I am she...who stands firm in the face of adversity, shines in the midst of darkness, loves in the presence of hatred, invites in the circles of rejection, forgives in the company of resentment, builds in the collapse, rights in the wrongs, gives in the taking, lives in the dying, comforts in the crying…

I am she…who walks tall among the reeds of criticism, who treads with lighted feet above the jagged cliffs of misunderstanding, who glides across the waves of inconsistent affections and surfs above the empty foams of hollow promises.

I am she…who shuns the attention of many to captivate the heart of One, who tills relentlessly in the gardens of ingratitude, who sees the silver lining, digs for the gems in the mire, ploughs in the fields of an insatiable soil.

I am she…who dreams big and loves long, has waited and whined, been impatient and arrogant, gentle and gregarious  - an aficionado of the underdog, conductor of justice in the orchestrated mayhems of life, a real display of hormonal genius grappling, gasping, gorging…rising.

I am she…who full of purpose must move in spite of mishaps, rise in chaos, pursue in persecution, believe in the middle of doubt, be silent when words are many, rest when battle is raging, trust when there is no clearing – I am she who must go on, must go forward, must not be entangled and distracted, infringed by the minuscule and deterred by the immature.

I am she beckoned by the Voice of the One who has called me, who must with hastened feet relish in the encounters of His Divine whispers and frolic in the company of His majestic splendor.  Aha, I am she who cannot acquiesce to the trivialities, no rather go full speed ahead, spare no expense, withhold no effort, waste no time, ha ha I am she…I stand, I win, I laugh, I give, I love, I rejoice, I grow, I finish.

 I am she and SHE does NOT fret…

Judges 18:6 – "Go assured. God's looking out for you all the way."

MSG Translation

 Pastor Sara Conner is a gifted motivational speaker, who brings with her a cultural diversity and unique approach to scripture not commonly found.  With over 15 years in ministry, Sara is an intriguing Biblical expositor whose humorous, yet powerful delivery motivates her listeners to live sold out lives for God.  She is most noted for her candor, compassion, and encouragement. Sara serves with her husband, Pastor Eben Conner, at Word of Truth Family Church in Mansfield, Texas, where they reside with their two children- Heaven and Landon.

pastorsara.com

Twitter @pastor sara

Instagram @ pastor sara

21-DAY BRAIN DETOX™ IS HERE!!

You control your brain; your brain does not control you! My 21-day Brain Detox™ as an online program can help you do this, and it only takes 7-10 minutes a day! I am so excited because it even has a mobile version so you can carry on detoxing from your phone or any mobile device as you go through your day! Over the years I have had so many people ask me for a day-to-day guide on how to use my Switch on your Brain 5-step technique® and the 21-day Brain Detox™.

After working with an amazing team, this is now a reality: you can learn how to use my 5-step Switch on your Brain technique® each day for twenty-one days to tear down those toxic strongholds and build healthy new thoughts. This is all about renewing your mind. It is my honor to be able to literally walk you through each of the twenty-one days, guiding you and coaching you toward a toxic-free mind. You can begin to work out a disciplined lifestyle of “bringing those thoughts into captivity” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and “renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2).

As you work through each day of the 21-day Brain Detox ™–and I tell you exactly what to do each day via text and videos–you will experience positive change in your life. This is because, moment by moment of every day, you are changing your brain with your thoughts in a positive or negative direction, depending on the choices that you make. Every time you think and choose, you cause structural change in your brain. Our thinking changes our brain! Your thoughts impact your spirit, soul, and body. So, as you think, you are literally doing your own “brain surgery!” You, as a neuroplastician, are able to change your own brain; with your thoughts you are actually redesigning the landscape of your brain. Using my 21-day Brain Detox™, you will adopt a guide on exactly how to do this in the best way possible.

The 21-day Brain Detox™ will change your life! I use it, so does my family, as well as thousands of people over the years in a therapy setting. Now, you can use it on your own mobile device or computer. I have taken my years of clinical experience and research and put this all into a convenient mobile version that takes only 7-10 minutes to do each day. Research has shown that just 7-10 minutes a day of healthy thinking results in positive improvements in your happiness, peace, health and intelligence. The 21-day Brain Detox™ is simple, practical, and easy to use, but detailed enough to help you work through what is happening in your mind and brain; and help you get free from those toxic thoughts and habits that have been chaining you to the past. You will become a Philippians 4:8 thinker- “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” And, you will learn how to have joy despite trouble (James 1:3). Research shows that 75-98% of current mental, physical, and behavioral issues come from our thought life. So, if we can control our thought life, we improve our mental, physical, and behavioral life; thus in turn meaning that if we can learn to control the direction of our mind, we can control the direction of our life!

In the 21-day Brain Detox™, you will learn:

• Exactly how to break down toxic thoughts and build healthy replacement thoughts

• How to control negative stress

• How to get those negative habits under control

• How to control your thoughts

• How to bring all thoughts into captivity

• That you are not a victim of your biology

• Get a handle on that worry

• Beat that anxiety

• Overcome that depression

• Freedom from chaotic thinking

• Increase your health

• Learn that you control your brain; your brain does not control you

Click the video link below and let me share a little more with you about why I am so excited about the 21-day Brain Detox ™:

Join us…Click on the link below to purchase the 21-day Brain Detox ™:

www.21daybraindetox.com

It’s okay to be busy! I bet you didn’t think I would tell you that on one of my blogs! But, it’s the truth. We are designed to be busy – after all we are made in the image of a brilliant God who certainly knows how to do busy well. At any one moment, we have four to seven thoughts going through our brains as we respond to day to day life. Just living is a busy activity.

Doing busy badly will cause you to go into negative stress, which is stress stages two and three. Stage one of stress is good and happens when we do busy well.

