. Get up from the excuses that have held you back? Get up from the past that has cast a shadow on your today?
It’s getting up time!
Yes, you have a legitimate problem, but you are in the presence of the Great Physician. His power is here. Your problem isn’t too big for his power, but maybe your attachment to your problem has prohibited his power.
Do you identify more with being sick or being well? Do you identify more with being whole or being broken? Do you identify more with being left out or being chosen? Do you identify more with moving forward or staying stuck? Do you identify more with the struggle or overcoming? Do you identify more with the worry or the joy, the stress or the peace?
Girl, what are you attached to? Jesus is asking if you want that to change. Do you want his power here, or has your problem really been serving you well?
The disabled man accepted Jesus’ invitation and he did what he was never able to do before. Verse 9 “At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”
Now guess what happened next? Immediately he met opposition. Immediately he encountered a pull back. Immediately he was reminded he wasn’t supposed to do what he was doing. Verse 10 “the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
This is the equivalent of “girl, you’re depressed, you’re not supposed to be happy!” “You’re sick, you can’t do these things.” “Go back and get your excuses, you’re going to have to do hard things without them!”
Yip, that’s right … your whole world just changed because of the invitation of Jesus to be made well, and that means you’re going to be doing some different things now. Some hard things. Some things you avoided in the past. Some things you didn’t think you could ever do. And some people aren’t going to like that. Some people are going to remind you of what you can’t do. Some people are going to feel more comfortable if you lay back down on your mat and play little.
But remember who is offering to make you well. The Great Physician!
So our response is, YES WE WANT TO BE MADE WELL and we willingly release all the benefits of laying here! We’re ready to get up now and move forward in the strength Jesus has offered.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
This God of ours who holds our lives in the palm of his hand, this God who delights over the unfolding of our days, this God who knows all, sees all, and can do all, he is the God of details. He is in every detail, leaving nothing out and nothing wasted.
Be assured, he is in the details of this very day of your life. Look for him there, and you will surely find him.
What will you find him doing in the details? You will find him aligning connections, making a way, opening doors, and setting up opportunities to step into the life you were created for. You can’t see it, but I assure you, He is there and he is doing it for you.
You’ve heard it said, the Lord works in mysterious ways. The quote actually comes from a song written in the 1773:
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill;
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
My sister, the mysteries of today are God’s works unfolding in your life. He is performing his wonders for you. His will is at work, his good plans are unmatched and unstoppable. And what you fear are dark storm clouds, are actually filled with mercy and will bring blessings upon you. But, it will be so mysterious you might just miss that it was God in the details.
We assume God is so busy dealing with the big things of the world that he doesn’t really care about the small details. But you’re wrong. God knows exactly what he wants, and what he wants is in great detail.
When God instructed Noah to build the ark, he gave him specific instructions. Genesis 6: 14-16 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.”
God was telling Noah exactly what he wanted in the largest wooden vessel ever built. Now remember, building this boat made absolutely no sense. Noah spent the majority of our current life span building this boat, in a time when it never rained. It was a drought, and he’s building a boat for a land that never received water. Yet, God was so specific in his details of the grand size of this boat. Why? Because the details mattered. The details wouldn’t make sense when they were given, but they were to be trusted.
Yes, God works in mysterious ways. Once the boat was complete, it began to rain, and it didn’t stop. The whole earth was flooded, and only the people and animals on the boat would survive.
Now my sister, if God can tell a man to build a boat 70 years before it starts raining, don’t you think he can be trusted with the details of your life? Don’t you think he can cover every single thing coming your way, and already has? Don’t you think you can find peace in knowing God works in mysterious ways, and while you will not understand those mysteries, you’re covered by them.
The mysteries of your life are well-known by the Almighty. This is where he is working. This is where his details are in motion. Watch him work! Watch him do unfathomable things on your behalf.
I had a conversation with two women at retreat this past weekend. This wasn’t their first retreat together, but it was their first one together intentionally. Last Spring God had brought them together at our adventure ranch retreat in Oklahoma. However, with a group of over 100 women riding horses, jumping off tall poles, and having paint covered dance parties, they missed one another. They were brought there to meet, but they didn’t. They were in separate cabins without an opportunity to connect.
Oh, but God. God had brought them together for a divine purpose they couldn’t have known, and when they didn’t connect on the ranch, God’s greater details began to unfold. They ended up on the same flight out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. One flying home to Florida and the other flying home to Virginia. But not only the same flight, the same row. Not only the same row, but side by side seats. However, they had no idea they had both just been at the same retreat.
The majority of the flight passes, as one of the women feels a prompting to start a conversation with this stranger sitting next to her. As she follows the promptings, they soon discover to their great surprise it was a divine encounter! Both had endured a similar hardship that had turned their worlds upside down. Both were now being called to use that hardship for something greater. The two of them would call out the potential in each other and see the blessings breaking over their heads from the dark clouds they had dreaded.
They had missed their opportunity to meet at the retreat God had brought both of them to, but that didn’t stop God. He placed them in side-by-side seats on an airplane and said “here, these are the divine details of your encounter!”
Y’all, that’s how big our God is. He works in mysterious ways, and his ways are filled with purpose.
And if you should perhaps miss his plans the first time around, he will dish out second chances that exceed your wildest expectations. I wonder what you and I may have missed the first time around? We missed the connection he had planned for us. We missed the conversation we were supposed to be part of. We missed the opportunity he had aligned for us. We missed it … but God declares it’s not too late.
And when God says it’s not too late, he has 90 year old women like Sarah having babies. He has crippled men laying on a mat for 38 years, up walking. He has a man who has been dead and buried for days coming out of the tomb. And here you were thinking it’s too late because you may have fiddle-farted around and missed what God had for you the first time … oh girl, let God out of the box you’ve put him in. If you missed it the first time, he’s going to blow you away with this second chance alignment!
Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
The Message Translation continues like this “Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Everything comes from him. Everything happens through him. Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes, yes, yes!”
God is working in mysterious ways on your behalf. And if you missed it the first time, he’s here with a second chance that’s going to blow your mind. Look around, he’s here in the details of today’s unfolding. Be amazed by him. Be guided by him. Be strengthened by him. And find your courage in knowing he is all over this my sister!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Exactly how does God do the impossible? How does his power appear in your life? How does he move? How does he flow? How does he appear?
Today we will go on a little journey through chapters 3 & 4 of Exodus to see how God works. Oh I just know this will speak to you right where you are. Get ready, this one is for you. Yes, personally for you.
In Exodus chapter 3, God speaks and says he has heard the cry of his people and he is moved to help them. His people were the Israelites and they had been held as slaves in Egypt. God says he saw how miserable they were and he was concerned about them.
Did you know God gets concerned about you? He sees what you are going through. He hears your prayers. He is moved by you. He wants you to know today, that he sees you. He knows exactly where you are and he’s going to do something about it.
In response to what his people are going through, in verse 8 God says “so I have come down to rescue them.”
Oh yes, please Lord come down and rescue me.
Is that your prayer this morning? Come rescue me. This is a big old mess. I see no way out. I’m completely stuck and God, you are my only hope. Come down and rescue me.
So God has seen how miserable his people are. He has seen how they are being treated and he’s decided he’s doing something about it. I have come down to rescue them. Then he turns to Moses and says in verse 10, “So now, go. I am sending you.”
Wait, hold up God, you said YOU have come down to rescue them, why are you sending me?
Ahhhhhh, this is a powerful lesson today, listen up.
God comes down with his power to work and move by sending us. We are his hands and feet. When God wants to do something, he moves you. So now, go. I am sending you.
Wouldn’t we rather God just magically do something? Wouldn’t we rather him snap his fingers and change it all? I mean if I were God of the universe and this was my world, that’s the way I would have set it up.
And you know what I would have on my hands? A bunch of ungrateful human beings who sat around and did nothing but complain waiting for their God to do everything. Maybe that’s why God doesn’t just say poof and fix our problems. He knows we would grow lazy. He knows we would be ungrateful. He knows our greatest potential is only reached through his power working in the struggle through us.
So instead he says, I’m coming down to rescue, but I’m coming down through YOU. So now, go. I am sending you.
Really, what an honor this is. Think about that! God is sending you an invitation to be a vessel for his unstoppable power. He has extended an opportunity for you to partner with him in doing impossible things! He could do it without you, but instead he wants to do it THROUGH you!
And here’s where it starts getting good. God has just responded to Moses’ prayers by saying “I’m sending you”, and Moses begins arguing with God. Verse 11, “Who am I to lead the people?” Wait God, you’ve got the wrong guy. Can’t you pick someone else? Who am I that you would choose me God?
God says, go I AM WITH YOU.
But that wasn’t enough for Moses. Is it enough for you to know that God is with you?
You do know that God is with you today, right? Whatever it is that you need to do today, whatever it is that you’re facing, you’re never alone. God is right there with you if you invite him.
What I really love about God is he will not only be right beside you, but he will go before you at the same time. He will go in front to clear the way. And he will also go behind you. Oh yes, God’s got your back. He’s protecting you. You are surrounded. You are filled. You are empowered. Respond to the promptings of his spirit and step into his power.
