God Put Me Through Beauty School

Proverbs 2: 1-6: My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and IF YOU LOOK FOR IT AS FOR SILVER AND SEARCH FOR IT AS FOR HIDDEN TREASURE, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and FIND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

IF YOU SEARCH FOR WISDOM AS IF IT’S A HIDDEN TREASURE….YOU WILL FIND IT!

Ok, I’ve read this scripture 5 zillion times. It was my staple scripture for almost a decade. But I just recently saw it with new eyes!

Several years ago, I was telling a skeptical friend about something God had done in my life. It was probably something similar to the things I share here…like when I blogged about “Holy Inside Joke! God’s in on it!” My hilarious boyfriend agreed to watch a silly girl’s movie with me and we were joking about it being our “fancy pants” date. I was leaning on my Bible at the time and looked down at a scripture that talked about wearing “Garments of Splendor!” I’m sure there’s a translation out there that says Fancy Pants! haha. It might sound like a small thing but it was Huge for me! I’m on a path to discover True Beauty and I learned something new about it. Most people agree that a sense of humor tops the “things I find attractive about you” list. So it made sense that the God who invented Beauty would also have a sense of humor. God wanted to be “in on the joke”….the fun side of my life. Who knew he could be that real in our lives!:)

So, it was probably five years ago and even though I can’t remember what I was saying…I’m sure I was telling my friend something similar to this…some new amazing revelation. At that time, he asked me a question that I didn’t think twice about …until now. After discovering more about God’s sense of humor, I woke up with his question so LOUD in my head: “What makes you, Missy Midden, think you’re so special that God would do all this for You.”

I think I finally have the answer!

The intent of the question was probably to point out I’m not really that special. haha It’s funny because I didn’t detect the skepticism at the time so I’m sure I answered enthusiastically as if he really wanted to know. I thought it had something to do with how God related to me personally as a creative person.

Ultimately, it was fair question. One that deserved a good answer.

The last few weeks, I kept thinking about the “wisdom” scripture. It kept coming up and rolling around in my mind. I sorta wondered what God was trying to show me since I had already dissected this scripture for years….but then I saw it! I saw the answer to his question. If you search for Wisdom as if it’s a Hidden Treasure….you will find it!! This suggests LIFE IS MEANT TO BE AN ADVENTURE! “Finding hidden treasure????” that’s like something out of Indiana Jones. Wisdom is universal…we all need it. So, these creative revelations are not just for creative types. God said we could have wisdom if we searched for it like a hidden treasure! Getting to know God IS the adventure. Our life is designed to be an adventure! So the only difference between my friend and me was that I chose to look under a few more rocks. I dug a little deeper in search of something significant. Something Beautiful. Pearls of Wisdom! I searched fully convinced I would find some new treasure! I would find God and Divine Inspiration for that moment of my life. I think it’s important to walk in Divine inspiration rather than be a slave to what seems safe and practical to everyone else.

So recently, I checked my treasure map, dusted off a little sand and found that God had a sense of humor. I discovered that God is so much more than the One who listens to our desperate prayers or approves our earnest pursuits and good deeds….but he Delights in our FUN TIMES! He asks us to rejoice …but look …he rejoices over us too! Isn’t that such a cool picture!!!

Zephaniah 3:14-17 Sing O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy…..The Lord the King of Israel is with you; never again will you fear harm…do not fear o Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great DELIGHT in YOU. He will quiet you with his love, He will REJOICE OVER YOU with SINGING.

Sometimes the “small” thing …IS….the adventure! Today, for example, I discovered true beauty can be found at Marshalls! haha (I’ll write about this next…it’s funny and meaningful)

So to finally answer my friend’s question…. We’re ALL that special!!! Look for Him and see what You find! I think this is when life will get interesting for you! This is the way to turn a dull life into a (better than Indiana Jones) kind of adventure!

By the way, when my friend was suggesting I believed I was a little “too special” …I was at the very lowest point of my life. What a testimony to the power of God’s adventure! Even though I was crushed in every way imaginable and it would have made more sense for someone to feel sorry for me….instead ….someone actually believed I thought I was “too” special! You know why ….because I was SPECIAL. I was blessed to learn that unimaginable treasure, an exciting adventure, pearls of wisdom and True Beauty can be found even in the darkest phase of your life. This adventure isn’t reserved for the rich, the creative, the stable, the ‘no longer hurting’…God never let me be a victim of my circumstances!