What does doing busy badly look like? It is the:

• rapid haphazard shifting of attention from task-to-task
• a lack of focused attention to a task, activity, or written text
• ineffective concentration
• lack of deep intellectual thinking

And all the above will result in patterns of flightiness and a lack of peace, which in turn lead to bad choices and bad decision-making. In fact, we will move into a shallow, passive, and mindless reactive mode, which is the exact opposite of what the bible tells us and the exact opposite of how God designed the brain. Colossians 3:15 in the Amplified Bible says the following:

“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts (deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state to which as members of Christ’s) one body you were also called to live. And be thankful (appreciative), giving praise to God always.”

It’s only when our minds are at peace that we will hear the leading of the Holy Spirit and think clearly. Doing busy well means we are not shifting haphazardly between life events but that we are:

• interacting mindfully and in a self-reflective way,
• thinking things through in a focused quality manner
• listening, watching, and reading intently
• keeping our eye on one thing at a time and fixing our mind on it

This does not mean that you slow down, but instead that the quality of how you spend each second of your time improves. It’s not about quantity; it’s all about quality. You can find more information on this in my new book, Switch on Your Brain, available at www.drleaf.com

Happy New Year

As we enter the new year, what you determine to leave behind is just as important as what you hope to achieve in the next twelve months.

New hope, new breakthroughs, new opportunities, and new promises, all await you in this new year. Yet, it’s so important not to let the new be infected with old carry overs from the past.

Leave the past where it belongs- in the past. Every new year is full of promise and hope; but to fill your life with hope means first to empty it of disappointments and discouragement. If you need to forgive someone, do it. If you need to let go of past hurts, let them go. If you need to let go of setbacks, do it. Whatever is an old weight, cut it off and let it go.

Every time we catch a flight, we have to adhere to the baggage limit that the airline sets. That limit means we can only take so much with us. In 2014, leave behind old baggage and be determined not to drag it into your future. Lose bitterness, unforgiveness, and disappointments. Don’t take that old baggage with you! Your life can’t soar to new heights if you’re weighed down.

I realize that’s not easy to do, but God can help. That’s why Jesus died and is alive. He wants to help you in every practical area of your life; He wants to help you forgive and move on.

So, get ready for a new year of hope, promise, victory, breakthrough, success, and favor.

May 2014, be your finest year yet!

Love Charl

Twitter @charlgambill

Instagram @charlgambill

We have some exciting news!

Dr Caroline Leaf is coming to your home!

Our new 13-episode TV series 'Switch on Your Brain' will be airing on the TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network - USA) on Tuesday's at 9.30am (PST) 11.30am (CT), 12.30pm (EST) in the 'Doctor to Doctor' slot. The series starts 7th January 2014.

This 30-minute 'documentary' series covers much of Dr Caroline Leaf's research and teachings on overcoming and eliminating Toxic Thoughts as the Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking and Health.

We encourage you to watch the series and tell all your friends, family, and anyone wishing to change negative thinking patterns once and for all.

If you are unable to watch it on TV, we encourage you to watch online at http://tbn.org

Or watch replay’s on iTBN

Showing in Australia: Wednesday mornings at 9:30am Eastern Australia time.
Showing in Europe: Wednesday mornings at 9.30am Western European Time

Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands.  The walls you’re rebuilding are never out of my sight.  Your builders are faster than your wreckers.  The demolition crews are gone for good.

Sometimes we can question if all we are doing is making a difference. The size of the task to bring restoration to lives around us can seem overwhelming. We can look at where communities have fallen into disrepair and question if it is worth the investment; but when we commit to rebuilding, restoring, and reviving the places where we live, the relationships and lives around us, God works with us! He gets involved in a miraculous way when we mobilize. For every wall we rebuild, God will help establish it. Not one rebuilt life or place is out of His sight. God’s kingdom is advancing, His people are arising and the builders are hastening.

My prayer today is that every believer would build with new passion that, today, as you commit to a process some have forsaken, you would be strengthened by these words from Isaiah 49: “God is watching over our work; let the builders be faster than the wreckers!” Let’s increase our momentum. Praise him today as you build, for what we are building will be a shelter and place of hope for many more to find Him. This verse goes on to say, “Look up! See, they are gathering!”

I pray that would be our awareness and focus as we capture a vision of all that are going to come to him. So, go to it and know that God sees it all. Greater things are to come!!

Love ya, 

Charlotte Gambill

Eyes have not seen and ears have not heard  ... 1 Corinthians 2:9

I cut an apple open yesterday and it was rotten to the core. It disgusted me a little bit. I'd been looking forward to biting into a nice, juicy piece of fruit and savoring every mouthful. But it wasn't going to happen. 

At least not with this apple. 

When I'd first reached into the fruit basket that sits centered on my kitchen table, I specifically chose this apple because it had the tiniest of bruises on one side. It was miniscule - nothing to warrant tossing the whole thing in the trash - just noticeable enough to barely see; Barely. I knew it wouldn’t be best to let it sit for any longer, so I grabbed it casually and assumed I’d just cut away that small section with a fruit knife and enjoy the rest. 

When I sliced it into 8 wedges with my apple cutter, I was shocked to find brown, decay seeping all the way through to the core on every side. That small bruise on the outside wasn't an accurate indication of all that was happening on the inside. There was so much more- 

More than meets the eye. 

What I can see is not the limit of what God is doing. Just because I only detect something small doesn't mean that there isn’t something more significant brewing back behind the curtain that divides the temporal from the eternal. With Him, there is always more than meets the eye - more happening behind the scenes, underneath the surface, and beyond physical sight. Eyes have not seen and ears have not heard neither has it even entered into our hearts all that God can and will do on our behalf (1 Cor. 2:9) means that if we allow our confidence to rest in only that which we can measure or document or quantify with our five physical senses, we’ll never have a full grasp of God’s work. 

Elijah was good at this. 

After a drought ravaged Israel for many years, the Lord decided to send rain. A good thunderstorm was exactly what this agricultural nation needed but it certainly looked doubtful. The sky was blue, clear, and cloudless. There was nothing that seemed to indicate the downpour that Elijah was predicting. 

Except. . . Except. . . . . “a cloud as small as a man's hand arising out of the sea" (1 Kings 18:44). 

