A prayer for today . . .

I belong to a group on Facebook called, “Power packed prayers”. They send me daily prayers and encouragements about various things.

I love to read these and I particularly liked this one so much that I thought I would share it! This is my prayer too . . .

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this day filled with Your mercies which are new every morning. We lift our hearts to You in praise and thanksgiving for all You are doing in our lives and the lives of those You have brought to us in Jesus' name. We bring honor and glory to Your throne of grace Father and lay them at Your feet in humble adoration.

We applaud Your Righteousness and Sovereignty. We applaud Your Glory and Grace. We love You Father because You first loved us. May Your Righteousness fill our hearts and fill the earth in Jesus' name. Father, You have said in Your word that the wheat must grow up with the tare, that the sheep must grow up with the goats.

Father, we pray for an outpouring of Your Holy Spirit upon the earth. We pray for a fresh anointing upon Your people oh God, that they would step out in a new refreshing to do Your will. Father, we know Your hand is on India, we know Your hand is on Israel, we know that Your hand is upon all nations of the earth and that You are seeing all that is happening.

We know that You are in control and that Your ways are higher than our ways, that Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We may not fully understand now what Your whole plan is but we trust You completely.

As we read Your word and see how things turned out through the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come to know that You have a plan and that evil will be thwarted in the end. WE give You all the praise and glory! Help us Father to discern the times, help us to hear You speak to our hearts, help us to reach out to the hurting ones Lord.

Help us to be sensitive to Your heart and to Your voice Father and lead us not into temptation in Jesus' name. Deliver us from evil and the evil one Father and deliver us into Your place of victory in Jesus' name.

Father comfort those who are afflicted and persecuted for our Lord Jesus' name sake. Father, draw upon the hearts of Your people to pray and reach out in Jesus' name.

Father, open the doors that You would have open and close the doors that You would have closed for our benefit in Jesus' name.

Father bless the pastors and the work that You have called them to. Bless the flock Lord and draw them closer to You. Father open their eyes and ears to see and hear Your Spirit speaking. We are seated together in Christ Jesus in heavenly places Father, reveal these seats and draw us into our divine destinies in Jesus' name.

Thank You for Your faithful provision Father. Thank You for Your daily grace which is sufficient in all things. Father, pour out an extra measure of Your grace upon our persecuted brothers and sisters today for Your glory. Father gird them up in Your strength and accomplish Your will in Jesus' name.

Bless the work of our hands Lord and the fruit of our lips. Give into our hands more souls for Your kingdom Father, for Your glory.

Deliver the oppressed and the broken hearted with Your healing and continue to use us for Your kingdom and Your glory, in Jesus' glorious name.

~ Amen

(Prayer by Mary Burris)

Where do you get your “car" serviced?

Today as I sat in my pastor’s office, he talked to me about some very simple truths that I found to be quite profound. He touched upon today’s culture, and how we as a christian society strive to be culturally relevant in our world. Let me explain . . .

The new wave of preachers, teachers and counselors often come from the “been there, done that” mentality, and feel that to effectively “identify” with those they are reaching out to, they have to have already lived a life full of past sins, mistakes and wrong lifestyle choices. They use their “testimonies" of how God has radically changed their lives and saved them from the miry clay, to reach out to the masses. It almost seems like you need a pre-requisite in sinful living to be a qualified counselor these days. They use their “pearls of wisdom” about everything they have gleaned from lessons learned the hard way, to preach the message of getting back on the straight and narrow. I guess they feel that if they can identify with others who have made or are currently making the same sin choices, they can better reach out to these lost souls.

I used to think that the some of the best counselors were the ones that had “been there, done that”, because I could readily identify with them on a real and personal level. Now don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing ministries and testimonies out there of how God has radically changed the lives of those who were once broken, hurting and lost. But I also believe that we as a church body in our culture today have lost the value of living a moral life. What’s wrong with setting a high standard of righteous living anyways? Have we gotten so far away from the truths of God, and His standard of righteousness and holy living, that we feel that we need to see what is on the other side of morality? The grass is NOT greener on the other side, and we don’t have to jump the fence just to come to that conclusion. I could have saved myself years of pain and a world of hurt, if I would have held steadfast to the truths of God, and not tried to seek after “greener pastures”.