We are all meant to be free….to live the adventure ….to wear the hat! Who Knows what we’ll find …there’s so much ground to cover!

I pray God gives you courage to search for him as if He’s a hidden treasure and the faith to BELIEVE you WILL find Him!

Love and Hugs…
Missy

Ugh….WAITING! WAITING for your soul mate to show up….Waiting for someone to say, ‘You’re hired’……Waiting on some kind of spark to bring you to life again….Waiting for that person to change….Waiting for everything to run smoothly for once, Waiting for the microwave to beep…WAITING, waiting, waiting….

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

You might be thinking, “Yeah but for how long? I’ve been waiting for years ….in some cases…all my life.” Ok and realistically sometimes a few minutes or a whole half a day!:)

But no matter how optimistic, “spiritual” or “strong” we are, we have those days we’re just sick and tired of waiting! I wonder if God can relate? I wonder if sometimes we’re really not waiting at all but Running as fast as we can in the wrong direction?…just to be moving?…just to be doing Something?

I wonder if, in fact, God is WAITING on Us?

So a lively, free-spirited friend of mine was going to bust if she didn’t have a summer ADVENTURE. Much to her Dismay….NOTHING was really working out but she felt like God was telling her He had something special for her. Even though she tried to venture out on her own a few times, ultimately, she surrendered and chose to wait on God wholeheartedly. During this process, I watched her go through a “boot camp” of life lessons and grow quickly. Then, on a casual, adventure-free day, she had eyes to see something New. She knew in her heart it was the “something special” from God. This adventure didn’t require a plane ticket because it was in her own neighborhood. It might not have been what she was expecting but it was Much Better. It was also something that had been there all along but she never really noticed it. I believe God didn’t give her eyes to see it until she was ready. I was inspired by this because I could see the wisdom and perfection of God’s timing. He wants to give a Good gift and maybe sometimes we have to learn a few things in the meantime. Maybe we need to grow from the little trials in front of us first. Otherwise, the gift might not even be a blessing. I believe God protects us so we don’t ruin our own good gifts….like pouting before a surprise birthday party because you thought everyone forgot about you. ooooo Just wait …. it’s gonna be worth it!

Isaiah 64: 3-5: For when you did AWESOME things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.

He is waiting on you to Remember Him….He wants your attention. He wants you to be ready….so he can give you an AWESOME gift…it’s all part of the Beautiful Adventure.

So maybe God relates to the pain we feel when we have no choice but to WAIT. He wants to give us unbelievable gifts and he’s not ignoring our needs nor our heart’s desires. He’s waiting. Waiting until the gift will be a blessing and not a curse. So, again, just maybe in all of our inner grumbling about having to Wait on God and thinking he’s taking FOREVER….maybe God’s actually waiting on Us.

It might not always be the case…but God I pray today we would stop and surrender. Instead of trying to manipulate our circumstances or expect the other person to change….God help Us to change. Help us to draw closer to you. Help us to remember your ways. And for those of us weary in well doing…help us to let You be the strong one. Help us grow a little more this week. Help us to see you in Heaven dying to give us a good gift:))

Pearls of Wisdom=True Beauty (from my niece Kelli): Don’t try to be so strong on your own. Give God your fear.
“He makes all things new. There isn’t room for perfectionism because God is already the perfect one and he doesn’t require that of you. He wants you to listen to him. Let him be the perfect one and let him make all things new”

I know I told you I was going to write about wisdom next ….shoot….I haven’t forgotten about it.
Hugs and Love
Missy

Isaiah 62:11
“The Lord has made proclamation to ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him….’”