Moses says, okay God I know you’re with me, but what if the Israelites don’t listen to me? What if they don’t believe me. After all, I’m just plain old Moses here God. Now we’re in Exodus chapter 4 and in verse 2 God says “Moses, what do you have in your hand?” A staff. God was going to use exactly what Moses already had to do what needed to be done. It was already in his hand.
Oh girl, you already have what you need. It’s already in your hand, you just don’t see the power of what you’re already holding. But you will. God is getting ready to reveal it to you. You have fast hands and good eyes. You’ve got it!
So God says to Moses “throw the staff on the ground”. Moses throws down the staff and it turns into a snake. Moses is scared of snakes and he runs. Then he says Moses, “put your hand inside your coat and take it out”. He does and his hand became covered in leprosy.
Don’t you see, God just made things worse for Moses. What good he had in his hand he turned to a snake, then he gave him an illness. Why? Why did this happen to Moses?
So that Moses would have a story. So when he went to speak to the Israelites he would have something to say. He would know the power of God. He would have proof of what God can do.
Could this be why some good things have turned bad right in front of you?
Is God wanting to remind you of his power?
Is he giving you a story?
Oh girl, you are walking around with PROOF of who God is and what he can do!
Could this be why you have been touched by illness or a struggle? Could it be because God is wanting to use you? He is wanting to work through you! And you have doubted who you are. You have doubted being good enough for the job. So God is showing you personally what he can do.
You see, when you have God touch your own life, when you see him work up close and personal, you then have the courage to do exactly what he tells you to do. When you personally know the power of God because you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you will tell the whole world about your God.
So now, understanding how God’s works, Moses lead God’s people just as he was told, using exactly what he already had. That staff became the vessel through which God did the impossible and parted the sea. That man who felt so unworthy became the great leader others would follow because of his story of his personal encounter with the Almighty.
God came down to rescue his people and he did it through an ordinary man with ordinary things. An ordinary man with doubts and fears and insecurities. An ordinary man who was empowered to do the extraordinary by simply GOING when God said go.
That’s just how God works!
God has heard you. He sees you. And he’s coming down to do something about it.
But remember, he chooses ordinary people to do his work.
Look around you today, he’s working on your behalf through ordinary people like Moses who have had something powerful happen in their lives.
And you – if God has done something in your life it’s because he now wants to use YOU. Let him. Say yes to him.
What could God do with a girl like you? Gosh, I can’t even imagine, but I sure hope you’ll trust him enough to go for it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
What is your direction? Have you allowed the distance you have to go to discourage you from the directional change you need to make? Ahhhh, I’m so far gone, why even try? Oh Sis, when you don’t even try, you continue in the wrong direction.
What would happen if you would just decide to change your direction? Well let me tell you, the whole trajectory of your life would change. Did you know a 1 degree change in direction will result in a measurable difference over time? If an airplane changes it’s direction by just 1 tiny degree while flying from California to Maine, it could end up in Vermont?!!!
My sister, it’s not the distance that matters, it is your direction.
Luke 15: 11-32 Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. A wealthy man had 2 sons. The younger son demands his inheritance early, leaves home with his money and wastes it all. He loses everything and ends up sleeping and eating with the pigs. One day he remembers who he really is, and decides to return to his father and beg forgiveness. My favorite part of the story is verse 20, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
While he was still a long way off, the father ran to him. I find that interesting because when the son left, the father didn’t run after him. But when he was returning, he did.
When the son left home, there was a point the father could have easily seen him and called to him. He was still close in distance. Distance didn’t matter, the son was heading in the wrong direction. Now the son is returning home and is now far in distance, farther than before, but the difference is in his direction.
The father’s response to the son was not because now he’s close to him and before he was not. No, the father’s response is because of the son’s direction. He has turned back towards the father.
You may have strayed far from your Heavenly Father. You may have been apart from him for a long time. It may have been years since you did anything more than go through the motions to check the box of your Christian duites. Guilt and shame is layers deep and piled on high. Maybe you’ve fallen a long way from where you once were on your journey. But remember this my friend, the distance is nothing for God.
You think you’re far from God, but what is far for him? Scripture tells us in Isaiah 40:12 that his hands are so tremendously ginormous (is that a word or did I just make that up … ginormous … yeah, they’re really really big) that he measures all the heavens between his thumb and his pinky. So understand, distance is nothing for God. No matter how far you may have wandered off from the life he has for you, you’re still in the palm of his hand.
It’s not your distance, it is your direction. Are you still wandering away from God’s good plans, or have you turned to seek him again? I believe in this moment, by intentionally listening to this devotional, you are turning. Now maybe you have a really long way to go in getting back to who God created you to be, or maybe you’ve just gotten a little off path by being busy and distracted. None of that matters, what matters here is your direction. YOU HAVE TURNED TO GOD.
And as we see in the story which Jesus told of the prodigal son, when the son changed his direction and headed back towards the father, while he was still a long way off, the father came running to him. You may have a long way to go and you think God will only bless you when you’ve cleaned yourself up and gotten your crap together. You’re wrong. That’s a lie of the enemy trying to convince you of your unworthiness. Listen to me, Jesus already died for you. The price has already been paid for you. Nothing you alone can do will make you worthy, and nothing you alone could do would make you unworthy. This is about Jesus. All that matters here is your direction.
You may have been closer to God sometime in the past, and now you feel such guilt for having gotten off track. Get over that. Shake it off. This distance is nothing for God. It’s all about your direction. Are you seeking him again? Are you trying to make time for him again? Are you desiring his way over your own again? GREAT … then he is running to you now. He will lessen that gap.
And oh how this lesson applies to so many areas of our lives. It’s not about how far you have fallen or how far you have to go. That’s all just distance. What matters is your direction.
Are you now heading towards health? Are you now heading towards financial freedom? Are you now heading towards restoration? If you are moving in the right direction, you will eventually get there. It’s your trajectory.
If you were to start where you were last Friday, and draw a line to where you are today with an arrow, is your trajectory forwards or backwards? Up or down? Are you getting better, or getting worse? Are you making progress or are you going backwards?
The difference between having 5 pounds to lose and 50 pounds to lose is just a zero … it’s just a number. What matters is the direction in which you’re now heading. Girls on a healthy weight loss journey, is that number going up or is that number going down? Are you moving in the direction of health? If you’re not, don’t fool yourself!
Is your house getting better, or is it getting worse? Is your relationship growing closer, or girl is it heading in the totally wrong direction?
Turn yourself in the right direction. The distance is just travel time, that’s all it is. And the travel and the time will pass. It’s all about your direction … where are you heading? What is your trajectory on the path you’re on? Is it taking you where you want to go? Are you going back to God or are you leaving him? If you have turned towards him, he sees you and he is running right for you!
And just as the father welcomes his lost son back with open arms, God does the same for you. The son was busy apologizing and begging for forgiveness and the father doesn’t even acknowledge how dirty he is. He doesn’t say, “son, clean yourself up then I’ll hug you.” No, he grabs him up, spins him around in absolute celebration and says “my son has returned home.” Was the son really home yet? No, he was still a long way off. The father had ran all the way out to him. But he was heading in the right direction, and that’s all that mattered.
No matter how far you have to go towards living the life your were created for as the woman you were created to be, no matter how far off track you may have gotten before and how much time has been wasted, all God is looking for today is your direction.
Has your direction been wrong? Are you getting a little worse instead of better? Are you getting farther away instead of closer? TURN YOURSELF AROUND SISTER.
He’s been waiting for you to turn fully towards the life available to you, and when you do, he comes running to meet you and guide you there. Carry you in. Celebrate your homecoming.
Not to tell you how bad you’ve screwed up and how much of your life you have wasted. That’s what we do to ourselves, we don’t need God for that. God comes to remind us he never stopped loving us, never stopped looking for us, and was always waiting to run towards us when we got our direction right.
Today, we go in the right direction, and he comes running to meet us for the distance.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Let me tell you what we’re doing today. The game plan is simple … we’re running back to Jesus. We’re running back simply to tell him thank you. To show him what he has done in our lives. To express our gratitude. To give our praise. Yes, it’s time to run on back now to the one who has made every ounce of goodness you’re currently experiencing possible in your life.
The majority won’t ever stop to say thank you. Most will just keep running along in whatever direction Jesus has made possible. And maybe that used to be us. We used to live our lives that way. We just to pray about something, receive it, but never even stop to recognize the answered prayer before we move on to the next thing. We once ran from one desire to the next, from one problem to the next problem, never coming back to the one who has blessed us, saved us, healed us, restored us, and provided for us.
cs
BUT THAT’S NOT WHO WE ARE ANYMORE. Now that we know better, we can do better.
Luke 17: 12-19 “As Jesus was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master,have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Oh there’s so much we could unpack in these few short verses. How their healing was found as they WENT. Yes sister, it’s not as you sit and wallow, it’s as you get up and go. It’s as you do everything you can with what you have, then Jesus comes in and does what only he can do. They were healed AS THEY WENT. Do you know when God provides that new job? Yeah, after you go on that interview. Do you know when God starts restoring your marriage? Yeah, after you go to marriage counseling, even if you have to go by yourself. Do you know when God starts providing supernaturally? Yeah, when you’re faithful with the little you already have.
