Day 31 – Good Morning.

May 31st, 2016   •   no comments   

Let’s review:

If you did this exercise from Day 21, what was your outcome?

“Make this a visual exercise – if you for any reason have any any self-limiting, negative such as anger, hurt, past, whatever causes you stress, take a sticky note, index card or your choice of medium, write it plain, and paste it on your daily mirror. You know the one that is your first thing in the morning, the beat your face, that mirror. “

311.jpgFrom my experience – the first time I did it ( I repeat it periodically), I had enough room to see a part of my face, but I was covered. Here is the result from the Holy Spirit speaking – ” This was necessary for you to do – the enemy wants you to be in darkness and by giving into those thoughts, having those reactions, being hard on you, is where the enemy wants you to remain. It clothed you in darkness and light cannot occupy you. Seeing the results, lets you know how you engage darkness every day.”

I was shocked but enlightened. I could only remove the stickers when I worked through the issues. The first time I did it, it took me 59 days to have a clear mirror. I saved the notes so that I could review what caused me to have to paste on the mirror – for awhile, there was some of the same. Now, they are deeper thoughts that I would never have uncovered had I not began. Layers were being shed.

If you did not engage, please think about doing it God is really in control. You are His and He is yours. The truth is we are already whole and perfect and all love.

312During this journey, you may have experienced rage, shame, depression, anxiety, fear – etc. Thank God for those experiences, and allow those things to exit from your soul, because the deception is being shed, there is no Truth in those things. The God in you will remain. You are God’s Uniqueness.

Throughout this journey, you have been examining yourself, your relationships with others and your relationship with God – I hope it has been good. Soon, this daily communication will end, BUT God, will always be here to communicate with us.

Please read this scripture passionately. If you unable to bring up the passion, read it until it resonates with your soul. Commit it to memory, as this is the one scripture that carries me through the mirror exercise. God Bless and have a wonderful day!

Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rev. Jacki

Day 29 – Reflect

May 29th, 2016   •   no comments   

Reflect on this declarative statement:

“Lord, Here I am.”

Have a God’s Way today.

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Day 27 – CHANGING

May 27th, 2016   •   no comments   

Have you noticed as you being doing this work, that people are reacting differently? Just as you are moving out of your comfort zone, the way you have been for so long and now you are changing is affecting someone’s comfort zone.

Our comfort zones are a way of operating and understanding our world within which we feel safe and everyone’s comfort zone is unique.271.jpg

Some things which might be safe to one person will strike fear into the heart of another. In the same way changes will stretch the comfort zones of some people and might be hardly noticed by others.

Are your changes comfortable for you and receiving Celebration from others or causing conflict for someone else?

272.jpgOne of my changes was not to respond to everything – just keep my mouth shut. For a few people, it went unnoticed ( they probably stopped listening to me a long time ago lol) For a few, it was ” are you okay”; ” you feel alright”; the classic one – “did you hear me”. I took a deep breath and said, “I am very well, I want to hear what you have to say.” One person started sharing more, which was a change for her and it was such a delight. Another person got silent and crossed her arms. I then asked “are you okay?” and in what was perceived by me, I do not know the intent, it was my perception, I was told ” well you always have some contribution, what is wrong with you?” I gently said, “I need to listen.”

My change was too sudden and it appeared to have caused some stress and anxiety. I cannot begin to tell you all that she was thinking or feeling, but clearly, from my perception, there was something there.

You noticed I said perception – that is key – we can not write the end of the story because of what we think and that is the same with us making changes. Changes can be disorienting and even as we are changing for our good and we know our who, why and what, we still need to consider likely reactions and responses, EVEN from ourselves!

Remember in the valley of Dry Bones – that was a communal resurrection and victory.

273.jpgIt is generally acknowledged that some stretching of people’s comfort zones is healthy. Indeed some gentle challenge may build confidence as people realize they are capable of more than they realized. For instance, you have always done the grocery shopping and now have decided that the other adults need to now assist. You may be positively surprised that those things that we always we did, can be done just as well by some one else. Change does require us to give up our control as well – we don’t always have to be in charge.

For some, there have been some sudden changes and it may have caused some challenges. Unfortunately, this may have resulted in persons retreating to where they feel safe and may have become very reluctant to adapt.

Pause and pray, pray and pause. You can not think for someone else, but you can pray for release and ask God to provide you with a joyful spirit through this time. Some of the changes you are making needed to be abrupt – no one needs to be verbally, mentally or physically abused. However some changes are gradual even for us – Hey, we still got old tapes in our heads, that are just itching to turn up the volume so it takes time.