I haven’t written since my 7 Day Faith Walk Adventure and you can’t even believe all that God has done since then. There has been so much revelation but it wasn’t complete enough to write about until now. God was still adding his signature touches of Love and Beauty to the story He wants to tell through my life. It wasn’t quite breathtaking enough last month. (as if!!!) But God completed his gift of breakthrough beauty in time for my birthday! In a sentence….He called me away and gave me a New Name! This name sums up all the revelation God has been giving me since the Faith Walk and the direction he is leading me now! He wrapped this extraordinary gift of revelation and adventure with a Name. A New Name. It has been there all along but This was the time to finally receive it. It was a gift from God! This story unfolds like a mystery with clues that lead each one of my steps to this revelation. I can’t wait to tell you about it. I can’t wait to tell you the name because I believe God gave me this gift to GIVE! It’s something to share with the people God puts in my life. YOU! Isn’t that just like God?!

In the meantime, I went for a walk this morning feeling a little cranky. The moment I opened my heart to God on this walk His love rushed in and ‘created in me a clean heart’. It’s our nature to pick up offenses, worries, and burdens. But, seriously, just a minute with God, sensing His love for me, and those offenses were washed away and replaced with love. It made me realize how important it is to find that space….that heart connection…with God. We don’t Love, or give, or have faith or strength on our own. We need God. We need a Savior. We don’t need a legalistic approach to prayer and Bible time (that’s going in the Wrong direction completely)…we simply need to connect with God each day! Sometimes I connect with God by listening to music and going on a walk. Sometimes I sit on a bench for a little stillness. Sometimes I open my heart to God during the 5 extra minutes I have to sit in my car before walking in some place.

It’s worth it to be FREE!
Love you
Missy
Here’s my song for the day! I Love it!!!! Heather Clark: Price of Love

Actually, I was surprised how the 7 Day Faith Walk Adventure ended. I guess I was expecting fierce warrior prayers to continue with bold declarations of Faith. If it was going to compete with the rest of the week, shoot, I didn’t rule out doing cartwheels down the street. I have a head cold so I got a fully caffeinated coffee before my walk in preparation for the prayers of this final day! And then God did something COMPLETELY different. Haha

First of all, after I decided to do the 7-day walk I ran across the Battle of Jericho story:

Hebrews 11:30
By faith the WALLS of Jericho FELL (DOWN), after the people had MARCHED around them for SEVEN days.

THEN, I found this scripture at the bottom of one of my daily devotionals:

Psalms 12:5-6 (NLT) “Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.” The Lord’s promises are pure, like SILVER (something connected to beauty) refined in a furnace, purified SEVEN TIMES over.”

And the scripture my mom gave me:
Isaiah 58:6:
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? (THERE IS A VERY FUNNY STORY I’M GOING TO SHARE ABOUT THIS…WAIT FOR IT……… )

So I started off this 7th day READY for something big. I started praying, “ THANK YOU GOD, THE WALLS ARE COMING DOWN, THANK YOU GOD…THE WALLS ARE COMING DOWN IN MY LOVED ONES LIFE…THANK YOU GOD THE WALLS….” and more of this for about 10 minutes. I believe this IS the significance of this final day of walking but somehow this prayer didn’t feel “inspired.” I also spent the first 30 minutes trying to find a song that seemed to fit. Finally, I turned the music off and just prayed, “God, I need your help with what I should be praying. I sense my prayers are falling flat. Would you help me?” Then, I walked some more and I sensed God simply say, “just enjoy the walk.” I didn’t think I would write about this but just wait until you see where it took me! Ok, but my thoughts started wandering and I prayed, “God, I can think about what I want all day long…and I wanted this to be the hour I concentrated on You.” But again……… “just enjoy the walk” …. “ok … but what do I think about?” I sensed God asked in return, “what do you like to think about?” This is not at ALL the fiery faith walk I expected lol. “ok, I like to think about….” Well, then all the negative stuff I think about came to mind…so I prayed, “o I should ask forgiveness for that.” And then I believed God said, “No, that’s not what I’m talking about …just what do you really enjoy thinking about?” …… “ O oo ok what do I like to think about…. Hmm…ok um….really? ok…um…..like what do I LIKE to think about? ….ok, then finally, “ I like to think about what I’m going to write, I like to think about pictures that help an idea make sense, I like to think about my boyfriend, and You, I like to think about having fun and all the things that made me laugh at some point….Well, what do you like to think about God?” THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING! I didn’t really expect an answer but an immediate “YOU,” followed.