My pastor explained it to me in a way that made so much sense. He said, “Nikki, let’s say your car has broke down, and you depend on that car daily to get where you are going. There are two mechanic shops in town. One is a little po-dunk mom n’ pop shop, it’s not too pretty, but the shop owner has a vast wealth of knowledge about cars, and every one of his cars are in perfect running order. Then there is a shop across town that is state-of-the-art, pretty and pristine, and the shop owner has lots of really cool race cars that he owns. Though they’re really awesome to look at, none of these cars run, and he has no knowledge in how to fix them. Now which one of these shops would you trust to fix your precious, broken down car? Well, of course that was a no-brainer, and I said, “Well, that’s easy, I’d take it to the shop where the owner’s cars run, cause he knows best in how to fix them!” “The other guy may have some really cool looking cars, but what’s the point of having them, or better yet having a repair shop, if he doesn’t know how to make even his own cars run?” It’s pointless really. So the question is this, would you go to seek advice from a counselor who has some dynamic, dramatic and awesome testimony about how God delivered him from a life filled with wrong choices and sin issues, and has a wealth of knowledge about what "not to do in life" from his past experiences, yet he treats his wife like garbage and his kids hate him? In other words, does his character match up to what he preaches? Is his life consistent on a day to day basis? Or would you rather go to someone who was wise enough to not delve into a life of sin in the first place; a person who has understood the value and preciousness of following Christ, and the importance of obeying His word, and values his family and honors them?

Wow. I had never thought of it that way. Yes, there are many good people out there that make wonderful teachers, preachers and counselors that have come out of a life of sin into the marvelous light of the Lord. But there are also many "who talk a good talk", but fail to truly “walk the walk”. So many churches and pastors today have compromised so many of God’s standards in the name of being “culturally relevant”, while forsaking the simple and profound truths of OBEYING God’s word. So many minister’s custom tailor the Bible to meet their needs, and they have watered down the gospel and make it easy for all to freely sin, with the mindset that we’ll just ask for forgiveness later. I call that “greasy grace”. Yep, exactly what Romans 6:1 tells us NOT to do!

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God FORBID! How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2

Many christians today use grace as a “license to sin”. If we truly want our hearts to be changed by the powerful, life-changing love of Christ, then wouldn’t we want to aim to please the One who we claim has captured our heart and affections?

More importantly, if we are to seek out counseling, we had better take a very good look at that person’s lifestyle. Is this counselor the same person at home as when they are preaching from the pulpit on Sunday mornings? If you ask their wife, husband or children just what kind of person they are 24 hrs a day, you can probably get a pretty good idea of who they are on a day to day basis. Asking for God’s wisdom too, is extremely important when choosing to seek out wise counsel or advice. I have received some pretty bad advice and wrong counsel over the years that has led me onto some unnecessary and dangerous paths.

I could have saved myself a world of hurt if I would have simply taken a step back, and looked at these character issues I mentioned above more clearly. A lot of counselors will even tell you things are”thus saith the Lord” about your life, when they are not even hearing the true voice of the Lord! Test everything to the word of God, (the Bible) which is the true standard of God.

As my pastor continued to pour precious truths into my life, he made another profound statement that gripped my heart. He said, “Nikki, I would rather spend 3 minutes in my prayer closet and have sweet, genuine communion with the Lord, than to pray for 3 hours at self - directed agendas spawned out of my flesh and mind, for the sense and purpose of “feeling spiritual”, and the end result being that I simply feel more spiritual.” Jesus talked about this, when the pharisees were heard praying self-righteous prayers, just to put on the appearance of being humble and holy.

~ What IS our true purpose and agenda for praying?

~ Do we pray out of a desire to feel more spiritual, or to simply commune with the Father out of a heart of love?

~ Do we yearn to know our Father in heaven more intimately, or are we praying simply out of duty and ritual?