But today, we’re going to focus on what happened AFTER the healing. For 9 of the 10, they just kept on going. They received their healing and never came back. Why? They assumed Jesus just knew? They figured their gratitude wasn’t really necessary? They were making up for the time they had lost being sick, so they were busy? Whatever the reason, they were healed and they didn’t return.
But 1 of the 10, he came back. He came back with the same enthusiasm he had before. Notice scripture says originally they “called out to Jesus in a loud voice.” Now, after receiving his healing, the one came back, and it says he was “praising God in a loud voice.” With as much energy as he cried out to Jesus, he came back with the same energy praising him.
Oh girl, do you thank him as much as you request of him? Do you praise him with the same urgency you came asking him with? If you would hit your knees begging for your child’s health, would you hit your knees praising God for that same child’s good health? If you asked him for the paycheck, did you thank him when you received it? If you asked him for the house you’re currently living in, do you still thank him for it every morning you wake up in it?
Get yourself back to Jesus and be the one that tells him thank you.
In my head, God is real busy. He’s so busy doing big things, he probably doesn’t need to be bothered with me telling him about every little thing in my life. I’m sure after 20 days in a row of me telling him thank you for the same exact thing, it gets a little old for him too, so eventually I stop doing it. He knows I’m grateful, do I really need to say it?
Well let me tell you, Jesus was shocked when only 1 of the 10 came back after receiving their healing. Jesus asked “were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
Oh my goodness, what if Jesus has been looking for me … wondering why I haven’t come back to tell him thank you for that car that’s still somehow starting every morning, that job that’s still making it possible to buy groceries every week, those legs that are still walking and those lungs that are still breathing. Have I come back to tell him thank you, or did I just keep going?
One came back. Nine kept going. Jesus expected all ten to stop and recognize what he had done for them. I’ve been part of the nine entirely more than I would like to admit. I’ve been the recipient of perfect timing, divine connections, and miraculous details time and time again, and I just kept on going like it was normal.
It’s not normal. This is supernatural. It’s supernatural that you and I are breathing right now. It’s supernatural that we are here with the opportunities we each have today. This isn’t normal. Wake up sis … we gotta go back now!
Isn’t it funny how life touches us, humbles us, and teaches us a lesson to know better, all so we can start doing better. We’re here to do better with what we’ve learned now. Over the past 2 years life has taught us the little things we always took for granted were actually really big things. Big things like our kids being able to go to school on a Thursday. Big things like going to see mom or dad or grandma and grandpa. Big things like sneezing without freaking out. Big things like leaving yo’ dang house.
We’ve learned a lot. We have a whole list of things to be grateful for we didn’t even know to be grateful for before. Have we just carried on and moved forward, or have we returned? Have we returned with our new lessons, now knowing better, so we praise better?
Today is the 10th day of the 2nd month of 2022. Have you come back to tell Jesus thank you for all he’s done for you so far this year … or were you planning to do that later? Were you waiting to see how all this works out before offering your praise? Jesus has been waiting for you to come back and tell him about all you have received so far. Get yourself back to his feet and start telling him now!
Many years ago I read a statement that kinda took my breath away. It said “What if you woke up today with only what you thanked God for yesterday?” This sent fear down my spine. If I don’t thank God for it, will I lose it? Nope. That’s not it at all. But do you really want to be one of the ungrateful nine who never came back to say thank you?
I don’t want that, and I know you don’t either. That means we gotta get ourselves back to Jesus to say thank you, and pronto!
What did he do for you yesterday? Start there and thank him for it today.
The leper called to Jesus in a loud voice and asked for healing, then he came back with that same loud voice to praise him. I’ve fervently asked for a few things, now I will fervently thank him in the same way for all he has already done.
Look around sister, we are wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. We are entitled to none of this, so we can be grateful for all of it! Grateful to who … the one who made it possible. Now, get yo’self back to Jesus and tell him about it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Jesus is continually inviting you into a life beyond your wildest dreams. If you’re not living it, there’s one reason … you’re holding on to the things that are holding you back. When you’re ready to let go, then God is ready to take you to higher levels, deeper impact, and greater things than your mind has ever dared to imagine.
But, you’re holding on to that which holds you back. What is it Sis?
In scripture there’s a story of a very rich man encountering Jesus. Jesus had an invitation for him, but this man was held back by what he was holding on to, so he never stepped into what was truly possible in his life.
The story is found in Mark 10: 17-22:
“A man came running up to Jesus, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “You know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.”
“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Is Jesus saying you must give away everything to have salvation? No. Is he saying the only way to get into Heaven is to have nothing left? No. Actually, what we are likely missing in this story is Jesus is inviting this rich man to come and be one of his disciples. Come, follow me. Aren’t those the same words he spoke to Peter in his boat? He said to Peter, “come and follow me”, and while Peter didn’t have a lot of possessions to let go of, he did have the catch of a lifetime sitting in his boat.
Remember, Peter had been out fishing all night in Luke 4. He had caught nothing, and as a professional fisherman, that’s a bad night. Then Jesus comes walking up the next morning as Peter is putting away his nets and says “hey, go back on the water and cast your nets one more time.” While that didn’t make any sense, Peter did as Jesus suggested, and proceeded to bring in so many fish, the nets began to break and the boat began to sink. And again, to a professional fisherman, that’s a BIG deal because that’s a big paycheck.
But now, Jesus says “come, follow me” and that means Peter will have to let go of the great success he just hauled in. He accepted the invitation, let go of what could hold him back, and stepped into a life of greater meaning and deeper purpose than he could imagine. I mean really, do you think he would have ever thought he would be the one walking on water with Jesus?
And guess what … he wouldn’t have been the one walking on water with Jesus if he would have held on to that successful catch. He had to let it go to follow Jesus.
So back to our original story, the rich man who has so many possessions, standing before Jesus receiving an invitation to be one of his disciples. Jesus says “sell it all, then give away the rest and come follow me.” But that was too much for him. He was willing to follow the rules. He was willing to obey the commandments. But he couldn’t let go of his treasures, so he missed his opportunity.
What could this man have done with Jesus? I mean if Peter, the fisherman walked on water with Jesus, what could this successful businessman have done with Jesus? What could he have built? What could he have created that we would still be using today? What potential did God place within him that never came to fruition because he wasn’t willing to let go of the things that held him back?
The rich man had to give up his possessions. Peter, the fisherman, had to give up his biggest, best catch ever. What is Jesus asking you to give up to really come follow him?
We’re all holding on to something, and whatever we’re holding on to may just be what is holding us back. Jesus wants us to live FREELY without constraint, but the things we hold on to act as chains holding us back, keeping us from the freedom of fully living. Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Christ set you free to live a free life. And anything you can’t let go of is holding you back.
Can’t you hear Jesus saying, “drop that and let’s go.” Drop what? What do you need to drop?
For me to live in freedom, I was much like the rich man with many possessions, I had to let go of everything I had worked so hard to buy. Piece by piece, I sold the furniture that was once on my vision board. We turned over the keys of the dream home we had built with the in-ground trampoline and pool with waterfall in the backyard. Then I had to let go of the successful business we had worked so hard to build and step into the unknown with no paycheck, no insurance, and no clue what I was doing.
But, this is where Jesus was calling me, and I had to let go of everything that was holding me back. A successful business, a paycheck, a big beautiful house, and all my pretty things … none of those things are bad, but for me, they were standing in the way of fully following Jesus where he wanted to lead me.
I had become a slave to my work. I had become a slave to my big house which I could barely keep up with. I had become a slave to buying more and more to make it look better and better. And being a slave to anything doesn’t work for Jesus. He will call you away from that in an instant!
What are you a salve to, my sister?
Are you a slave to the stories you tell yourself? A slave to past mistakes and regrets? A slave to bad habits and bad attitudes? A slave to generations of ‘that’s the way it’s always been, so that’s the way it will always be’? Oh girl … Christ came to set you free so he’s going to ask you to drop all of that!
It’s the good stuff and bad stuff alike that we hold on to. It’s the stuff we can’t imagine living without, it’s the stuff we’ve worked our whole life to get, and it’s the stuff we hate but we’re so darn used to living with it we don’t know how to live without it. All that stuff is holding you back, and Jesus is standing here saying, “come, follow me.”
Where? Well I don’t know exactly, but it’s leading to your destiny. It’s a path to tap into your deepest, greatest potential. You’re going to want to go there, but you’re not going to know where ‘there’ is while you’re standing here being held back by what you’re holding on to.
You know, the funny thing about the things we hold on to, they hold on to us even more. They have a grip on you that is restricting your freedom and limiting your reach. And this is the very thing Christ came to set you free of.
What is it? You can’t follow Jesus into the fullness of life he has available to you if you keep holding back what he is asking you to let go of.