THEEEENN…..I started seeing the picture God wanted me to see today. In the same way we might turn on TV or find our favorite websites online to be amused….GOD TURNS ON YOU-TUBE! Beyond the battling, the work, the super spiritual stuff…God is amused by US and all our idiosyncrasies. God was asking me what I enjoy thinking about and He shared what He enjoys thinking about too. You know what this is???? It’s a FRIENDSHIP! Isn’t that what all the battling and all the super spiritual stuff is all about?….to be free to Know God! Well, what do you know …the walls –did- come down.

Ok, here’s the funny story that, well, it applies. Earlier in the week, my mom and I prayed to break the yokes. I knew that was a prayer straight from God’s heart. So at the end of my prayer walk that day…I was breaking the yokes! With all the boldness God gave me this week I was declaring, “Break the yokes, break the yokes…Thank you Jesus the yokes are breaking…” except, I had the picture of EGG YOLKS in my mind hahaha. Disclaimer: I did know the actual meaning but couldn’t recall it just then. (I know, sure, sure) So, I was trying really hard to see the significance of breaking all those yolks. I called my mom back and asked her about this with MUCH LAUGHTER IN RETURN. The definition of a yoke is: a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, esp. oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal. SO, IN ESSENCE, IT’S A WORD PICTURE THAT REPRESENTS A WAY TO BREAK THE CHAINS AND SET THE CAPTIVES FREE. (not so much ordering up an Egg McMuffin).

My dad even called me that night asking if I had any egg yolks left to break. HA HA HA ….. lol……

I think God saw me walking , praying and breaking those egg yolks and CRACKED UP LAUGHING! I also think it was precious to him because he sees his daughter doing her absolute best to please her Father. But this was definitely a YOUtube moment for God. He wants to be our friend and just when we think we’re heading into a Hallelujah battle…God turns on YOUtube! He just doesn’t let us take ourselves too seriously. He’s a real friend…. and again, isn’t this the whole point? This IS the Hallelujah Battle!

Thank you Jesus, the Walls Came Down today! Thank you for the adventure that led me to the most pleasant walk with you….as my Friend. How simple, How Profound!!!

The special thing is right before I decided to do this walk, I whispered the prayer, God I’m walking through a bit of a lonely place. I need a friend. I’m so thankful for the friends in my life…but I had a moment of feeling alone in the midst of everyone. I asked God for a friend, I asked if He would be my friend. *teeeear* It was the most intimate prayer he could have possibly answered.

What a way to end the week.

My brother, Robert Midden, gave me the perfect conclusion to this 7day Faith Walk Adventure. He said:

“Sometimes we look to the past to define the future. The only problem it is God who defines everything.”

Love and Hugs
Missy

After a good talk and prayer time with my mom… I was ready to start the 6th day of my Faith Walk Adventure. I have been amazed at how God is answering prayers and I’ve seen His hand at work in the lives of my friends and family. So with great enthusiasm, I gathered up several “hearts” to go with me today. This prayer walk isn’t just for me. It’s like I’m representing many of my loved ones as I bring my prayers before God.

There was, however, this um….eeeensy….weeeeensy…..just barely there….thought that somehow made it through my “this is wrong” sensors: “What about me, God? What about answering my prayers?” AWWWHHH…why is our nature so naturally stinky! But I didn’t pay any more attention to it and I started my walk.

The first thing that came to mind was a butterfly. God has given me a lot of visuals about a butterfly struggling against the cocoon in order to have the strength to one day fly. For the first time, I saw that I was Free from the cocoon and I was fluttering around the very Heart of Love and Beauty. It was such a happy, carefree visual and I could clearly see the blessing of being at such a place….even though it’s a place of Waiting. I was listening to this song called Wait Upon the Wind by Jason Upton and I felt assured that I would fly. I was just waiting for the right current to carry me. There will be a wind current just for me.

Jason Upton: Wait Upon the Wind

“I will wait upon the wind…I want you to carry me like you promised you would do. I can’t climb the wall all by myself. Carry me… Let me fly…I want to fly…let me fly…I need to fly. I will wait upon the wind….. I will wait upon the wind….” “so I wait on you o God..with my wings spread out…I wait….I know you’ll carry me with your gusts that are coming….”