Hmmm, it got me thinking anyways. What IS my motive for praying and seeking the Lord? Is it genuine, coming out of a heart filled with love and desire for relationship, or is self-seeking, directed and aimed to please myself to feel more spiritual?!

Amen or oh my?!

Ouch. I can honestly say I’ve been guilty of the latter more than once in my life. “Lord, help me to be completely honest with myself and with You. You know every thought and motive in my heart anyways, who am I fooling? Certainly not You, and what’s the point of serving You if I can’t do it out of a genuine heart?! I’ve even prayed self-righteous prayers, thinking that I was totally humble and submitted to You in the whole process!"

“Oh Lord, I desire for truth on the inward parts, as I become less and You become more; a vessel that can be used for Your glory to be manifested in and through” . . .

"Create in me a clean heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me” . . . Psalms 51:10

For you . . .

Clear Direction . . .

I have figured out what “path” to take in my life. I feel like I am getting ready to climb a mountain; the journey will be long, treacherous and unpredictable. My decision has not been taken lightly, and it will cost me dearly, but the outcome in the end is worth everything I will have to endure. I don’t know where I will end up, or just what it will look like, but I do know that Jesus will be with me the whole way . . .

I am at a fork in my life’s path where two roads are in front of me. I don’t know which one to choose; one is comfortable and safe, familiar and still okay with God, the other full of sacrifice, loneliness, uncertainty, chastening and living at a Godly standard that is higher than any way I’ve ever had to live at before . . . . Which path to take? Oh Lord help me . . .

David Brymer and Misty Edwards “Prophetic Song"

Oh how I love to play this song and let it wash over my soul and minister to my spirit! It is healing and draws me back to the Father’s heart for us every time I listen . . .

The kids new sport - BMX riding

Near our house is the Visalia Sports park which has tons of events and things for the kids to do. They have five huge playgrounds, 6 or more soccer fields, a water park in the summer time and they just completed a new phase with 6 baseball fields and a huge BMX track. a few weeks ago I took the kids and their best friends Lauren and Maddie out to the BMX bike track to watch.

I met the owner of the BMX track, Ron, and he introduced all of the bike equipment to the kids and showed them the basics of how to ride the track. Ron had bikes, helmets and gloves available for all of the kids to use until we decide that they are gonna stick with the sport.

I learned that you can’t just use any bike to ride the tracks. Most bikes are way too heavy to ride over the hills and jumps. They have special bikes, “BMX bikes” that are especially made for the sport. I just always assumed that BMX bikes were just a style of bike! I guess it goes to say, “Ya learn somethin’ new everyday!”

Josh and

Christopher were “gung -ho” to start riding, while the girls stood and watched for awhile. Then Allie saw other little girls “rockin’ the track” so she wanted to be cool and try too! Lauren followed suit while little Maddie girl still stood on the sidelines and watched. After much coaxing, I got Maddie to try. It took the BMX coach Ron, and another parent of a BMX kid to help get her lined up straight and balanced on the starting gate so she wouldn’t fall when the gate dropped! She took off with a shaky start, fell off of the bike on one of the last hills, but then came back totally psyched! By the end of the day I had to practically pry Maddie girl off of the bike!

Allie girl did so well, and she too, had to be practically dragged off of the track. Josh is an absolute natural and he kept winning first place in all of the races! I can tell that he is gonna take this sport all of the way and end up in the Olympics or as some extreme sports guy! One of the girls on the BMX team here in Visalia just got accepted to compete in the next olympic season - She’s sixteen!! Christopher also loves this sport and spends hours on the track. Even our little neighbor friend, Lauren, loved riding and took to it very well!

The kids have been coming to the track

regularly now, and they have started training at BMX practice on Monday evenings. I love sitting out there in the bleachers and watching their little faces light up on that track, enjoying this new found love of BMX riding! I’ll keep y’all updated as to their progress, and prayerfully with no major "spills" to report about!

I posted this quote by C.S. Lewis back in February of 2006, but I felt it noteworthy to post again . . .