For me, the process of letting go started with one small step. Over 10 years ago, I created a challenge to find one material object you really loved, and give it to someone you know would like it. For me, it was the silliest thing. It was a 4 tier serving tray with wrought iron and white plates that sat on my kitchen island. I loved that thing. It wasn’t crazy expensive, but every time I saw it in my kitchen it was as if I had “arrived” to the destination of success I had always dreamed of. And then I knew, that was what I was supposed to give away.
My friend Laura had commented several times how much she liked it. So one day, I drove to her house, knocked on her door, and delivered my treasured serving tray to her. I was literally choked up. I had to let it go. That day I returned home with a freedom in my spirit I had never felt before. That freedom led to letting the next thing go, then the next, and the next.
Eventually, the house, a car, a few boats, every piece of furniture, along with the majority of my clothes, have all passed through my hands and into the hands of others. We have none of it now. Possessions aren’t bad, but for us, God was calling us to a life that couldn’t be held back by “things”, so we would be free to go. Go to new places to meet new people. Go experience new things to invite others to join us. We had to go, and we couldn’t go with all we had.
So, you start small. What do you think you’ve been holding on to that is holding you back? Could you challenge yourself to let go of a little piece of that, then check to see if your spirit feels more free?
Let go of a little piece of that responsibility you’ve been taking on at work. How does that feel?
Let go of one of the stories you’ve been telling over and over again. How does that feel?
Let go of one thing you’ve always believed you couldn’t do and give it another try. How does that feel?
Jesus is saying “come, follow me” … what will you need to let go of so you can go? What are you holding on to that’s holding you back? Loosen your grip Sis, I promise it’s worth it!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You have a calling on your life. You were designed for a purpose and equipped perfectly to walk in that purpose. The problem is, you’ve been a little stuck. And while you’re sitting there stuck, you began to question. You’re questioning if God can really do impossible things through you. You’re questioning if you really were created for something special. You’re questioning if you really have what it takes to live this full and overflowing life Jesus came to give you. Heck, did Jesus even come to give you that life, or were you disqualified somewhere along the way and you now only qualify for a little life?
How do you think God feels about this questioning? How does he see you while you’re stuck? Does he co-sign on the ‘lesser than’ plans you’ve dismissed yourself to?
Nope. Let me be real clear … your disbelief does not dismiss God’s good plans for you. You’re wavering does not wave God’s purpose for your life. Your questioning hasn’t caused God to quit on you.
Let me prove it to you.
Have you heard the story of John the Baptist before? John was the cousin of Jesus. Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Elizabeth, John’s mother were cousins and they were pregnant at the same time. The first time the two pregnant little mamas came close together, John jumped within his mother’s womb at the presence of the unborn Jesus. John knew who Jesus was before his first breath. Now that’s important, remember that. John knew exactly who Jesus was before he was even born.
And girl, so did you!
John was created with a great purpose in mind. His parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth had struggled with infertility and were now old with no children. In Luke 1 we read of an angel coming to Zechariah and saying in verse 13-17 “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord … to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John was born 6 months before Jesus and he began sharing prophetic words before Jesus began his ministry here on Earth. And it was always planned to be that way. 700 years before, God spoke to Isaiah and said in Malachi 3:1 ““I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” That messenger was John, preparing the way for Jesus.
Yes, all of this was about John. John was God’s choice to prepare people for the arrival of Jesus, the world’s savior. He knew Jesus before he was ever born, leaping within his mother’s womb when coming into his presence even as an unborn baby. John was a man who was born for a purpose, fully guided by God, heck even related to Jesus, but guess what … he questioned.
He questioned just like you’re questioning. He got stuck and he struggled, just like you. And even in his questioning, Jesus never questioned John. Jesus always knew who he was, the potential he held, and the purpose for which he was created. Nothing changed that. And nothing changes that for you either Sister!
So John paves the way for Jesus. He prepares the people to receive the teaching of the Savior. He’s doing great and mighty things for the Lord … then he gets stuck … in prison. And while he’s stuck, he begins to question. Check this out, Matthew 1: 2-3 “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Say what … John, you know Jesus is the one. You know you’ve been out telling everyone about him. You know you’ve been baptizing people to receive what Jesus is about to do for them. You know Jesus, but now that you’re in prison, you’re questioning? You’re questioning if Jesus is who he says he is, or should we be expecting someone else.
Have you ever had someone question you? Question your intentions. Question your qualifications. Question your ability. Their question indicates their doubt in you. They don’t believe you are who you say you are, nor are you capable of doing what they thought you were going to do. That questioning kind of hurts. It might even cause us to get defensive.
Jesus had every right to lash out at John’s questioning, but he didn’t. Look instead what Jesus did next. This is important, because you need to know how Jesus responds to your moments of questioning too.
Matthew 1: 4-11 Jesus said “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” But wait, there’s more. As John’s disciple were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. Uh ohhhhh, here we go, now Jesus is going to talk about the one who questioned him. The one who knew him before birth, but now that he’s stuck in prison is questioning if Jesus really is the one. What’s Jesus going to say? He says “John is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Yip, Jesus is throwing down that 700 year old truth that foretold John’s purpose. Then he says “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.”
All of this immediately after John questioned Jesus. John’s doubt didn’t make Jesus angry. It didn’t even cause him to dismiss his greater calling. No, it just caused Jesus to affirm what had always been true.
And the same is true for you. Just because you’re wavering a bit, questioning what God is doing and how he is going to do it, does not dismiss you from who God created you to be. You being stuck for a bit doesn’t change the fact that God designed you with a purpose in mind and put a calling on your life.
Even when you question, God still says YOU’RE THE ONE HE WANTED.
Even when you doubt, God still says YOU ARE CHOSEN.
Even when you fail, God still says HE HAS GOOD PLANS FOR YOU.
I always think about the story of the father who came to Jesus and asked for the healing of his son. The father said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Then Jesus replied, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.”
But you see, there’s the problem. We believe one minute, but question the next. We know, but we don’t know. We believe what we cannot see, but that faith wavers when nothing changes. What do we do with that? We learn from the father of the sick boy and we must say the same to Jesus. Mark 9:24 “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
And with that, Jesus healed his son.
This unnamed father of a sick boy, and John the Baptist sitting in prison, were struggling with the same thing. They believed, but they had unbelief. And Jesus helped them both.
Understand Jesus can handle your unbelief. He can handle your questioning. This doesn’t dismiss you from all he wants to do in your life. Tell him you believe today, and ask for help to overcome your unbelief.
Remember what Jesus said about John the Baptist to the crowd immediately after being questioned by him? He affirmed who John really is and all he was created for. It didn’t change his calling. It didn’t lessen his potential. Jesus simply affirmed what was always within John.
Now, he’s doing the same for you. You question … okay, that’s normal. You’re not dismissed. You’re not disqualified. God can handle your doubt. Bring all of your belief to him and ask him to help you with your unbelief.
God is calling you forward, even while you question. He’s showing you there’s more, even while you’re stuck. It’s okay that you question. Don’t let the enemy get in your head and make it bigger than it really is. Get back to what you do believe and ask God to help you with the rest. And the rest is this … God wants to do great things in you, for you, and through you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Can God be found in your current circumstances? Can he be found where you are and what you’re going through? Is God in this?
Sometimes I don’t really have to know how it’s all going to work out, I just need to know God’s working in it. Don’t you just feel a sense of peace when you know for sure God is in it with you and he is working through it?
But exactly how do you begin seeing God in everything? How do you live life in a way that you can be certain you’re always walking a path he has laid for you, where he has gone before you making the way, and also behind you cleaning up what you didn’t quite get right? I want to see him in everything. I want to know his fingerprints are on the details of the unfoldings of my life. How do we live that kind of life?
The great news is Jesus told us exactly how to live a life that allows you to see God in everything. He instructs us on a way of living that opens our eyes to see God’s involvement in every detail of our lives. Matthew chapters 5 through 7 is Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. This is where Jesus stood on a hill in Northern Israel and he taught his 12 disciples the most important things about living life. As the crowd grew, Jesus spoke loudly, knowing others were listening. Thousands gathered that day to hear what Jesus had to say. And here we are 2,000 years later still hearing these words. They are indeed words to live by.
Jesus begins with the Beatitudes. Be-Attitudes. What an interesting word. By definition it means a state of supreme bliss. Jesus is teaching us the attitudes of happiness, of contentment, of complete satisfaction in this life. And within these beatitudes during his sermon on the mount, he tells us how to live a life that allows you to see God in everything.
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
My friends, not just see God at the end of this life, but see God IN THIS LIFE. Yes, in the details of this day of life. Seeing God here is a blessing of the pure in heart.
Oh dang, my heart has a really hard time staying pure, doesn’t yours? I wake up feeling distracted and chasing squirrels while I try to pray. I go through my day scattered often getting 10 bites into my meal before I think about thanking God for it. I end my day so exhausted I fall asleep in the first 5 words of my prayer. My heart struggles to be pure on most days. But Jesus said it’s the pure in heart that see God. Yes, see God right here in this life as we’re living it.