What? That's it? It almost couldn't even qualify as an official cloud really; maybe just a wisp or puff or haze or cloud fragment, but certainly no thunderstorm producing, real, actual cloud. 

Miniscule. 

Tiny. 

Insignificant. 

That is all Elijah could see.  But, it's all he needed to. 

For behind it lay a thunderstorm just waiting to happen, and no matter how infinitesimal this feathery white dust appeared, he knew that there was more where that came from. Elijah wasn’t fooled by the “small”. He knew that just like my tarnished apple, this little visible sign was only an indicator of so much more. In fact, he was so sure that rain was coming that he sent his servant to tell King Ahab to hurry and make his next journey quickly or he'd be caught in the storm. 

I wonder how Elijah's servant must have felt while going to give that message to the King of Israel. They'd not seen rain in 3 years and now there was only a white dot in the sky and Elijah wanted the King - the King in all of his "royal-ness", to hurry and run for cover? 

Oh, yes he did. 

And it turned out to be pretty good advice because "In a little while, the heavens were black with wind-swept clouds and there was a great rain..." (1 Kings 18:45).

It takes someone of extreme discernment and insight to see the beginnings of a hurricane when there’s only a make-shift cloud in the sky. It requires faith to believe that rain is coming just because God said so; to trust that He is able to bring about that which He has promised even when there is no evidence to support it. 

Today, remember that the little cloud that seems so. . well. . .little. . is pointing to a storm of promise, potential and possibility that is brewing in your life. There is more where that came from my friend; So much more. 

God Is Able....even when you can't see it. 

God is Able...even when you can't tell it. 

God is Able. . even when you can't feel it. 

God is Able. . even when you can't hear it. 

He’s doing more than you can ask or imagine….behind the scenes. . .out of sight . . . where so much of His best work takes place.

www.goingbeyond.com 

There are thousands of fish in the 25-foot deep pond near our home but there’s an infamously large bass that lurks untouched in the depths. People have seen him near the surface on occasion, so they know he’s there. Fishermen, eager to try their luck at catching the prey, have sat for long periods of time with just the right hook and lure in hopes that they’ll be the one to reel him in.  I took my boys fishing just this weekend, and within one hour, my three-year old caught seven and my other son snagged four. No large bass for us; small perch and sunlight fish were sufficient to keep them happy. Yet, I found myself looking out over the still dark waters and peering down into the depths with intensity. I wondered if the legendary and allusive bass would ever be seen on someone’s hook.

The Israelites left Egypt with the promise of Canaan. All they had to do was obey Yahweh and believe that He would accomplish what He said that He would and they’d then be allowed to walk on Promised Land soil. Yet, looking out over the millions of Jews swimming in the grace and protection of Yahweh, you’d be hard pressed to find one whose faith was worth catching. A quick glance within the depths of the tent-lined camps would leave you disappointed. Finding the allusive members of the nation under Moses’ leadership who really believed God and fully expected the inheritance they’d been promised was a long shot. But there was one. In fact, there were two, and only two.

Listen to that startling ratio again: Of the approximately two million adult pilgrims who left Egypt with the promise of Canaan,  only Joshua and Caleb believed God would give them what he’d promised and would actually step foot into the Promised Land.

Two in two million.
That’s one in a million.

Why is it so hard to find believers who actually believe? Why is it so difficult to come across Christians who are living the life of abundance offered to every believer (John 10:10) – people who hear His voice, experience His power and are acquainted with His manifest presence? It’s easy to simply attend church and listen to Christian radio, but really taking God at His word, anticipating His miracles, walking in faith and expecting an infiltration of His power-  now that’s a different story.

I’ve decided that if there are only going to be a handful of Christians who really encounter God, who actually experience the abundant “promised land life” He has come to give, then I want to be one of those few. How about you?

Our spiritual inheritance is so rich and full. It abounds in more lavishness that we can wrap our minds around. I found that when I try to compile thoughts on what my inheritance from God looks like, I leave things out that I either don’t know I have been promised or that I really don’t expect to experience in my life. But, on those occasions when I’ve caught a glimpse of it in the lives of others, my spiritual taste buds were tantalized; my appetite whetted.
 
Like the woman, I watched for days, weeks, and months that turned into years. This woman was filled with God’s power, overwhelmed with His joy, and consumed with His peace. She heard God’s voice on a regular basis and was seeing evidence of His presence in the regular rhythms of her life. She would pray and then believe; Expect and then see; Ask and then receive. So, I watched her. She was a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister; a regular woman with problems and concerns just like mine, and yet her life was different in so many ways. More than anything, I wanted what she had and I was determined to figure out how to get it. Our first conversation over two piping hot cups of tea began with a shower of questions.  I just couldn’t help myself. I was so curious about her relationship with God and how what she’d learned on the pew had become such a startling reality on the pavement of her life.

That first conversation led to deeper more intriguing ones that kept me on the edge of my seat. Like a little schoolgirl with my chin in my hands, I soaked in her wisdom and reveled in the times she laid her hands on me and prayed. A refreshing friendship developed and I was challenged; challenged to be one of the few who would refuse to trust God with an ordinary faith or settle for an ordinary and complacent walk with Him.  I was compelled to not just hear about God on Sunday, but expected to experience what I’d learned every other day of the week. I wanted more-  more of Him, more of His Spirit, more of His gifts, more of His fruit, and more of His power and His manifest presence in my life. I was ruined; ruined for church as usual. Mundane Christianity would never do again.

And so, I pray for you, for us, the words of the Apostle Paul:

I’m asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He’s called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to His people.

I’m hoping we’ll be “one in a million” and that when the Father peers out over the waters of those swimming in His grace and love, he’ll find you and me - people who are ready and willing to take Him at his Word and fully engage in every little thing He has planned for us.

So, lace up your hiking boots, Promised Land pilgrim.
Strap on your travel gear for the journey ahead.
We’ve got nothing to lose except a lifetime of wilderness wandering and everything to gain in the land of milk and honey.