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable" . . . .

~C.S. Lewis

This is my prayer . . .

O Lord, please keep my heart ever tender before you - open up my heart to give and receive love, no matter how badly I've been wounded by people and their cold, selfish ways. I ask that you would break up the hard, stone-like places where my heart needs your touch. I am asking that you would heal my heart, and touch the inner places of my heart and spirit, so that I can be vulnerable and willing to love again, without reservation or mistrust. I yearn for my heartbeat to follow the rhythms of Your heartbeat. I long for my life to move in the direction towards the sound of Your compassionate voice. Teach me to love as You love - for You are the meaning of love, and the one and only reason why I have any capacity to love at all. I was made to love You and be loved by You.

This is the hope of my calling . . .

~ Nikki Fairbanks

Jude 1:14-25

Enoch, the seventh after Adam, prophesied of them: " Look! The Master comes with thousands of holy angels to bring judgement against them all, convincing each person of every defiling act of shameless sacrilege, of every dirty word they have spewed of their pious filth." These are the "grumpers," the bellyachers, grabbing for the biggest piece of the pie, talking big, saying anything they think will get them ahead.

But Remember, dear friends, that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: "In the last days there will be people who don't take these things seriously anymore. They'll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts." These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There's nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit!

But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!

Go easy on those who hesitate the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.

And now to Him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in this bright presence, fresh and celebrating - to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes.

~ The Message Bible

Day in Sequoia Park

Today I drove my boys up to the Sequoia National Park for a day of hiking. It was such a beautiful day today, and even the drive up there was enjoyable. The boys and I had a wonderful time surrounded by God's beautiful scenery filled with His glorious nature.

Joshua was being his usual self being an adventurous, curious, climbing little monkey!

We drove up to The Giant Forest, which was about 45 minutes into the park. When we arrived, we walked thru the little museum they had for visitors there. The boys had fun reading about all of the super cool nature facts and games they had.

We picked a hiking trail that led to the "World's biggest tree". Halfway there however, the boys got too tired, so we all decided to hike back to the trailhead.

We had fun nevertheless! I love being able to spend quality alone time with my children. They are the most precious little ones to me in the whole world!! They also appreciate the fact that I am able to focus on just them, and no one else on our special days together. It lets them know that they are valued and that I deeply love and care for them . . .

A New Beginning . . .

"God is not asking me not to be sad that this chapter in my life has come to a close. Rather, He is asking me to turn the page and let a new chapter in my life begin" . . . .

This new chapter is called . . . "A New Beginning" . . . . .

~ Nikki Fairbanks

To be Loved . . .

Tonite I watched the movie, "Twilight" again for the third time with my family. Every time I see that movie, I am intrigued and completely enamored with the way that Edward completely and selflessly loves Bella. He protects her, watches over her and simply cannot stand to be away from the object of his affection. . .

These are the things that I think every woman truly desires in her heart of hearts. Edward, because he is a vampire, thinks he is a monster - but to Bella, he is the definition of perfection. She simply won't be swayed by the disapproval of what others think; her gaze is locked on this chivalrous, timeless man who would run to the ends of the earth, to make sure his forever love is safe and protected from anything that would pose a threat to her well-being, and more importantly, her life.

Thought to be beautiful, precious, cherished, endlessly loved, adored, chivalrous towards her, honored, respected, a priceless gem, a true princess, mercy continually bestowed upon, a heart completely ravished, the rush of adrenaline and blood pulsing through his veins at the mere thought of her, the wild and erratic beating of his heart, the sudden and electric charge in the atmosphere when she enters a room, endless grace and forgiveness, love as strong as death, the way he sets her as a seal upon his heart, as a permanent imprint, telling the world that she's won his heart, the very object of his affection, single mindedness towards her, gratitude and thankfulness of heart for her life, an unspoken, founded, heart-bound trust that knows where their equal affections and true devotions lie, conveying to her that even in her many weaknesses, she is still lovely to him, many waters not able to quench his fiery, passionate, burning love for her, yearning, longing thoughts of her constantly on his mind, the selfless act of laying down his life for her, "the true apple of his eye". . .