Before you dismiss yourself from the ability to see God because your heart is a little like my heart, I have hope to share with you! Yesterday morning I randomly went to Facebook and searched for any church, anywhere in the world that was broadcasting live. It was really early, so I wasn’t sure I would find anything. But my search brought me to a live broadcast with 123 other viewers of a church called Sea Coast. I’m still not sure exactly where this church is, but I worshiped with them yesterday, and I listened to every word their pastor spoke.
Y’all by the divine plan of the Almighty, guess what this pastor taught on … he taught on the “pure in heart.” Here I am wondering how I get to see God at work in the details of my life thinking maybe I’m dismissed because my heart has trouble staying pure, and I’m now listening to a teaching on having a pure heart!
Oh, hello God … I see you here!
Wait, if I’m seeing God here, could that mean maybe my heart is pure?
If you’re seeing God here in this for you right now, could it maybe be because your heart is pure too?
Here’s what I learned yesterday … a pure heart is both an inward posture and a process of being submitted to God. It’s not a supreme level of righteousness. It’s not a medal of perfection. It’s not a holy existence without blemish. It’s a life covered by Jesus, continually submitted to God and seeking to follow his plan.
Before Jesus there were sacrifices and rituals to make a heart pure again after sinning. Then Jesus came as the lamb of God and he was sacrificed to cover you forever. He is your path to a pure heart. He bought the ticket for you sister.
Now, your pure heart simply requires you to inwardly bow down to God. Know that his ways are better than your ways. Know that he has good plans for you, and you don’t have to understand those plans to trust those plans. Know that he is guiding you to a greater purpose than you can imagine right now. Assume the posture of bowing to him.
Are you bowed within?
Great, now submit to him. Be available to respond to his promptings. Be ready to go anywhere he leads you. Be here for the process of doing what God shows you to do so you can be in alignment with his good plans.
Because of your inward posture of bowing to the Almighty, and your complete submission to God, your heart is pure. Will you need to keep coming back to this? Absolutely. It’s a process. But every time you come back, your heart is made pure once again. And what happens when your heart is pure? YOU GET TO SEE GOD!
Your eyes are opened to all the ways he is right here with you. You see for yourself all the random little things that aren’t random at all, they are divine. You are aware of the miraculous unfolding all around you, with God’s fingerprints on every detail. And when you know God is in this with you, you are strengthened to keep going through the hardest times of your life.
However, when you no longer bow down with that inward posture of submission, seeking what God wants you to do, you fall out of alignment and your heart gets a little dirty dragging along the wrong paths. And when your heart lacks that purity, gathering dust and dirt on these paths you were never meant to be walking down, you stop seeing God. You stop seeing his hand at work in your life. You stop feeling his presence. You stop witnessing his timing. You stop experiencing his miracles on those ordinary days. Not because he has left you, but because only a pure heart can see him.
The hard work of your pure heart has been done by Jesus. All you have to do is step back into the process of getting yourself back in that inward posture of bowing down and submitting to God. The moment you do, your heart is pure again and you get to see God. And the first place you see him is in the way he brought you here again to find him.
Wow, isn’t he amazing?
I see God in everything. I see him in the timing of little things and the unfolding of big things I know nothing about. I see him in the beauty all around me, and I see him in the hidden beauty yet discovered. I see him in the thoughts that come to my mind, the words that flow from my lips, and the creative well I get to tap into. I see him in the peace I have in a storm, the contentment I feel in the moment, and the hope I have for the future. I see him in the strength I have to do what needs to be done, and I see him in the minutes that somehow become exactly enough for me to get it done when I am faithful.
I get to see him everywhere in every thing because my heart is pure. Not because I’m perfect, but because I’m actively engaged in the process that makes my heart pure.
And you’re here today seeking God. You’re listening because you want to live the life he created you for. You want to become who he designed you to be. You’re here with your inward posture bowing to him, and you’re submitting to his plans for you. Girl, you’re actively engaged in the process, here’s your pure heart … now look around and see God!
A pure heart is a life covered by Jesus, continually submitted to God and seeking to follow his plan. Every dang day, let that be us and as a result we get to see God working in every detail of our lives!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
When you love and trust God, a holy exchange is made. An exchange of your love for his rescue. An exchange of your trust for his protection. Your perfection is not required here. Your performance is not necessary. God knows the real you because he made you, and he declared you are enough just as you are. All he requests of you is your love and trust.
Psalm 91: 14 “The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.”
Is that you? Do you love God? Do you trust him? I’m not saying understand him. You are not going to understand the Almighty. I’m not even saying to be in agreement with everything that is happening. Because we don’t understand his higher ways, we don’t see how all these seemingly bad things are working together for good. We’re not called to see. We’re not tasked to understand. We’re simply asked to love and trust God.
In exchange, God rescues and protects us.
Girl, what has God rescued you from? Have you ever stopped and really thought about all God saved you from in the past? You were there, surrounded by danger, the threats were real, and God rescued you.
In 1st grade I was hit in the head by a hammer. The claws went through my flesh and to my skull and doctors said it was within a hair of killing me. Rescued! In 6th grade I had a creeper uncle who always asked me for back rubs, and because I didn’t want to upset my aunt, I would do it. Rescued! In 7th grade I had a bad-boy boyfriend with bad intentions. Rescued! At 19 I had a blood clot lodged in my brain stem for 8 hours causing a massive stroke. At 36 I had a stalker who broke in to my home and stole all my photo albums. Rescued!
All these things that could have caused such harm, yet I was rescued time and time again. I didn’t see it at the time, I only questioned why these bad things would happen to me in the first place. But now, looking back, I see, I’m walking around with proof of God’s rescuing power in my life.
All because I love him. That’s it. All he asks of me is my love in exchange for his rescue. And all he asks of you is your love in exchange for your rescue. This isn’t an exchange of love for love. God loved you before you ever took your first breath. He made you because he decided in advance he loved you so much he didn’t want this world without you in it. There’s nothing you could ever do that would make him stop loving you. His love is never ending and unconditional. If you will love him back, he gets to rescue you! Save you from what could have been. Take you out of what was and bring you into what can now be.
YOU ARE RESCUED. Rescued in more ways than you know. Rescued from things you never even saw the threat in, but God did a mighty work to bring you through.
And you are protected because you trust Him. Trust. By definition trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of someone or something.
Do you believe God is reliable? Can you count on him to show up for you? Do you believe he’s showing up even when you don’t see evidence of it? That’s trust.
Do you believe what God says is truth? Do you take him at his word and accept his promises as your own to cling to? Do you still believe his words are true even when the stories in your head tell you something else? That’s trust.
Do you believe God really has the ability to do the impossible? Do you believe he is strong enough to move your mountains, break your chains, overcome your obstacles, and radically change every area of your life? That’s trust.
No matter what reality may look like, no matter what you feel, no matter what others say, you know God is reliable, you know his word is truth, and he has the undeniable ability and strength to work miracles in your life … Sister, that is trust. And God says when you trust him, he will protect you.
You are covered. The holy exchange has been made on your behalf. You love and trust, he swoops in and rescues and protects. You have nothing to fear here Sister.
Now, we’re going to take the next 2 verses in Psalm 91 very personally. Since we know our love and trust in God qualifies us for his rescue and protection in verse 14, we’re putting our own name into verse 15 and 16.
“When __(your name)__ calls on me, I will answer; I will be with her in trouble. I will rescue and honor her. I will reward her with a long life and give her my salvation.”
And that, is a promise! You can put your name on it and know it is a done deal. Because you love and trust God, you can call on him and he will answer you. He is with you right in the middle of your personal trouble. He is rescuing and honoring you.
Wait … what does that mean? He will rescue and honor you? Honor? The Message Translation puts it this way “I will rescue you, then throw you a party.” Oh girl, once he brings you out of this, he will give you reason to celebrate! Your joy will return. Did you know that? Yes, Sis, your joy will return. God will rescue you, bring you through this then throw you a party where you dance and sing again. It’s coming. Your party is coming!
And he will reward you with a long life and give you his salvation. Does this mean you are guaranteed to live to 99? Nope. Tomorrow is not promised and we know that. But eternity is! Your love and trust in God gives you that holy exchange and you get eternity in Paradise!
But what about here and now? Well there will be trouble. You are guaranteed of that. But God will be with you in your trouble. You won’t walk through this alone. The Voice Translation says it like this “I will reward her (that’s you) with many good years on this earth and let her witness My salvation.”
Good years are here for you! This is your reward now. Eternity is your reward later.
I have to wonder if you’re not in the middle of ridiculously good years right now, but you don’t even realize it. You’re spending these good years frustrated with kid’s sassy mouths, perpetual piles of dirty dishes and laundry, and days without enough hours in them to get it all done. You’re waiting for future years without all these things, and girl you will get to future years and realize, these were the good ol’ days right here and you would give anything to just go back.
Good years on this earth … not perfect years because it’s earth not Heaven, but good years. Aren’t you in good years? If you are, dang it woman wake up and live these years! God paid a high price to give you this! It wasn’t free and it wasn’t easy, but God says it was worth it for you.
So, let’s put it all together today.