Be encouraged. Canaan’s worth every step.

www.goingbeyond.com 

@priscillashirer 

Resource: One in a Million

I wish I could have been there to see Jacob’s face. He must have been dismayed and disappointed at his surroundings. Here he was, one of the favored sons of Isaac, the blessed son of his grandfather Abraham, and yet he was in the middle of nowhere all alone. He was on the run from his older brother Esau who was out to kill him for stealing his birthright. He’d left Beer-Sheba with probably nothing more than the clothes on his back and a nod of approval from his beloved mother Rebekah. His only present glimmer of hope and excitement came when he considered the possibility of finding a wife when he arrived at his uncle Laban’s house in Haran. But now, he was simply on the journey—between the comforts of home and an uncertain yet hopeful future.

I wish I could have been there to see him when “he came to a certain place and lay down because the sun had set” (Gen 28:10). I can only imagine him looking around in dismay at his accommodations. The hot, eastern sun was leaving its last footprints on the sky, and the road for his travel was becoming blurry. Maybe he’d made preparations for the journey. Whether or not he’d packed blankets and sleeping attire is unclear. But, apparently he wasn’t totally prepared, because he looked around and “took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head” (Gen. 28:11). He wasn’t used to these kind of sleeping conditions. As his mother’s favorite, he may have enjoyed not merely a comfortable living environment, but a snug and cozy sleeping place. His pillow would have probably been made of goat’s hair and other soft fabrics that would have allowed for a comfy, resting place.

But now, he peered around him at the stones that lay tossed to and fro in the hills of Ephraim, and he must have been dismayed. For, these stones were a picture of his current status in life- hard, difficult, bland, and so far removed from his past reality. He must have missed his father and longed for his mother. He’d just been given a blessing that included more wealth than he could imagine, and yet, now, he was on the run with no prosperity or affluence to enjoy. He probably was frustrated, overwhelmed, and lonely.

He must have just sighed and resigned himself to the circumstances when he selected a stone as a headrest that night. Yet, I’m intrigued. If I’d been Jacob, then I might have picked a stone too … but not to make my pillow. I might have hurled it in anger or kicked it in frustration, but not Jacob. He was a peculiar man, who in the midst of less than desirable circumstances, discovered the secret of stones. Instead of seeing them as annoyances, stumbling blocks or discouraging reminders of his present circumstances, he gathered one into his arms and maximized its potential. He used it to bolster his body up instead of allowing it to weigh his emotions down.

He didn’t like where he was. He didn’t particularly care for what he had to work with. No, he wasn’t too tickled with this leg of the journey; yet he discovered that there was a secret- the secret of stones.

For it was while his head lay on a stone that he saw a ladder extended from the earth to the heavens. He got a glimpse of angels descending and ascending upon it, and saw the Lord as if for the first time. That night, on this uncomfortable stone, he heard the Lord’s voice reminding him of His covenants, His presence and His infinite power.

Thank God, he’d not missed the secret of maximizing stones.

Are you in a frustrating place right now? In between where you once were and where you so desperately long to be? I’m wondering if you are frustrated, annoyed, overwhelmed, or maybe even underwhelmed- bored to tears at the station of your life? As you look around at the tumbleweed blowing across the landscape of your life, you just see useless stones that seem to keep getting in your way. This season of life is not all that you bargained for. So, taking care of your aging parents is weighing on you; staying home with those small, little ones is a tough pill to swallow; handling the demands of a fledgling ministry is overwhelming; struggling to make your money last as long as your month is exhausting –stones, stones and more stones.

And yet, there is secret that Jacob teaches us about these stones.

Each difficulty, each discouragement, each hardship, each frustration, each brick-hard, heavy-to-carry, gray stone holds a vast supply of potential. Those stones are not there to get in your way; they are there to support you while you are on the way.

This part of your journey, stones and all, is not happenstance. It has not taken your God by surprise. The stones aren’t there because he has forgotten you. They are around you, so plentifully because he has remembered you.

I know that they’re a bit hard.

I know they’re not as comfortable as you would prefer.

This season of life might not be your favorite.

But while you are there, peering down at that seemingly useless stone, don’t forget the secret. There is deep and profound revelation that He wishes to give you to enrich you, strengthen you and prepare you for where He is taking you. Friend, don’t disregard the stones of today. They are the resting place upon which you’ll receive the treasures of tomorrow.

www.goingbeyond.com 

@priscillashirer 

Resource: Secret for Sleepwalkers DVD/CD

(Extract from Dare to Be Devotional, by Charlotte Gambill & Natalie Grant)

“Be prepared in season and out of season”
2 Timothy 4:2

These famous words were spoken by the older, wiser apostle Paul to his younger student Timothy. Timothy was called to lead God’s people, but before he could teach, train, and build, he had to first show he was willing to prepare. Preparation is an indication of what you are expecting. Show me a bride-to-be and I will show you her wedding magazines, her journal, fabric swatches, and menu samples. Her expectation to marry has led her to prepare. Show me an expectant woman and you will find a prepared nursery, baby clothes, and accessories. Why? Because preparation is the first indication of what you are daring to become. This is why we must dare to prepare. We must commit to the process where we line up our lives with what our heart is expectantly awaiting, even if we can’t see signs of what’s to come. No woman resents preparing for her baby because she sees the visible signs that the baby is on its way. Yet spiritually, there is often no advance spiritual ultrasound that shows what’s coming. This can make the preparation process less than exciting, and at times, even a little scary.

Just think about Noah who was asked to prepare a boat for a flood that would be caused by relentless rain. He had never seen a boat or flood. He had no ultrasound picture to inspire him; he just had to obey. As others passed by laughing at the seemingly crazy old man, God smiled at Noah’s willingness to dare to prepare. Or what about Sara who laughed at the very absurd thought of having a baby in her old age? She couldn’t even imagine what that would look like, but she had to dare to conceive the idea before she could ever conceive the child.