These are all of the thoughts that Jesus thinks of me as His bride! And though I long and yearn in my heart of hearts for an earthly husband to love me and think of me this way, at least I know that the King of this universe loves me completely and purely without reservation. And some day face to face, I will have the honor of meeting this beautiful man who loves me more than I'll ever truly comprehend, and who holds me endearingly close to His heart. I can rest assured that He will never leave me, abandon me or forsake me, and that I can trust Him with all of my heart, mind, body soul and spirit. I know with confidence that I AM His favorite one; and so are you . . .

We are "The Apple of His Eye" . . .

~ I will Give My Love An Apple ~

I will give my love an apple without e'er a core

I will give my love a house without e'er a door,

I will give my love a palace wherein she may be,

But she may unlock it without any key.

My head is the apple without e'er a core,

My mind is the house without e'er a door.

My heart is the palace wherein she may be

And she may unlock it without e'er a key.

The Shack

The other day I was having quite an in depth conversation with my mom about why we have to experience such heartache and pain in our lifetime. I haven't been able to make sense of a lot of things that have happened to me throughout almost all of my adult life, and I have had so many questions about why God would allow these things to happen to me; after all, He is the God of love and peace, right? He does want the best for His children, doesn't He?

In the process of our conversation, my mom highly suggested that I read this book called, The Shack, as it contained many of the answers to some really hard questions that have been "burning a hole" in my heart. I am almost done with the book, and it has literally changed my perspective of life and how I see God as a Father and friend. It has helped me to see God in a whole different light.

To give you a little bit of insight to the book, God comes to the main character in the book, named "Mack", in the form of a African woman named, "Papa". This is a true story by the way. Though it is a little lengthy, please read this excerpt from one of the chapters titled, "A meeting of Hearts" . . .

~ The Shack ~
"A Meeting of Hearts"

"But why do you love me?" I mean, why Mackenzie Allen Phillips? Why do you love someone who is such a screw up? After all the things I've felt in my heart towards you and all the accusations I've made, why would you even bother to keep trying to get through to me? "Because that is what love does," answered Papa. "Remember, Mackenzie, I don't wonder what you will do or what choices you will make. I already know. Let's say, for example, I am trying to teach you how not to hide inside lies - hypothetically, of course," she said with a wink. "And let's say that I know it will take you forty-seven situations and events before you will actually hear me - that is, before you will hear clearly enough to agree with me and change. So when you don't hear me the first time, I'm not frustrated or disappointed, I'm thrilled. Only forty-six more times to go! And that first time will be a building block to construct a bridge of healing that one day - that today - you will walk across."
"Okay, now I'm feeling guilty," he admitted.
"Let me know how that works for you." Papa chuckled.
"Seriously, Mackenzie, it's not about feeling guilty. Guilt'll never help you find freedom in me. The best it can do is make you try harder to conform to some ethic on the outside. I'm about the inside."
"But what you said, I mean, about hiding inside lies. I guess I've done that one way or another most of my life."
"Honey, you're a survivor. No shame in that. Your daddy hurt you something fierce. Life hurt you."
"Lies are one of the easiest places for survivors to run. They give you a sense of safety, a place where you have to depend only on yourself. But it's a dark place, isn't it?"

"So dark," Mack muttered with a shake of his head.
"But are you willing to give up the power and safety it promises you? That's the question."What do you mean?" asked Mack, looking up at her.

"Lies are a little fortress; inside them you can feel safe and powerful. Through your little fortress of lies you try to run your life and manipulate others. But the fortress needs walls, so you build some. These are the justifications for your lies. You know, like you are doing this to protect someone you love, to keep them from feeling pain. Whatever works, just so you feel okay about the lies."