“The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.” Yeah, that’s you with your love and trust in the Almighty, right? Awesome, then that’s God with his rescue and protection for you in exchange. Now it’s personal. Put your name in it. “When __(your name)__ calls on me, I will answer; I will be with her in trouble. I will rescue her then throw her a party. I will reward her with many good years on earth and let her witness my salvation.”
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
We each have a unique way of screwing things up if we’re left unchecked. Me, well I rush into everything and leave a mess in my wake. Maybe you’re like me, or maybe you’re more the opposite. You wait too long on everything and generally watch life pass you by and get a whole lot of nothing done in the process.
Maybe you’re the type that gets totally stuck in their head, or maybe you’re the type that never stops to really think about it at all. Maybe you’re ruled by fear, by the what-if, by the stories you play on repeat in your head. Maybe you’re a bit puffed up thinking you’re better than most everyone else, or maybe you’re convinced you will never be good enough.
Extremes. Imbalance. Unchecked.
Lord, check us. Help us get back in balance.
God created each of us in perfect fashion. He didn’t design a single one of us to live a life of chaos. He designed you to be a reflection of himself; to be a vessel of his power; to carry his light in this dark world. But if we’re living unchecked, we’re being ruled by something other than his design. We’re ruled by our habits, by our tendencies, by our weaknesses, by our fears, and by the stories we tell ourselves.
Jonah was a man designed by God to fulfill a purpose. As a prophet, he heard from God clearly and could share God’s word with others. But when God told Jonah to go somewhere he didn’t want to go, to share a message he didn’t want to share, Jonah went a little sideways.
You know, sideways… You stop doing what you know you should do. Have you ever just stopped what you know you should be doing? Maybe you’re there right now. You’ve stopped. Dang it, you know you should have kept going, but something got in the way and you just didn’t go around it. Now here you are, going sideways, unchecked.
You’re out of alignment and you know it. You can feel it. What are you going to do about it?
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and share a message that would save the people living in terrible ways. Jonah knew going there would be hard. He knew the people would be different. He knew he wouldn’t be received well. So he was afraid. He was afraid what would happen if he went and did what God said to do, so instead of doing what he knew he should do, he went a little sideways. In fact, he hopped on a boat going in the opposite direction.
Jonah’s fear was his driver. And who knows how dangerous the ride is when fear is the one driving? He was avoiding what he perceived to be too hard for him. He believed the stories he had told himself and predetermined his own failure.
Sound familiar? Have you been avoiding what you have perceived as too hard for you? Have you believed the stories you’ve been telling yourself of predetermined failure? Oh, you’ve been letting fear drive this car, and my guess is, fear has you going in the wrong direction sister.
Look around, is this what God had for you? Is this where he wanted you to be? Are you doing what you were created to do? Or, did fear bring you here?
Let me tell you, fear creates some real crapfests. Fear has us hiding when we are supposed to show up. Fear has us chained up when we are supposed to be unleashed. Fear has us doubting when we are supposed to believe. Fear has us on a boat heading in the wrong direction, in the middle of a storm.
Jonah was running away from God in fear. Now the boat is being crashed by wild waves and nearly falling apart, and Jonah knows this is on him. He’s thrown overboard, and he’s swallowed by a whale.
Dang it. It sucks to know you’ve caused the storm. It sucks to know your fear got the best of you, but hiding from it hasn’t worked. It’s time to face this Sis.
God, check me. I’ve been running unchecked. My fear has overrun my faith and it’s caused a huge storm that I don’t know how to calm. I don’t want to run any more. I want to get back in alignment with your good plans for my life. Today, I choose faith over fear. I choose trust over telling myself the same old stories.
God got Jonah back in check during his 3 day vacation in the belly of a whale. He prayed in Jonah 2: 9-10 “I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.”
Now, back in alignment with what he knew he should do, he went straight to Ninevah and faced his fears. And surprise surprise, guess what … it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought. The people there weren’t awful. They didn’t attack him. They received everything he had as a word from God and it changed their lives.
Well hot dang girl … if you’ll get yourself back in check and do the thing you know you’re supposed to be doing, it probably won’t be nearly as hard as you’ve made it to be in your head!
Just how big have you made this in your own head? How terrible are the stories you’ve been telling yourself? How incapable have you believed yourself to be? Well girl, what if you’re wrong?!!!!
Now is the perfect time to look around and realize maybe you’ve been letting fear drive and it’s taken you to places you know you shouldn’t be. Maybe that ol’ unchecked you has made a few messes and you’re ready to get back in alignment. Now is the time to pray as Jonah did and make the commitment “I will fulfill all my vows.” The Message translation puts Jonah’s prayer like this “I’ll do what I promised I would do.”
You made some commitments, but maybe those commitments ended up being a little harder than you first imagined. Maybe you felt unqualified to continue, so you dismissed yourself from your own promise. And now, you’re in the middle of a mess that just doesn’t seem to be getting better.
Sister, now’s the time to pray … Lord, I will do what I promised I would do. Show me how to do that. Strengthen me to do this right. Help me to overcome these fears and move forward in the right direction. I will be obedient. I’m done living my life unchecked. I’m ready now.
Maybe your attitude has been unchecked sister. You’ve been doing the things, but you’ve been doing the things hateful. Uhh huh, you’ve been down right hateful about it. Let me tell you something, you unchecked is a real hag to live with. Your whole house has been avoiding you. You show up for work and people start hiding! Oh girl, that attitude is unchecked.
So Lord, not only check my actions, but check my attitude. Help me get that in alignment and as I do what I promised I would do, I will do it with joy because I don’t have to, I GET TO!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
There are a whole lot of places to turn for answers today. The google knows practically everything. Heck, you can google your symptoms for an earache and walk away with a list of possible diagnoses that will make you get your life right in a hurry. You can post a question on Facebook and within an hour several of your friends will have poured out all their best advice on you, but Sis, their best advice isn’t always your best plan of action.
Answers are everywhere. There’s no shortage of answers, but when you’re looking for the right answer, you have direct access to the source of all things for your life. God is that source. Have you tapped into him for the answers you need? Seriously, have you asked God for guidance in this?
Here’s the cool thing about God’s ability to answer you specifically … He has placed his Spirit inside of you, and that Spirit will prompt you as you seek Him. You will see things you had previously passed by. You will be in the right place at the right time. You will feel a sense of peace when it’s right, and a sense of chaos when it’s not. This is how God guides you. This is God’s spirit within you, prompting you in the way you should go.
Psalm 32:8 “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
Don’t you see, that is exactly what God has been doing for you? He has been guiding you down the best path for your life. Girl, you would have never gotten through that on your own. God was advising you and maybe you didn’t even know it. Your best decisions were a result of the promptings of his Spirit. He’s always been watching over you and guiding you to the destiny he has planned for you.
And now, God has brought you here. Here to this crossroads where you have choices. Choices of what to do next. Do you stay here, or do you go there? Do you continue with this, or do you try that? Do you say yes, or do you say no? How do you for sure know what God’s best path is for your life?
The google will tell you so much. Your Facebook friends have a whole lot to say. There are countless books with detailed suggestions. You could make a pros and cons list. You could spend days vividly imagining each scenario as it plays out. Oh, you could get answers. There’s no shortage of answers. But if you want the BEST answer and the BEST path for YOUR LIFE, there’s one thing to do:
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Dang it, I hate being still. I personally really like rushing into things. I like jumping before I think. I like pulling triggers before I aim. This being still business is hard for me. Is it hard for you too? Would you rather just get moving already?
Well, moving is great, but only if you’re moving in the right direction.
Have you ever got busy doing the wrong thing? I sure have. I’ve spent weeks, months, heck years of my life doing the wrong thing. Wrong relationships, wrong job, wrong place, wrong choices. I was the dog barking and barking, but barking up the wrong tree. But let me tell you something awesome about God, he doesn’t allow anything to be wasted. Even when it was wrong, God uses it for good. Even when we screwed it up, God in all his power uses it to lift us up to the life he created us for.
So Sis, no pondering over past mistakes and bad choices. What’s done is done and God is in the business of using your messes for a great message, but here’s your opportunity for less messes and misteps and more moving in the right direction without the detours … BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD.
There are 3 parts to this statement from the Almighty.
First, BE STILL. What does that mean? That means stop. Stop googling this. Stop talking. Stop asking your friends. Stop making your lists. Stop the vivid stories in your head. Stop worrying. Stop stressing. Stop complaining. Turn off your phone. Shut off the noise. Stop and be still.
Pause for a moment. Be here, and be here fully. God has something for you here, but girl it’s hard to chase you down to give it to you when you won’t be still long enough to receive it. How about you stop rushing into next steps that have to go back and be fixed, and be still enough to receive the right step?
Have you ever tried to pump gas in your car while still going down the road? It doesn’t work that way. You have to not only pull into the gas station, but you have to turn off the engine. You have to be still to be filled. Girlfriend, you’re running on empty and wondering why. You haven’t stopped long enough to be filled up? Be still now!
And while you are still, here’s the second part: AND KNOW.