Many years ago my husband and I were told by the doctors that we wouldn’t be able to have children. The doctors said medically it wasn’t something we should expect to happen. After my initial anger, frustration and shock at the devastating news, I remember crying even more tears when the realization hit me—I was not improving this diagnosis one bit by my reaction. My actions were only feeding my disappointment and confusion. I then realized I had the power to choose differently. So, I chose to stop dwelling on the bad news and focus on God’s good news for my future.

Steve and I decided that instead of giving up, we would dare to prepare our lives for a miracle. If we were going to believe God for a miracle, we better start preparing a life that could incubate one. We changed our prayers of anguish into prayers of faith. Isaiah 54:1 exhorts, “Sing oh barren woman.” We took this advice and prepared our hearts by rejoicing with others who were pregnant. I started throwing baby showers for people that I barely knew. All that time, we were preparing the soil of our lives for our own miracle. It was five years later that God answered our prayers with the birth of our first child, our precious, prepared for daughter, Hope Cherish.

If we were going to believe God for a miracle, we had better start preparing a life that could incubate one.

What desire are you incubating that requires some preparation? When the apostle Paul was instructing his young disciple Timothy to get ready, he was saying, “Timothy, don’t wait for the leadership badge. Lead now. Don’t wait for the people to ask for your help. Prepare your life with wisdom and counsel now.” Dare to prepare in private now for what God may use you to do in public later. Advance preparation speaks of a life that believes. It is a commitment to something that hasn’t even happened yet. It is faith in action. If I were to look at your life, what would your actions reveal to me about your forthcoming expectations? Instead of saying it might happen, prepare for it to happen. Today, take some time to prepare your heart and soul. Write down areas where you need to begin the work of preparation. Let your spirit know that you aren’t going to passively wait any longer for the thing your heart desires. Instead, you are going to dare to prepare.

1. Where does your faith await the action of preparation?
2. What areas can you identify where you need to stop delaying?
3. What preparation can you commit to today?

For more resources or information on the ‘Dare to Be’ Devotional by Charlotte Gambill & Natalie Grant please visit www.daretobe.skorstore.com or www.charlottegambill.com/resources

Between my husband’s amazing fried turkey and the time right before the all-consuming Christmas season, is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. Every year we’ve tried to make it a tradition to go around the room and say what we are thankful for. It’s a time of reflecting and giving God additional thanks for the abundance of blessings in our life. However, this time last year, I struggled to find anything to be grateful for. Deep down I knew that there was plenty to be thankful for, but in my heart, I resented where I was; where my son’s health was. On August 31, 2012, my beautiful 6-month-old son was diagnosed with cancer. How could this be?  How could I be in this place again? My father died of cancer when I was 11-years-old and as silly as it sounds, I had rationalized with God that I’d already had my fair share of suffering.  This shouldn’t be happening…God shouldn’t allow this to happen. But, it did. One day life was normal, simple, and the next it was overwhelming, hard, and unfair.

 As hard as it was that August, the days leading up to Thanksgiving were the darkest. A couple of days before Thanksgiving, my son went for his eye checkup and the doctors saw a small tumor on his left eye. He had already lost his right eye to cancer.  As we left the hospital, I felt like I was sinking. I grieved for my son’s lost eye. I mourned over the constant exams under anesthesia and additional visits to doctors and specialists. In the twelve months that followed his diagnosis, my son had his right eye enucleated, countless check-ups, ear tubes, and even an unexpected kidney surgery. 

 Several months passed and I heard God speak to me. I was reading a blog of a woman who had lost her premature baby three hours after delivering her.  She and her husband had planned to have a large family, but because of the circumstances surrounding the loss of her child, every future pregnancy would be extremely risky. Then, she posted a quote that struck me, “What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it is supposed to be.”  I felt the Lord speak to me about my life and my expectations. I often wanted a victory without a battle; a breakthrough without any breaking, a mountain high without the climb. 

Throughout this situation, I’ve learned that having faith in God is trusting him even with our expectations- the expectations of what our life is supposed to be like.  I wish I could say that I have arrived and that I look at my son’s illness with complete trust in God’s plan.  But, the reality is that I’m not there yet. What I do know is that in the midst of this struggle, I have seen God show up and remind me that I’m not alone. He’s not done with me yet, and for that I’m grateful.  So, this Thanksgiving, I’m grateful that my son is here and healthy, with a beautiful eye that allows him to see. 

What would our lives be like if we didn’t paint this picture in our head of what our life is supposed to be- this unrealistic picture that only sets us up for disappointment and frustration? What if we took God at his word that with life’s mountains and valleys, He is there for us? Isn’t that enough for us?  From my experience, He is more than enough.  I realize that more each day.  If you are in the midst of a trial, I encourage you to lay your situation and expectations down and trust that God is more than enough.

Delilah Navarrete has been married to her college sweetheart, Jesus, for 8 years. She is also the proud mother of Luis Noe (4 years old) and Lucas (a year old). She and her family are members of Covenant Church McKinney. 

When the media flash headlines similar to the title of this blog, it often gives the impression that the research it is citing is something new and extraordinary. The truth, however, is that science is catching up with the Word of God. The scriptures are very clear that we are not meant to be alone, that we were created for relationship, first and foremost with God and then with each other. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good that man should be alone,” and 1 Corinthians 12 -20 teaches us that we are designed by God to function in relation with one another as a body.

Poor quality relationships, which make you feel lonely, are definitively linked to a number of health problems. More specifically, research links loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses and increased blood pressure. Researchers saw that people who were lonelier produced more inflammation-related proteins in response to stress than did people that were more socially connected. This means they reacted more strongly to stressful situations than those people that did not consider themselves to be lonely. Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the frailty and decline that can come with aging.

Feeling lonely, as distinct from being alone, not only affects our health, but also affects sleep, causing more disruptions in the night. It affects the brain – fmri scans show a difference in people’s brains who feel lonely and isolated to those who don’t feel alone. Behavior is different as well. Loneliness has even been shown to spread like a virus amongst people!