"But the reason I didn't tell Nan about the note was because it would have caused her so much hurt."
"See? There you go, Mackenzie, justifying yourself. What you just said is a bold-faced lie, but you can't see it." She leaned forward. "Do you want me to tell you what the truth is?"
Mack knew Papa was going deep, and somewhere inside he was both relieved to be talking about this and tempted to almost laugh out loud. He was no longer embarrassed by it. "No-o-o-o." He drew his answer out slowly and smirked up at her. "But go ahead anyway."

She smiled back and then grew serious. "The truth is, Mack, the real reason you did not tell Nan was not because you were trying to save her from pain. The real reason was that you were afraid of having to deal with the emotions you might have encountered, both from her and in yourself. Emotions scare you, Mack. You lied to protect yourself, not her!"
"And furthermore," she continued, "Such a lie is unloving. In the name of caring about her, your lie became an inhibitor in your relationship with her, and in her relationship with me. If you had told her, maybe she would be here with us now.
Papa's words hit Mack like a punch in the stomach. "You wanted her to come too?"
"That was your decision and hers, if she had ever been given the chance to make it. The point is, Mack, you don't know what would have happened because you were so busy 'protecting' Nan.

And again he was floundering in guilt. "So, what do I do now?"
"You tell her, Mackenzie. You face the fear of coming out of the dark and tell her, and you ask her forgiveness and let her forgiveness heal you. Ask her to pray for you, Mack. Take the risks of honesty. When you mess up again, ask for forgiveness again. It's a process, honey, and life is real enough without having to be obscured by lies. And remember, I am bigger than your lies. I can work beyond them. But that doesn't make them right or stop the damage they do or the hurt they cause others."

"What if she won't forgive me?" Mack knew that this was indeed a very deep fear that he lived with. It felt safer to continue to throw new lies on the growing pile of old ones.
"Ah, that is the risk of faith, Mack. Faith does not grow in the house of certainty. I am not here to tell you that Nan will forgive you. Perhaps she won't or can't, but my life inside you will appropriate risk and uncertainty to transform you by your own choices into a truth teller, and that will be a miracle greater than raising the dead."
Mack sat back and let her words sink in. "Will you please forgive me?" Mack finally offered.

"Did that a long time ago, Mack. If you don't believe me, ask Jesus. He was there . . ."

Love =

To put it simply . . . Love = putting someone else's good ahead of your own . . . Think about that. . .

Your growing environment . . .

I was walking through Target today browsing through the book aisle for a new, good read. Out of the corner of my eye I glanced at a book by a preacher named Joel Osteen titled, Become a Better You. I went back and picked it up and bought it, despite my hesitance to "big time" TV preachers. As I was reading tonight however, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at this man's God given gift for encouragement and Godly wisdom. I had an epiphany this evening about our dreams and plans and the discouragement that comes when they are suddenly stifled.

Here's what Mr. Osteen writes . . .

"The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment in order to see that dream fulfilled. Consider an oak tree. If you plant it in a pot, it can grow no further. The problem is not with the tree; it is with the environment. It is stifling growth. Perhaps you have bigger things in your heart than your present environment can facilitate. That's why, at times, God will stir you out of a comfortable situation. When you go through persecution and rejection, it's not always because somebody has it in for you. Sometimes that's God's way of directing you into His perfect will. He's trying to get you to stretch to the next level. He knows you're not going to go without a push, so He'll make it uncomfortable for you to stay where you are currently. The mistake we make at times is getting negative and sour; we focus on what didn't work out. When we do that, we inhibit the opening of new doors.

Throughout life, we're not always going to understand everything that happens along the way. But we've got to learn to trust God. We've got to believe that He has us in the palm of His hand, that He is leading and guiding us, that He always has our best interests at heart. Somebody may have rejected you, but you can hold your head up high knowing this: God accepts you. God approves of you. And He has something better in store.

Friend, don't die with the treasure still inside you. Keep pressing forward. Keep reaching for new heights. Give birth to what God had placed in your heart. Don't let other people talk you out of your dreams. Listen to what God says about you, not all of the negative voices. When you have rejection and disappointment, don't stay there. Know that God has another plan. That closed door simply means God has something better in store. You may not have experienced God's favor in the past, but this is a new day. You have not seen, heard or imagined the wonderful things that God has in store for you. Don't be weighed down by the distractions and disappointments in life; instead, keep stretching to the next level, reaching for your highest potential. If you do that, I can tell you with confidence your best days are in front of you. God is going to show you more of His blessings and favor, and you will become a better you, better than you ever dreamed possible."