For you and others, be gentle with yourself, gradually and , gently stretch boundaries, building your confidence to grow as well as in all relationships. Remember this change is like diet number 591 zillion that we have said we were going to do and then we go back to old habits – being gradual will stick.

2 Corinthians 5:16-20The Message (MSG)

Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

Rev. Jacki

Day 26 – Pulse Check

May 26th, 2016   •   no comments   

Good Morning,

Are you changing? Is the glory of the Lord upon you? Are you feeling burdens lifting and chains broken? Are you able to communicate with someone who in the past that communication may have been difficult?251

God is truly amazing! As we shed, grow, glow and uplift, we are in God’s hands, covered by the blood, the love of Jesus, I am reminded that this is the miracle that Jesus Christ can do for every one, and is ready to do for us, if we will let Him. Isaiah 61:3 provides us with this wonderful transformation; Reflect on the ways which we are affected.

“To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Rev. Jacki

Day 25 – What Shall I do?

May 25th, 2016   •   no comments   

Day 25 – What shall I do? I apologize for the lateness of this devotional. That is a real and intense question for me today and it includes what can I live with? This situation requires effectual and fervent prayer. The way I understand this verse from James is that I must pray with passion and intensity. It is not to just simply go through the motions of prayer, because really that is not the only element – for it is the prayers of a righteous person that are effective. So daily, I am asking God to search me and create in me a clean heart.

Transparency is also required. By being open about my weaknesses with you as well as God, influences how effective my and if you employ the same, our prayer lives will be effective in any situation.

These past 24 days have been preparation for me to be in prayer, to listen for that small still voice and only move when God says move. With that come questions from me.

While, I am prepared, am I ready? I have identified those tapes that can play, but am I strong enough to not allow them to turn up the volume? Will I become fearful and give control over to my emotions that have been with me ever so long? Will I try to write the end of the story? I am stepping out on faith in this matter, or am I?

Right now, I hear the ifs and I am saying “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.” (Job 13:15) because I must accept what God allows. And this is hard; I am being transparent. I have the “why”, “If then”,. Maaaaaaaan thoughts What I don’t have is anger or rage and that is huge for me.

I remembered that our sister Esther said, “if I perish, I perish!” So I had a talk with her and she reminded me before she even uttered that statement, she got with her sisters, fasted and prayed. Was she up for it or did she have doubts? Well yeah, her uncle Mordecai was not subtle in his approach and she was in the palace under false pretenses.

God asked Ezekiel ” will these dry bones live” and through Ezekiel faith, God reconnected and recalibrated the nation – Can these bones live?

So my MPC sisters will you pray for and with me as I need an answer from the Lord, a plan. I need to be clear that it is from God and then I need to do it!

I know now that although I did not want to write and surely not publish my letter to pain; pulling out stuff I was not even aware of how I was processing it. And publishing it as a devotional is part of God’s plan for such a time of this.

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to Thee. I need you my sisters as well to be with me as Esther’s were.

Rev. Jacki

Day 24 – Survival

May 24th, 2016   •   no comments   

Survival -the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances

241.jpgIf you look closely, you’ll spot viv in the middle of survival. That’s part of the Latin verb vivere, meaning “to live.” You might recognize it from words like vivid “lively” and vivacious “full of life.” Combine it with sur- (over) and you’ll grasp the essence of survival: to keep existing despite hardship.

242.jpgSurvival has become for some a mundane word – I made it through, I survived, oh I got through that – but with the previous paragraph, it is a verb – an active way of being – vivid, lively, full of life in Christ Jesus! It is not that we just made it through and look like we have come through a war torn country and were sustain by grasses and water – we have the blood of Jesus following through our veins. We get to be full of life – the viv and to do it over and over again – the sur. I think that is GREAT and POWERFUL NEWS.

While I am a fan of contemporary music, hymns are very important to me. Hymns tell scriptures and all verses should be sung as they feed one to another with the refrain tying it all together.

This one written in 1887 – gives us the words to sur ( over and over again) viv ( vividly being full of life ). This hymn actually is replicated of Numbers 21:8 – The reference is to the serpent who given the opportunity would not want you to be alive in Christ Jesus.

243.jpgI’ve a message from the Lord, hallelujah!
This message unto you I’ll give,
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.” Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live,
Look to Jesus now, and live;
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

I’ve a message full of love, hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you,
’Tis a message from above, hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.
Life is offered unto you, hallelujah!
Eternal life thy soul shall have,
If you’ll only look to Him, hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save.
I will tell you how I came, hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole—
’Twas believing on His name, hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul.