At the heart of quantum physics is the law of entanglement, which shows that everything is linked and that there is no space or time dimension when it comes to matter and to life. Your thoughts affect yourself, the people in the current generation, and the next four generations. Our brain structures and brain circuitry are specifically geared to relating with each other, feeling empathy, and sharing. In fact, interconnections and interrelatedness are fundamental laws of brain function. You are designed to be honest, open, and connected to God. He wants you to be vulnerable to Him so he can fill you and build you up!

But, God also wants you to reach out and connect to others, deeply and genuinely. This doesn’t mean you open your heart to everyone, but you do need to have a few people you truly share your heart with. We are all aware that there are different levels of relationships; however, the point of a good relationship, whichever level, is to be honest and genuine. Align yourself with God’s way and not the world’s shallow and needy way.

Reach out, make friends, smile, laugh, and give 100% in your unique way because you have something to offer that no one else can offer. When you give 100%, you divert loneliness in yourself and others, and there is an added bonus: your health, peace and happiness will improve!

Now unto Him who is able to do . . .” Ephesians 3:20

We don’t live in the same world we grew up in.

You know that whole side of the street that was nothing but a big green field, across from the neighborhood I used to live in? Now, it’s a shopping center; complete with a drive-thru cleaners, a children’s clothing consignment shop, a nail salon, and a place that sells fantastic chicken wings (My sons couldn’t be happier).

You know that home mailbox that used to be for handwritten letters, shower invitations, and monthly magazines? Now, it’s mostly used for bogus sweepstakes and credit card offers. And the technological advancement called email—the one that made us lift our eyebrows in amazement when it first appeared on the scene—is quickly taking a back seat to the ever expanding means of communication. Now, we want to see each other’s faces on screen while we chat.

It’s just different. We’re forced to adapt. Things change.

And while some of it is exciting and new, and while we love being able to jot someone a quick text from the school pick-up line; and while we’re glad we don’t need to drive clear across town to find modern conveniences, our souls do hunger for things we can count on, things that won’t adapt, reinvent, or change.

At least, I certainly do.

Case in point: One Friday night, nearly a decade ago, my son was staying over at Granny’s house (thank you, Jesus) and that meant that I had a night to myself. My pleasantly adjusted plans for the evening included: a quick swing by the video rental store for my favorite romantic, girlie flick, a cozy blanket on the sofa, and two hands cupped around a steaming, warm mug of fresh-brewed goodness. Ahh, take me away.

What I found instead, to my disbelief, was that our neighborhood video store had completely overhauled their stock since my last visit, replacing all of their VHS tapes with DVDs. Well, I didn’t own a DVD player, and I had no intentions of buying one. But now, if I still wanted my blanket, my sofa, and my two hours of film-induced escape, it was going to cost me $200 for a new piece of equipment that I didn’t really want. I wasn’t interested in the “new and improved.” Our trusty VCR was in perfectly good condition, even if it was becoming archaic.

Yup, sometimes we prefer things to just stay the same…

Like the faithful love of a spouse or the innocence of childhood, like Healthy skin, reliable transportation, or even gas pump and grocery store prices.

Yet, as much as we may desire those, we don’t always get them. And when we don’t, our hearts can start to wonder if we can truly be assured of anything in life—anything besides change, loss, stress, and more disappointment.

But, the good news is – we can!

No matter how progressive and post-modern our culture becomes, and no matter how many technological advancements take place, there is still such a thing as unchanging, unflinching, and unadulterated truth. No matter what country you live in, what city you’re from, what language you speak, or what you do for a living, real, solid truth maintains a constant balance at any elevation.

Two plus two equals four. Everywhere.

Gravity holds us to the ground. Everyone.

There are twenty-four hours in a day. Every day.

A snoring spouse is annoying. Every night.

(Well, it had to be said.)

So, when Paul wrote Ephesians 3:20, he intended to declare an absolute, unconditional, irrevocable truth in a world overrun with constant change and relativity: God, he said, “is able to do it. “

Whatever your “it” may be, God’s got it covered.

When the Scripture declares God’s power and might to be unlimited, unstoppable, and boundless, we are staring at a truth that’s more certain than the fat grams in a doughnut, the battery life on a sundial, or the chances of running into a cheapskate at a coupon convention.

God = Is = Able.

Any way that you add it up, this truth is something that we can know for certain in our hearts, in regard to any and every impossible situation we’re facing, we can keep turning our lives toward with confidence - every minute of every day, any day, and even today.

He can do it.

He is able.

That’s the truth.

Bank on it.

Priscilla Shirer

@priscillashirer

www.goingbeyond.com

Resource: God is Able Book: 

http://www.goingbeyond.com/store/books/god-able

We had a beautiful time together at Flourish 2013! As I re-read some of the notes, letters and emails I have received, it is confirmed in my heart. This was the best we have ever had. The history of our women’s ministry has been voluminous and painted with purpose throughout the years. But where we are now is by far, my favorite.  

The years that we have been faithful to dig deep, endure the pruning and sustain our source has given Flourish a depth, focus and quality that only comes with time well spent. Although Flourish is a new name for us, it is not a new identity. We came to the conclusion that flourishing has been our desire from the beginning, our mandate for the present and our mission for the future. To flourish is what we want for ourselves individually, as women of God and for women throughout the world. Flourish is a wordpicture that is as unique and beautiful as every heart that hears it. It means something different and yet specific for each and every one of us. I wanted to take the time to share some of the images and thoughts from Flourish 2013. Click the link at the end of this blog to experience some beautiful images we shared together. Don’t be surprised if you see yourself!

Here are some thoughts from our Flourish Girls:

“Flourish was exactly what I needed. I was challenged to move, love, live, take action, take control of my thought life, be accountable, take risks, and rest in the peace of God. Each message built upon the other. It was impactful, fun, funny, empowering, beautiful, inspiring, jarring, and sweet.

Flourish Ladies, I want you to know that I am eternally grateful. My promise to you is that I will guard these seeds that have been planted, I will water them, put them in the right environment, prune them as they grow, and please know that the flowers will multiply and spread into the beautiful garden that God sketched up before the earth was formed.”