~ Excerpt taken from the book Become a better you written by Joel Osteen

Remember though, God can't have just a piece of you, He needs all of your devotion and heart if you want Him to fulfill the God-given desires that are in your heart. He won't fulfill the dreams that are not of Him, and that don't line up with His Word, The Bible. He can't bless your life either, if you are walking in blatant, willful, disobedience to His Word. You must surrender your will to His, if you want to go forward in life.

~ Nikki Fairbanks

Here's more about what Mr. Osteen writes about . . . .

"If you will have the right attitude, you will give birth to more in the future than you've lost in the past. Quit looking back. This is a new day. It may seem like your dreams have died, but God can resurrect your dead dreams or give you brand - new ones. He is a supernatural God and when we believe, all things are possible!

God has not given up on you; He knows that He put seeds of greatness in you. You have something to offer that nobody else has. He's given you noble dreams and desires. When one door closes, God will always open another. If all the doors close, He'll open a window! God always wants to give you a fresh beginning. He still has a great plan for your life. Do you know when that's going to happen? It will commence the moment you quit looking back. Whenever you quit grieving over what you've lost. Nothing will keep you from the good things of God as much as living in the past! Instead of focusing on your mistakes and dwelling on your failures, let it go and receive God's mercy. Yes, you've made some mistakes, you've made some poor choices, but I know that God has another seed. I know He has another plan . . .

"What happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future" ~ Joel Osteen

Just my honest feelings . . .

"Missing"

Please, please forgive me, But I won't be home again.

Maybe someday you'll look up,

And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:

"Isn't something missing?"

You won't cry for my absence,

I know -You forgot me long ago.

Am I that unimportant...?

Am I so insignificant...?

Isn't something missing?

Isn't someone missing me?

Even though I'm the sacrifice,You won't try for me, not now.

Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone.

Isn't someone missing me?

Please, please forgive me, But I won't be home again.

I know what you do to yourself,

I breathe deep and cry out,"Isn't something missing?

Isn't someone missing me?"

And if I bleed, I'll bleed, Knowing you don't care.

And if I sleep just to dream of you

I'll wake without you there,

Isn't something missing?

Isn't something...

Can you stop the fire?

Can you stand to fight her?

You can't stop the fire, you won't say the words.

Evanescence ~

Worship in Spirit and Truth . . .

As I was reading out of a book written by Gary Weins titled, "Bridal Intercession", I was swept away by the reality and teaching that was brought to light. On page 61 he is talking about the fact that the body of Christ needs a restored understanding of "the majestic beauty of the Man Christ Jesus". He goes on to say that we have become so focused on our OWN personal happiness and on the business of solving issues, having our OWN needs met and pursuing our OWN visions, that we have neglected to FOCUS on "the beauty and majesty of the One who makes it all worthwhile" in the first place!


** Notice the key word above . . . OUR OWN! Sometimes our focus can be way too much on SELF instead of HIM.


When our main focus, time and energies are spent declaring the glory of speaking and singing of that glory from the texts of the scriptures, the reality of doing this is that our hearts become more and more exhilerated in His beauty and passion! In effect, we become more and more convinced that He IS able to do what we need, and to hold until that day the victory He won for us on the cross. This is precisely why He tells us in John 4 to "worship Him in Spirit and truth".



He doesn't want us to do this because He is some sort of egocentric God who must be placated, (to pacify or cause to be more favorably inclined, or to gain the good will of) by little people telling Him how important He is.


He desires us to be focused on His loveliness and to declare it to HIm night and day for OUR OWN BENEFIT, that we may see His power and glory and become convinced that He is able to keep us.