Knowing means no more questioning. No more doubting. No more wondering. Knowing means a mind that is grounded, centered, focused and intentional. Knowing requires your faith. Faith in the face of the unknown to still know.
You don’t need a second opinion here. You don’t need to know what all the books say and what your Facebook friends would suggest. You simply need to remember the Spirit of God lives within you and He will cause you to know. When you know, you know.
You have that ability. You have the ability to be confident and steady. You have the ability to be certain and sure footed. That ability comes from the Spirit which guides you. The enemy continually tires to stir you up and cause you to question, but when you get still and know, then you have tapped into the power you already have.
Maybe you’re overthinking this. Maybe you’re obsessing about things that don’t even matter. I know this much for sure, 85% of the things you’re worrying about will never even happen. If you don’t know what will happen next, it’s because you’re not supposed to know what will happen next, not because you’re supposed to be worrying about it. Know that when you’re supposed to know, you will know. Know that when the time is right, it will happen. Know that the power of God dwells within you, and with him, nothing shall be impossible. KNOW IT.
And third: THAT I AM GOD.
When Moses got nervous about his assignment to lead his people, he asked God what he should say to them to make them believe. Exodus 3: 14 “God replied to Moses, “I am who i am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.”
It’s really that simple. God is who he says he is. That’s all you need to know. When God says “Be still, and know that I AM GOD”, he’s saying know that I am over every single detail of your life. My power is unfathomable and my reach is unlimited. All you need to know is HE ALONE IS GOD, and he is for you, not against you.
God is in control of the very thing you feel so uncertain about. He hasn’t lost control here. He holds all of this in his mighty and capable hands. Your worry is not necessary.
God is here with you. He is right beside you, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Are you in trouble right now? Is the storm a coming? Is crap getting ready to hit the fan? God’s right here. He is God. He is over this. He is looking out for you. He is working in the details to turn this for your good.
God is sovereign. All things bow to his supreme rule. If something must change, God can change it. If impossible things need to happen, then impossible things shall happen. If mountains must be moved, then those mountains will be moving Sister.
And it shall be for you. Yes you. Why would God do impossible things for you? Why would he move mountains for you? Why would he use his power for you? Because he is your God, and that’s what God does for his girl!
You don’t have to understand it, you just have to be still and know it.
Be still. And know. That he is God.
Receive your guidance and direction for your next steps here in this time with the Almighty. He is moving on your behalf. He is prompting you with his spirit. Be still and know, God is being God here for you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Why do we dismiss ourselves from the absolute goodness God has for us? Why do we assume we are on the outside when God sent his son to bring us on the inside? How can we read the promises of God and believe they don’t apply to us right where we are?
Girl, every single promise of God is yours to claim for today. At this moment, his promises are being fulfilled specifically for you. Believe God is who he says he is, and God will do what he said he will do.
Last week I was listening to a song called Good God Almighty by Crowder. It’s goes like this:
Tell me, is He good? (He’s good)
Tell me, is He God? (He’s God)
He is good God Almighty
Jesus in the morning
Jesus in the noontime
Jesus when the sun goes down
Oh I can sing it, but what about when I’m going through hardships, when life has been turned upside down and doors have slammed shut, do I really still believe he is good God Almighty? Or do I believe he is only good God Almighty for some, and sometimes for me he is something less than good? Does my less than good cause God to be less than good? Do I change God? Do you change God?
What comes next in that song nearly took my breath away, so I had to stop and look up the lyrics, take a screen shot and save it in my “Ideas From God” notes on my phone. (Yes, that’s where I keep these seemingly random ideas God plops into my mind at all hours of the day.) Here ‘s the next part of the song:
You say Your love goes on forever, that Your mercy never stops
So why would I assume You’d be somebody that You’re not
Oh girl, have we been assuming God is somebody he’s not? Have we not taken him at his word, trusted those promises are really for us, and built our lives on that truth? Have we been assuming God is against us and not really for us? Have we been assuming those good plans for us may have turned bad while we were screwing up and God was busy doing other things? Have we assumed God strengthens us to do some things, but not all things, and this thing we’re facing right now probably isn’t covered?
What assumptions of God have screwed you up girlfriend? Don’t you know if God promised it, it’s a done deal? If he said it, it’s undeniable, unshakable, eternal truth? And if he offered it, you’re covered by it sister.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
God IS carrying through on every single thing he ever promised. He is actively working in the details of your life to fulfill the good plans he had for you before your first breath. He hasn’t changed his mind on you. He hasn’t decided that thing in your past must change your destiny. No, he’s decided that thing in your past will be used for good along the way to your destiny. He’s here fulfilling his promises, never changing his mind, using all things together for good.
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”
God is steadfast, even when you are shaky as heck. God is faithful even when you fail. You haven’t been perfect Sis, but you’ve been covered in the perfect blood of Jesus, so even though you don’t always get it right, you’ve been declared righteous. So, this faithful God of ours is keeping his covenant with us and his love will not be shaken. THAT IS WHO HE IS AND YOU CAN BANK ON IT.
Why would you assume God would be anything but faithful? Why would you assume he would change his mind, his mind does not change. Why would you assume he would cancel his covenant just because you’ve been shaky on your end? He is good God Almighty and he will do what he said he will do!
Remember our “Machine Gun Jesus” devotional last week where we use the word as our weapon, and we load our clip to fire off in this battle? Well, today we’re loading your clip again… here we go!
God says he can do the impossible. (Luke 18:27)
God says he is with you to strengthen you, to help you and hold you up. (Isaiah 41:10)
God says he is light and in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
God says his thoughts are bigger and his ways are better than anything you could ever imagine. (Isaiah 55: 8-9)
God says nothing is too hard for him. (Genesis 18:14)
God says his grace is sufficient for you and in his power works perfectly in you. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
God says he is unchanging. (Malachi 3:6)
God says he is merciful towards you. (Deuteronomy 4:31)
God says he is gracious and compassionate and if you return to him, he will always accept you. (2 Corinthians 30:9)
God says he will withhold no good thing from those who have been made righteous, and Sister, Jesus has made you righteous. (Psalm 84:11 & Romans 5:1)
This is who God is and what he does, why would you ever assume he would be anything else? Why would you assume his promises don’t apply to you? Why would you take your specific reality and disqualify it from God’s truth and power?
No, God is who he said he is, and he is fulfilling his promises to YOU! Never assume anything else.
Even when it looks impossible, you can safely assume God is doing the impossible for you personally, because that’s exactly what God does.
When you feel weak, you go ahead and assume God is providing supernatural strength for you to do exactly what you need to do, because actually he is!
When the darkness threatens to invade your mind and consume your heart, you call on Jesus because he is light and his light will drive out that darkness.
When you think you’ve reached the peak and your best days are already behind you, girl think again because God’s dreams for you are bigger than you could ever imagine.
Yes, take these words as they are meant for you right here and right now and assume nothing less of your good God Almighty. He is who he says he is and he will do every single thing he says he will do. Guaranteed. Done deal. He is good God Almighty.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Today is the final day of January. The first month of this year will be complete with this last day. Looking back, can you say you were faithful with it?
Were you faithful with the time you were given in this month of life? 31 days, 744 hours, what do you have to show for them? Did you use your hours and your days well? Did you live with intention? Did you make progress? Are you better on the final day of January than you were on the first day?
Life has a way of wearing us down. We come to the end of each month hoping somehow the next one will be better, but the truth is, it never gets better until we start getting better. Did you use these days to get better my sister?
God isn’t finished with you yet. He has good plans for your future, but your ability to step fully into those good plans depends on your willingness to work here to get better. How can you arrive to good plans if you’re only growing a little worse with time? You have a responsibility in God’s good plans for your life … a responsibility to get better. Life wasn’t given to you to just use. Nor was it given to you to just tuck away and hide. It was given to you to do something with it, and make it more than it was when it was given to you.
You’ve likely heard Jesus’ teaching on the parable of the talents. A talent was a measure of money. Today I will read this parable from the Message Translation to help us understand in our language. Matthew 25: 14-30:
Jesus said “It’s like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
“The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
“The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
“‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’
I wonder how the Master feels about what you did with the offering of January? He gave you this month to do something with, now what do you have to show for it? What memories do you bring back? What lessons did you learn? What success did you experience? How did you grow and get better? What do you now know doesn’t work through valuable experience? Just how much living did you do with this month of life given to you my sister?
Remember, the master is not happy with this “play-it-safe”, “hide it away out of fear” kind of living. In fact, he is furious. He says “what a terrible way to live. It’s criminal to live cautiously like that!” God says “I’m after the best, so why did you do less than the least?”
Did this month get your best efforts of living? Remember, that’s the whole purpose of life is to actually live it. Did you go all in with the days given to you, or were you tucking them away, awaiting safer investments of your time and energy? Were you afraid you might do it wrong, so you did nothing at all?
Isn’t that the problem? We’re so fearful of screwing this up, that we stopped showing up. Hey, what if the greatest screw up was to never even show up? What if the biggest disappointment to the giver of this month of life is for you to be so afraid of doing the wrong thing that you never do anything?