“I felt I needed to tell you how much of a blessing the Flourish Book (volume 1) has been to me and my daughters. We use as a devotion book for everyday living and apply the write ups to our lives. I would love to frame each page and create a Flourish room for my home:)))

Thank you for the blessing.”

“I lead a small group of young single ladies and they were all raving about how much they were impacted by it! It almost brought tears to my eyes to see the immense personal growth they experienced at the conference.

They commented that every aspect of the conference was professional and high quality, but at the same time extremely down to earth and fun! Each speaker was right on point, and each session truly spoke to all of them. I think that is what surprised me the most.  Somebody always has ONE thing that they didn’t like about certain events, but they had nothing but praise and thankfulness to share with everyone.

I just wanted to take the time to say "thank you!" Thank you for all you and your team did to put together the Flourish conference! It was amazing! The speakers, the gifts, the worship, the Words that were shared.... just beautiful! :)”

“I am a proud Covenant Church member and I have been attending the Church since 2011. I attended the women's conference in 2012 and attended Flourish this year and each year it just keeps getting better and better. Every year I am empowered to go after my dreams and reach new heights that seemed impossible before.”

Flourish 2013 was a blessing! It was both a beautiful celebration of everything God has done to cause us to flourish but it was also a brand new beginning of the miraculous openings that are yet to come! I would encourage you to follow us on Twitter@flourishgirls and to follow me as well @AmieHDockery for realtime updates on what’s happening for Flourish. The next event I am planning is an update gathering on my trip to China and the needs and opportunities there for us to FLOURISH!

Much love and anticipation,
Amie Dockery
Twitter@AmieHDockery

Facebook.com/flourishgirls

Instagram@flourishgirls

Email: [email protected]

Click here for the pictures of Flourish 2013

On Monday night, March 25, 2013, I couldn’t sleep. So, I turned on the television and grabbed the wireless headphones so I wouldn’t wake my husband. It was shortly after midnight and I flipped the remote to PBS where a documentary called, Half The Sky, was playing. It was more than halfway over when I turned it on. Instead of putting me to sleep as I had planned, by the end, something had awakened in me. More than just my eyes were opened as tears streamed down my face and I contemplated the overwhelming nature of the message I had just encountered. And I knew that in the tangle of thoughts presented in the stories of that documentary, I saw the thread of my destiny intertwined. I laid in bed for a long while, held by the wordless knowing that my life would be connected to the global mission of restoring the lost value of being female.

The documentary covered atrocities against women and girls from Sierra Leone to Cambodia, Vietnam and China. And although I am aware of the devaluation of women all over the globe, these countries are by far the examples of societal collapse for the sins against womanhood. My first response to this documentary was the immediate desire to adopt a child in need. And although this is a temptation not easily assuaged I have landed on the adoption of all the daughters of the earth.

My heavy response to the images I saw on that night were not just the result of a powerful documentary. What I watched that night was just a reminder of a message that has looped through my life since I was eleven years old. I woke on a Sunday morning in 1985 with a jolt, having just seen my more mature self in a dream only moments before. In this dream, I was holding the hand of a beautiful daughter from a foreign land. She was dressed in purple and smiling up at me. From that point on in my life, I just always knew that I would adopt a daughter at some point in my life. This has been a topic of conversation in our household for many years. Each time the subject would arise, the looping message would become less pixelated and more defined.

On Monday night, March 25, I knew that a dream that had been in sleep mode had just been activated. The next day I told my husband as much as I could about my feelings the night before and then went on with the rest of the week, preparing for Easter weekend. On our way to the Good Friday night service I received a text out of the blue.

Here is the text I received at 3:50pm on March 29, 2013:

Amie, I’m not sure if I have the right number and this is a shot in the dark. We are going to China to get our 3rd adopted child but also visiting the various orphanages we support and doing a filming journey. We were just talking feel that somehow you might be interested in the orphan journey we are on. We have funded over 130 surgeries for these orphans with serious conditions. Anyway the shot in the dark is... Would you care to join us? Yes, I know you have a thousand things going so I’m expecting a definite no. However these spontaneous moments sometimes prove to be Theophanies. There is one beautiful seat left on this jet. Just so you know, we would treat you as royalty. So there you go. Love to everyone. XOXOXOXOXO

How do you think I felt when I read that text?

After I caught my breath, I handed the phone to my husband. I could never have read that aloud.

Before I considered all of the details I just soaked in the knowing that God and I have a good thing going. God is God. And He can do anything He wants to do. But even greater, is the fact that He includes us in His glorious plans by placing His purpose and passion in our heart through His promises and then He delights in fulfilling all He has promised and MORE! He just blows my mind. The perfect way in which He develops in the darkness and then He turns us inside out, putting His glory on display. It is just a phenomenal thing to behold: the EXTERNAL REALITY of what was moments before just an INTERNAL POSSIBILITY.

I know God to be faithful. I have seen Him take my private conversations with Him and multiply them as a harvest for many. I have seen Him do it over and over again. And each time, that miracle of spiritual birth astounds me! But in my recent conversations with Him, the promise of “miraculous openings” has been on repeat. Over and over I hear it, “this is the season of miraculous openings.” And my heart response is always, “show me what You mean.”

Well He has.

Although China was in my heart, it was not on my calendar. And yet God brought it from dream-seed to boarding pass before I could unfold planner.

I am on my first flight from Dallas to LA, then on to China. Four days from my Monday prayer on March 25, to the Friday text invitation was the fastest flourish I have seen so far. But I am so ready for more!

‘Miraculous openings’ is not a word for me alone. It is a promise for you. If it bears witness within, you will also reply, “show me what You mean...”

Rest assured.

HE. WILL.