***Worship and adoration increase our sense of His majesty and puts our hearts at rest in faith and confidence! ***

When worship is focused on the beauty of the Lord, not for the sake of my comfort, but simply for the sake of adorning Him, the unexpected happens. I, in fact, come to a greater sense of peace and rest than when attaining peace and rest was my goal!

The knowledge of Christ sets us at rest. The shulamite in the Song of Songs knew that the best way that she could come to a place of rest and ease was to focus on the beauty and the excellence of her King.

( Excerpts taken from the book, "Bridal Intercession" written by Gary Weins)

I believe that this IS the key to any lasting relationship; making Christ the center place in our hearts and focus, and worshipping Him out of that place. When we do this, the love of Christ spills over abundantly into our other relationships, causing us to have the capacity to love others with HIS LOVE, not in our own fleshly capacity. Our conditional, selfish, limited capacity to love will ALWAYS fail, but His love NEVER FAILS . . .

~ Nikki Fairbanks

Praying for our inner man . . .

I recently read a post on praying for our inner man written by Mike Bickle out of the International House of Prayer. I thought it was so good that I felt the need to share it! We need these types of prayers to strengthen us, especially with the hour that we live in, at these pivotal moments in what I, and many others, feel to be the last days before the return of Christ. It is so important that we not lose heart and focus of what God is trying to do in and through us. We need to have open hearts, full of humility and humble to reproof and correction. It is only through a broken, contrite heart that the Lord can truly use us for His purposes. I myself, have fallen so short of obeying God's word and His standards, and I am so honored to know that despite my righteousness being as filthy rags, His beautiful grace and mercy cover me like a shield against the accuser of the brethren. His banner over me IS love . . . .

Praying for Our Inner Man

By: Mike Bickle

It is very important to pray for ourselves.

One aspect of prayer is to pray for ourselves, and specifically to pray for the strengthening of our inner man. This is often neglected, and yet it is a powerful reality. The most important part of our lives is our inner man, the place where we fellowship with God. It will remain for all of eternity. There is much grace that God is willing to give concerning our inner life with Him, but He is waiting for us to ask.


A great acronym for personal prayer concerning our inner man is the word FELLOWSHIP. We come before God, and we ask Him for:


F – Fear of God. We pray, “Father, give to me the fear of the Lord. Release Your presence in a way that causes me to tremble. Unite my heart to fear Your name.”

E – Endurance. “Father, strengthen my spirit with endurance, that I might do Your will with zeal and diligence, especially in difficult circumstances. Direct my heart, by the Spirit, into the endurance and patience that Jesus walked in.”

L – Love. “Father, pour out Your love into my heart by the Spirit. Release divine revelation of Your love and affections for me, and let it overflow back to You and to others. Take the reigns of my heart and direct it into the vast ocean of Your love.”

L – Light of glory. “Father, let me see the light of Your glory. Give me encounters with the Holy Spirit. Give me dreams and visions and angelic visitations as You gave to Moses, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and John.”

O – One thing life focus. “Father, strengthen me to maintain a life in Your word. Give me grace to be a person of one thing. Give me grace to be one who sits at Your feet regularly. When I lose this focus, speak to me, that I might realign my heart and my schedule to have this focus.”

W – Walking worthy (holiness/purity). “Father, strengthen me to walk in a way that You consider worthy of my highest calling, that I might escape all compromise and stand victorious in full obedience.”

S – Speech. “Father, set a guard over my lips as I set myself to obey You. Free me from defensive, angry, and foolish speech.”

H – Humility. “Father, teach me how to walk in lowliness. I want to take Your yoke of humility on my life in my attitudes, speech, and actions. Give me wisdom on how to live before Your eyes in love, purity, and humility.”

I – Insight and wisdom unto intimacy. “Father, give me insight into Your word, Your will, and Your ways. Give me wisdom on how to live before You that I might walk in intimacy with You. Let me know what You are thinking and feeling. Let me know the secrets of Your heart.”

P – Peace. “Father, strengthen my heart with supernatural peace that overpowers fear and anxiety. Give me an abundance of Your peace, joy, hope, and comfort, that I might not sin.”