God doesn’t want your life returned to him with a bow at the end of all this. What if he wants you to come skidding sideways through the pearly gates, almost late, because girlfriend you were LIVING! What if he would much rather have you burning out than rusting out? If you’re sitting there waiting for things to change, you’re rusting. If you’re waiting for better days to get started, oh sis, that rust is taking over. And let me tell you as the former owner of an old Ford truck, once that rust starts, it’s nearly impossible to get it to stop. That rust will corrupt every good thing in your life.
YOU WERE NOT GIVEN THIS LIFE TO SIT THERE AND LET IT RUST OUT! The Master expects you to be doing something with this!
What if in February you intentionally lived your days in a way that were giving the Master your BEST? What if you took a risk and really went for it, knowing you might fail, but failure would be less of a disappointment than not trying at all. The greatest disappointment would be to not even try.
Coming to the end of this month, I’ll be talking to a whole lot of women who wrote big goals on day 1 and they’re slightly disappointed in themselves for not finishing what they started. They didn’t make as much progress as they had hoped. They didn’t stick with it, they didn’t breakthrough. So the temptation is to hide and give up.
But, let me talk to the girl who said she wanted to lose 10 pounds this month and only lost 2. Let me talk to the girl who said she was going to break up with the snooze button, but was only successful half the mornings. Let me talk to the girl who said she was going to get that house clean, but only made it through half the kitchen cabinets. Let me talk to the girl who wanted to work on her marriage and got frustrated on day 5.
Is that you? Well listen up Sis, I have a message for you. AT LEAST YOU STARTED. At least you tried. You made a little progress, and that’s a whole lot better than nothing at all.
Don’t let the enemy steal from you the little wins you do have. No, it wasn’t perfect, but the great news is your Creator never expected you to be perfect anyway. He designed you to be human. Human with your tendencies to not always get it right, and human with your ability to try again.
Coming off a less than perfect start, here’s the temptation … you’re tempted to sit in defeat and not try again. You’re tempted to play it safe so you don’t lose more. But remember what Jesus taught us. He says the Master is furious with that way of living. He expects your best, even if your best doesn’t measure up to someone else’s best. He expects you to try again, even when you’ve screwed up in the past.
Notice when the master found a servant to have been faithful, he says “you will be my partner.” Oh girl, did you know God wants to partner with you? Yes, the King of Kings, Lord of All, Creator of the Universe, Owner of the Cattle on a Thousand Hills, wants to partner with YOU, if you will only be faithful.
Will you be faithful with the days you are given? Will you be faithful to show up and offer your best? Will you get over your need to do it perfect and just agree to show up and do it? Will you keep showing up even when you screw up and learn to get better? Because if you will, a partnership with the Almighty awaits you.
Do you understand what a partnership with God would look like? All he has is shared with you, because you’re trusted with it. You’re brought to the inner workings of his plans and you get to see how he’s using everything together for good. You begin to understand things that never made sense to you before. You even get to make decisions about things because you have a place at this table and you have been trusted in this partnership.
And this is where God always wanted to bring you. Through it all, he desired nothing more than a partnership with you. A partnership where he could give his ALL to you, and you could be trusted with it. Trusted to do your best with all that is given to you. Trusted to take the days of life offered and live them ridiculously well with something to show for it!
So here we are at the end of month one, bringing back to God what we have done with his investment of 31 days in us. It’s not perfect, but dang it we’re here to get better. And now he asks, “If I give you 28 days in a new month, will you be faithful with it my girl? Will you go for it? Will you get over your fear of screwing up and really show up?”
If you said yes, then God wants to partner with you!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
We best glorify god by being FULLY ALIVE. Not just a human being going through the motions, kinda sorta there, a little in and a little out, dabbling at life. No, fully alive living this one life we have been given all-in with every ounce of our being. This is how we glorify our creator. This is how we praise our savior. This is how we spread his greatness. We intentionally live this day FULLY ALIVE.
John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus came so that you might not only have life, but have it to the full, so that you would not only be alive, but be fully alive. His sacrifice was not only for your eternal home in Heaven, but for your life right here and right now, today. So that THIS life and THIS day would be lived to the max. So that you would have a happiness and zest for life down deep within your soul that no obstacle, no struggle and no temporary circumstance could ever diminish.
This is the kind of life you were not only created for, but charged to live. Jesus conquered death for you, that’s already taken care of. Now you’re free to live.
The enemy can’t take this freedom from you. He can’t rob what Christ died to give you. However, he can stress you out to the point you forget what you have. He can attack your identity and make you forget who you are. He can hang guilt and shame over your head and weigh you down to the point you can’t lift your head up. He can poke at you until you’re backed in a dark corner and the darkness becomes your comfort where you hide.
Is that what the enemy has been doing to you? Have you, this miraculous creation of the almighty, this masterpiece with the fingerprints of God still on you, this chosen one, prized possession, highly favored child of the King of Kings, forgotten who you are and what you have been given? Have the enemy’s attacks been successful and as a result you’re still living, but you’re not fully alive? You’ve just been waking up each day going through the motions. Life is passing you by and you’re only seeing half of it. You’re dreading the day. You’re wishing for the weekend. You’re scared of the future. You’re stuck in the past. You’re consumed by worries and fears. You’re dwelling in darkness when you were meant for the light.
GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS.
But you know that don’t you? You know you were created for more than this, you just don’t know how to start living another way. How do you break the 40 year habit of worry? How do you overcome those lifelong fears of what others think? How do you finally take yourself off the back burner and move to the front row of your own life? How do you move on beyond your past? How do you get out of this darkness?
Here’s your step one … step up and take responsibility for the life you’re living.
This is on you. God gave you this life and every single thing you would ever need to live it well. You are lacking nothing. You’re not broken beyond repair. You’re not incapable of excelling in your own life. Those are lies the enemy has told you and they have no place in this space.
Claim your life as holy space. Girl, what you have within you is precious and powerful! How you use it determines the life you get to live. If there’s anything in your life you don’t like, why don’t you go about changing it?
I’ve seen people radically change their lives. I’ve seen divorce, healing, then complete restoration in a marriage. I’ve seen addictions broken to never return again. I’ve seen a desperate, depressed unhealthy woman lose 150 pounds and become a marathon runner. I’ve seen someone climb out of the pits of despair and climb mountains they never imagined possible.
These are lives that were once weighed down with attacks of the enemy, lies he whispered and they accepted as their truths. But the moment they took responsibility for the life they were living and understood God had already given them every single thing they needed to break these strongholds, they were changed.
I recently witnessed a woman release a secret she had been carrying in shame for over 20 years. With this release came a forgiveness she never even knew was possible. And let me tell you, her face literally changed. Her brow was no longer furrowed and she was able to look up. It was as if this release had given her a brow lift that changed her appearance. And guess what… it was completely free!
And it’s free to you too Sis. God wants to lift that burden from you. He wants to carry your heavy load. Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
For an even greater understanding, read Jesus’ words using the Message translation
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? 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. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
And guess what girlfriend, a life lived freely and lightly in the unforced rhythms of grace point straight to Jesus!
This is how we glorify God. Isaiah 43:7 reminds us we were made for his glory. You were made for this.
This is how we praise him. We take this one life we have been given and we live it FULLY. All the way, all in, to the max, every single day. We take the opportunities we have been given, and we run with them. We spring into action doing what we can. We live in awe over the beauty and wonder which surrounds us. We get excited about a new day of life given to us and we bring our best to the table with all our energy. We get some zest back in us. We speak with gusto. We walk with a pep. We love lavishly without strings. We wake up and we live lightly, freely and fully.
Jesus came to give you this BIG, full life, now how you live it is on you. That’s right, your life is on you now. My life is on me. I have a responsibility to live this life fully. I am NOT given permission to give up on life. You are not given permission to give up on life. You are not given permission to waste it. This gift of life comes with a responsibility. It’s on you to live this baby well!
Now why is all of this a way we glorify God? Ahhhhh, here’s why. When you live like this, others are drawn to you like a magnet. They gotta know what you have. See, people don’t know what they’re missing until they see it in you. Your zest for life becomes contagious. This is how you lead others to a relationship with Jesus. Not condemnation. Not preaching at them. No. You lead others to Jesus by living your life so darn well with passion and energy and purpose that you draw them in. People are hungry for authentic happiness. They’re starving for the real deal today. Unfiltered, genuine happiness for life. And God is calling you today to be that person. Live that life for others to see.
I get to mentor a beautiful soul walking profoundly in her purpose. She is in recovery from a life previously wrecked by alcohol. Now she is restored in wholeness with a mission to be used by the Almighty to help others break the chains of addiction. And let me tell you, this woman is a magnet. She glows with the grace and mercy of Jesus. Her freedom is on full display and she is unashamed of what has been done for her. Let me tell you, that is a life God is using in BIG WAYS! She took responsibility for her life and now she’s living it fully as Jesus died to give her.
You want to glorify God today? Live fully alive. Be all there and all in. You’ll make a bigger impact on those around you than you could ever imagine. And let me tell you from experience, this is one heck of a fun way to live your life! You’ll never want to go back! Promise!
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com