In this moment, as you read these words, my prayer for you is to allow my story to testify that God is willing and able to bring the desires and dreams discussed with Him in the secret place, out into the world. He is eager to see your faith activated by the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart. Do not fear making a petition or declaration known to a spiritual friend or partner. Whatever your dream and desire may be, use your conversation time with God to beg Him for the nations. Don’t waste His time or yours asking for material things that will come anyway as a result of your life falling into the rhythm of His purpose. All the small securities will settle in around the big miracles He has for you. Connect to Him and you will flourish, baby, flourish!!!

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar in lebanon.

Psalm 92:12 NIV

What each of us requires to flourish varies by degrees. Although we all want certain things, such as love, contentment, provision and time. There are certain elements that pertain to atmosphere and surroundings that are required for particular plants to thrive. In the verse above, it is interesting to note that the climate the Palm tree needs to thrive is a dry one which is exactly the opposite of the wet climate needed by a Cedar tree. But both flourish when planted by God. Righteousness is a big word but all it truly means is to be in “right standing,” which is essentially being planted in the right place to flourish. It is impossible to flourish without being planted properly.

“They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalm 1:3 NLT

We have the privilege of setting ourselves up to flourish by planting ourselves by rivers of living water. Living water is the pure, holy, perfect, Word of God. And wherever that may be flowing, is where we find the river, the source. As our lives demand so much time and attention, we often do not recognize the beautiful opportunity to be fed by the banks of the river as it comes near.

Amos 8:11 tells us that a famine is coming. But not a famine of food or water, but a famine of hearing the voice of the Lord. God does not suffer from famine. So His Word does not dry up. The famine is not one of speaking, but one of hearing. So as God speaks, many will not hear what He is saying.

But some will.

The vision God has given me for Flourish is a picture of women as strong and vibrant trees, planted by a deep and quiet, but powerful river. I see women with deep roots and strong branches, ripe with the fullness of God.

My heart and desire, as is my mother’s (Pastor Kathy Hayes), is not to mass produce ministry to women. For the vision we see cannot be stamped out but must be tended as a gardner would a beloved garden. This vision has caused us to invest more, plan better and prepare for the women who hear the call to Flourish. Although we wish that every woman was ready to go to another level, we understand that some do not recognize the season and so are not prepared to invest themselves. As God is faithful, their day will come.

But Flourish 2013 is for those who know that the time is now.

I will read an entire book and finding just ONE truth makes all the reading worth it. I go to a conference and just ONE moment of revelation makes all the difference in the world. Maybe I am a little odd but I am keen on digging in deep for the best soil. When I know by the Spirit that I am ONE connection away from my epitome I look for opportunities to excavate. I believe that a group of women are prepared and ready to roll up their sleeves and roll back the excuses in the way of uncovering greatness.

This is an invitation to Flourish. Is this your season?

I certainly hope so.

With much love and anticipation,

Amie Dockery

What does flourishing look like to you?

It undoubtedly will look different and yet the same for all of us. As we were in discussions with our creative team, we came upon the fun idea of a challenge. We want to first challenge you to think about what flourishing looks like to you and then create something to show and tell that imagery. You may be able to take a photo that captures what it means to flourish. Or you may use a photo already taken by someone else, and edit it in a way that demonstrates your vision of flourishing. Or, you may combine the last two and come up with something completely original! The other option is to design a background with a great quote that truly reflects a flourishing life. The design shown here is an example of a designer quote.

The other option for this challenge is to write and perform your own song, or perform a song that shows what flourishing means to you! Film yourself singing it and post it with a link to show us.

The winner in each category will receive an iPad mini!! The Flourish Challenge will accept entries now through April 30th.

Here’s what you do: Create your masterpiece and tweet the link to @flourishgirls with the hashtag #FlourishChallenge. We'll look at all of the entries and choose one from each category to receive an iPad mini!  Entries can also be emailed to [email protected], and youtube videos can be tagged "FlourishChallenge" for consideration.

View video for more information.

It’s Sunday evening and I am contemplating the week ahead. I’m propped up in the middle of my bed surrounded by fluffy pillows, inspiring books and my favorite new candle burning on the side table. Sunday nights are one of my favorite times to dream, create and connect with family and friends. With my laptop at the eye of this creative storm, I surge ahead toward promising distant shores; tidying up loose ends, solidifying each day’s goals and making decisions so my team can move ahead as well.

It’s all I can do to stay in the moment, now, where we are promoting the conference. My mind and heart are already being thrilled by the potential unfolding on May 8-10. I wanna be there, now! But it will be here before we know it. And then it will be over. But when we wake up on May 11, 2013, some of us will never be the same. So while I am on this side of Flourish 2013, I am going to continue to pour my full attention in prayer, preparation and promotion, so that every life that can be impacted will know the opportunity to Flourish.     - Amie

So finally FOUR folders of photos arrived on my desk today!! Four folders with what seems like FIVE MILLION images to now peruse through and decide upon.

Seems like a lot has happened since two Mondays ago when a handful of us verged at 7am in an inner city cafe for the first of our Flourish photo shoots that day. I've been waiting patiently and excitedly (and maybe even a tiny bit anxiously) for these photos to arrive, because they play a critical role in the Flourish journey. They become what we call "the creative pallet" of "the visual experience", that in turn helps us "paint a picture" and "tell the story of everyday women, doing everyday life but with a cause in their heart and

a spiritual spring in their step.

That’s what Flourish is all about and that’s what this shoot was about. We chose Aubree- Anna Stinson to model the heart of this new ministry. Voted by D Magazine as one of Dallas’ most beautiful women, Aubree- Anna and the other gracious girls at the shoot set the tone of what Flourish is all about. It’s a bouquet of all races, ages, cultures and backgrounds gathered in celebration of the art of thriving. It’s a timeless display of God’s great creation, His women, joining together to blossom, bloom and produce in a whole new way.

We hope you’ll enjoy our photos and better yet, we can’t wait for you to join us for our conference. We are eager and excited to share all we have been working on for the past year! The big reveal is here and we’re so glad you’re joining us for this journey. Now is the season. Armed with the seeds of our past….the time is now….Here comes the Bloom!

Xo,

Amie