As I continued walking, the “what about me” question seemed to come before the Lord. I sensed all the prayers, words and thoughts part like the red sea and there was a clear path to the Presence of God speaking a direct word to me, ………………..”Ask.” ……………..I sensed in my heart God was asking ‘what is it that you want?…ask.” and then silence….he was waiting. Ok, do I run for cover? repent? Say it wasn’t me? Beg for mercy? But I sensed that God really wanted to know the answer. I thought about King Solomon in the Bible asking for wisdom. Well, I did that for a decade. The next decade I asked to be closer to God….but now…I was on the spot and I needed to figure out exactly what it is that I want. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long…….”Breakthrough.” ……..That’s what I’m asking for God….Breakthrough. I didn’t feel the need to figure out the ‘how’ or in what way breakthrough should come. Just breakthrough. I also knew this wasn’t just about me. I came before the heart of God on behalf of all the hearts I took with me today! So I asked God for breakthrough in your life too!

My mom pointed me to the scripture Isaiah 58:6:
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Wow! (by the way, one of my friends sent me a scripture from this same chapter yesterday). What a confirmation that God heard my prayer, ‘what about me’? and he was ok with it:) “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose water never fail” Isa 58:11

I got back from my walk and sat down to start writing out my thoughts. Once again my niece called me. God set her free this week but walking it out is difficult. I was praying so much she wouldn’t feel so ‘heavy’ today. I was hoping God would give her even a taste of the amazing calling he has on her life.

LO AND BEHOLD SHE CALLS TO SAY…..”AUNT MISSY I HAD A BREAKTHROUGH TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!”

She said to me, “I anticipated heartbreak but God made my heart resilient without being bitter. He kept my heart close to Him even though I thought I was so far away from him. Instead of tears, God put laughter in my heart …I already cried ..it’s time to laugh!!

She was laughing and full of joy and when I told her about the breakthrough prayer, she said, “O now God’s just showing off.” hahaha

I told Kelli having the understanding that it’s POSSIBLE for God to make your heart resilient instead of bitter is POWERFUL! THIS WILL REACH MANY, MANY PEOPLE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES! How amazing to see her walking around with a new pearl of wisdom! How beautiful it looks on her. She’s stepping in to her calling…to the beautiful woman God made her to be!

Thank you God that YOU ARE GOOD! Thank for all the ways you fill our lives with BEAUTY. Thank you for the pearl of Wisdom Kelli gave us today! Just one more beautiful treasure…. We love you!

One more day to this walking fast!

I want to leave you with another pearl of wisdom from my friend Bobbie. She added this comment, “humility is the most underrated power we possess…” Wow…this is something to think about!!! Thanks for sharing BEAUTY!
Love and Hugs-

There were three parts to today’s Faith Walk Adventure: Humble yourself, move forward, and boldly say thanks.
Dying Star by Jason Upton

I started listening to this song and the lyrics: “Star how beautiful you shine…you shine more beautiful than mine….worldwide is your strategy …. but shining star I hope you see…if the whole wide world is staring at you …they can’t see me……. I want them to know me…but they can’t see me….” God wants His Love to be known. It’s His love that sets people free! I immediately cried out to God for a clean heart. I want His love to shine in my life. I want His freedom to be written on my forehead, His Love on my hands and His beauty on my heart. Forgive me God….

Then, I thought of the vulture I saw on yesterday’s walk. It was a vulgar scene! Gross. Ugly. These were the words that came to me: “You’ve been looking at the “ugly” things. (pain, setbacks, rejection, failures). Start looking ahead to the blessings God has for you…to the amazing Love story He has for you. Don’t look back more than you have to. You are not attached to the vulture. You’re free. The ties have been cut. God took the handcuffs off…and you are free to walk away and you are free to stay. Lord, continue to give us vision of your Love so we don’t think twice about hanging around a vulture. RUN into God’s beauty. Run! Run into the Light!”