Are you living or existing – Life is offered unto you – look and live. Blessings to you today

 

Rev. Jacki

Day 23 – Fresh Start Monday.

May 23rd, 2016   •   no comments   

day231.jpgThis is my 3rd attempt to post. What’s up with that. I already know, I want to post something that I want, but it is not what is given in my prayer and there is no getting around it – obviously.

I, me, Jacki wanted to post about the tongue; it is coming soon, just not today.

So here it is, transparency 101

Yesterday, while sitting in church, I was given an assignment and to publish it – #feelingvunerable and provide it as an example for you in and on your journey.

Dear Pain,

You have been a part of me for so long, that I have accepted you as a part of me, without question. I have allowed you privileges that had I just stopped, paused and prayed, God would, by love, removed, resolved, filled me, But I accepted, held on and thus lived with you unconditionally.

As a child I began to hold in, what a simple question, would have resolved, but I did not ask. Even though my mother taught me to pray and told me that with God all things are possible, I did not understand. As a teen, I looked at my world and began the process of I can’t, I won’t, not because I couldn’t, but I allowed fear to become my friend and as an adult, we became one and the same.

day232.jpgThose fears became comfortable , an excuse to defer dreams and to settle sometimes to abuse from others as well as abuse of self. I did, Thank God, removed myself from physical abuse, but I stayed in an abusive relationship with me!

I abused me by hiding my pain, through over eating, shopping, not being a good steward over anything God blessed me with; for me this abuse was so prevalent because it manifested physical illness, thyroid, diabetes, heart disease, bouts of depression, bound up, and it all comes down to not fully embracing our God, our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Dry bones, can they live?

By God’s, grace, prayers of my mother and father, family prayers, your and finally mine, Pain, you no longer are a comfortable friend, in fact, you are not my friend at all.

You see as a small child, I attended Sunday School with my Aunt Helen, and the superintent Mr. Busey, always,always, sang ” What a Friend We have in Jesus”. I know every word and in my worst, God would bring that song into my being. I didn’t know then, but God was not going to force anything, God was being sober and diligent in keeping the promises that were made upon the creation of this earth, creation of me and you as the reader.

Pain, you were never that; your goal is only to inflict, gouge and destroy and leave helpless and now I see that with eyes wide open, wounded, but healing, FOUND. I have now embraced Your helper -Holy Spirit. Without embracing, I could never have begun the healing process, believed in the gifts, and most importantly physical healing.

I now fully believe, even when I falter, even when I fail, I believe because God you are Glorious!

My sisters I have shared me and yes, I did shed for you to see even feeling vulnerable to share my struggles (come on God, really, my other post would have been just fine – That’s love, huh), please, write your letter and remember and commit these words to your soul from Martha Munizzi’s song Glorious ” I was created to make Your praise Glorious. Yes I was, yes I was.”

Rev. Jacki

Day 22 -Fall in love with you.

May 22nd, 2016   •   no comments   

day221

When is the last time you remembered to fall in love with you? Why not; Are you not created in Christ image? Is not Christ everything good and true?

 

Today, as I remember Christ’s love for me, I am falling in love with me!


Rev. Jacki

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Day 21 – Get Rid of the Limits

May 21st, 2016   •   no comments   

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Good morning,

Exercise and test. As we move forward, let’s commit to abstinence from any, any (double any is intentional) negative or self-limiting thoughts.

Make this a visual exercise – if you for any reason have any any self-limiting, negative such as anger, hurt, past, Power of Godwhatever causes you stress, take a sticky note, index card or your choice of medium, write it plain, and paste it on your daily mirror. You know the one that is your first thing in the morning, the beat your face, that mirror.

Do this for the next 10 days; keep your note paper with you so that you can jot down those feelings, emotions, justifications, and paste them on that mirror.

You, I, daily will encounter ourselves. Now, for you to truly have active release by faith, please actively engage this exercise. Email me any questions, observations or concerns.

Throughout these days, remember not to write the end of the story. It is not yours to do. We are His, the author and the finisher!

Rev. Jacki

Day 20 – Half Way!

May 20th, 2016   •   no comments   

You areGood morning,

We have reached the halfway point in our journey, collectively and individually. Wherever you are, you are growing!

Want to know a secret? Appreciate the moment and give it everything you have. Remind yourself today at the halfway mark that you have all the time, love and resources through Christ that strengthens you. Blessings!

Rev. Jacki

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