Near the end of my walk I started praying for loved ones. I started off, “Please Lord would you help…..Please Lord would you provide….Please Lord…” I felt a boldness rise up in me and I immediately changed my prayer to: “Thank you God for your help TODAY!
Thank you for breakthrough in finances TODAY. Thank you that there’s break through TODAY. Thank you that there’s Victory TODAY! Thank you that there are nets full of fish TODAY! Thank you that there is breakthrough in my loved one’s life Today!Thank you that there is freedom to walk in TODAY. Thank you that your love is here for us Today! Thank you that soul mates are making their way towards one another Today! Thank you that my friend’s heart is being changed TODAY. Thank you that new vision is being placed in his heart Today. Thank you that my loved ones are being set free Today! Thank you God that your taking care of my business Today. Thank you that you’re taking care of my rent Today. Thank you that you’re taking care of my next step Today.

Wow! Amen!:)))

2 more days …..

Love and Hugs
Missy

TODAY I WITNESSED THE POWER OF PRAYER! TODAY I DISCOVERED THIS 7DAY WALK/FAST WAS A GOD-THING NOT JUST A GOOD THING!

This song by Jason Upton “Gideon (Valley/Victory)” is a BATTLE CRY! It starts off slowly with a cry from the heart “I don’t know what to do…but my eyes are on You…” and the last 2 minutes become a RAW DECLARATION: VICTORY IS YOURS O LORD …VICTORY IS YOURS!

Today’s walk took a very different turn! It was an intense battle! This was the day to pick up my rightful authority as a child of God and say No the “vultures” tearing away at who God made me to be. It was strong! I actually walked past an actual vulture tearing into a dead animal on the side of the road. It was vulgar. It seemed to emphasize the strength God had given me over the “vultures” in my life and just how gross it would be to let them anywhere near me. I have to explain something…the fierceness of these prayers seem to come out of nowhere! I started my walk happy and peaceful. I wasn’t really struggling with anything. But for some reason…I was called to a Battle!!!!

I listened to this song and declared, “Victory is yours o Lord…” Over and Over! I spoke this over those close to me, too! Then I sensed the need for quietness. I turned off my Ipod and just walked. I wondered what I was supposed to pray next. Then, “Thank you Jesus that it’s done….Thank You Jesus that it’s done…Thank you Jesus that it’s done ….” started spilling out from the depths of my heart. I couldn’t stop saying this the rest of the way home. Thank you Jesus that it’s done.

THEN!!!!!!!!!! I finished the hour of walking, I went to open the gate of my courtyard and wondered What exactly was done. I considered how I would write about this POWERFUL time of prayer. Before I could even get through the gate…my niece called. For that last hour she had been on the phone with her family facing an epic Break Through battle! It was the crescendo of many battles that delivered the root cause and by the end of it….She Won! She was Set Free from the “vultures” ultimately trying to steal from her! Her dad told her to get off the phone right at that minute and call me. He sensed there was more! WOW WOW WOW….because right at that minute I was saying “Thank you Jesus that it’s done.” AMAZING!!!!!!!!! –THIS– is why I was called to a battle at that exact hour! I was battling along side my family without even knowing it. HOW CRAZY UNBELIEVABLE!

My niece is a prayer warrior who speaks God’s words into my life regularly! How amazing is God’s LOVE! When she was down He made sure she was Covered with prayer! I knew my walks were a good idea….I was blown away to see it as an assignment straight from the heart of God! There was Rejoicing!!!

My nieces and my brother made a toast for this year (We 3 Queens toast) to: The Joy of the Lord is my strength!!! God is strengthening us to walk in Joy! In all the fun of these annual toasts ….God is setting us Free to become the beautiful daughters (and sons) of God He created us to be!

This is what I have for you today: I can say with fully refreshed confidence that God is working on your behalf in unseen realms! Hold On! It’s gonna be worth it!

I’m grateful my niece let me share part of her story with you! My nieces ROCK!!!!! You are both so BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I can’t wait to see what God continues to do in our lives!

3 more days…..

Love and Hugs
Missy

I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about walking for an hour when I woke up this morning. haha!

I am carrying out the “marching orders” to stand in faith by walking for an hour every day for a straight week. I’m using this time to thank God for His love, beauty, freedom, breakthrough and the picture He gave me, “nets full of fish.” No matter the actual circumstances or what happens the rest of the day…I will have spent an hour thanking God and choosing to set my mind on truth: God Loves Me…He will take care of me! Faith isn’t a neutral or passive idea…it’s a call to action. To Believe! It’s a pretty vulnerable place. You’re hoping for what is not yet seen and when you’ve been kicked out of your comfort zone it’s so easy for defeating, fearful and insecure pictures to dominate your thoughts. So, this 7-day walking adventure is like a jump start to winning the battle going on in my thought life: Fear vs. Faith.

Today’s Walk:
As I said, it wasn’t easy to get started. I woke up with about 5% enthusiasm. But, on my way to my walking spot I stopped by the Sarasota Farmer’s Market. It’s a place I’m guaranteed to find Golden puppies to pet.:)) After getting my puppy lovin’ I started tearing up. Not entirely strange for me but a little unexpected. When I reached the marina it dawned on me… God was already putting intercession on my heart. There’s such a sweetness to His presence and this is what makes me tear up. While there wasn’t anything super special about today’s walk, I did notice a growing appetite for stillness. quiet. I believe God needs me to be a little quiet and he’s calling me into it.

My sister, Bonnie Kelly, emailed me such an insightful response to yesterday’s (day 2) post! It’s so good and she said I could share it with you! Thanks Sis! You are the big whoop! (haha)

Response:
Welcome to my world:) I will never forget when God answered a desperate prayer of mine-He answered me in such a miraculous, supernatural way that I almost missed what He actually said; “I will teach you to fight.” It wasn’t until the next trial came that I began to understand what He said – and when it came I was completely flabbergasted, literally a mouth dropped open-what-tha… moment, “but I thought You set me free from this!!!!!!!” And in that still small voice He whispered, “I’m not fighting against you, I’m for you- get up, fight! TAKE what I’ve given you!” And that began my first battle lesson. Like that song says, “Welcome to the War”:)

God thank you for loving us! Thank you for the revelation that you’re not fighting against us …You are on our side! You want us to be FREE! To Fly! Thank you for teaching us! I pray you would give us strength to win the battles this week. I also pray your sweet presence would come down and soothe our hearts and give us a safe place to rest today! We love you!

Love and Hugs
Missy

A while back I vented to God about not being good at finding my way through this most recent uncharted territory. It was like God called me to the job: surviving life after being laid off and preparing to start my own company through the rubble of multiple setbacks. Can you see that on a name tag? It requires tremendous ambition and leadership strength. This is not part of my natural skill set and I was drowning. In the past, God just simply opened the door to the next job. This time has been different. I was trying so hard and it wasn’t working and I finally said, “GOD…(like, what the heck)….I’m not good at this…You created me…You Know I’m not good at this….so HELP!” Then, the thought came…”Yeah, but you are good at standing in faith….so do that…” (with the implication…right, I know, but where you are weak, I am strong…I didn’t mean for you to try and save yourself, let me do it)! In fact, he had prepared me to stand in faith! It’s a lesson God has given me a million times throughout the years. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It’s a major theme in my life: standing in faith….believing the word God gives me…(but) surrendering the outcome!

What a relief to finally get some direction that was at least familiar. I can have faith and believe God will lead my steps. So why am I still on this roller coaster that keeps parking in a fear pit for a few days at a time? HERE’S THE NEW REVELATION: I have been trying to “coast” through a season that’s not “coast worthy.” I was familiar with faith so I thought I could passively believe. It’s like I had my hands held out with “faith” resting on my open palms making it ridiculously easy for “trials” & “fear” to simply pick it up and run away with it. Here’s the lesson: There is nothing NEUTRAL about standing in faith! Every time a life-experienced adult chooses to have the faith of a child…an Active choice is made! It’s a sacrifice! You have to surrender and often times “die” to the “practical sense” that tells you to fear, or be cautious for good reason. It’s going against tremendous pressures that give so many reasons why you shouldn’t simply believe. Let me say this again: There is nothing Neutral about standing in faith! It’s a battle to get through to the next step. It’s like the butterfly struggling with the cocoon so it will have the strength it needs to Fly. God did give me the next plan of action but rather than embracing it….I was trying to “coast.” So, it’s time for me pick up my marching orders and take a stand!

Listen to this….I’M GOING ON A FAST (of sorts)! A Faith-Walk Adventure! I’m so excited about it! I started it yesterday actually. For seven days I’m going to walk for an hour every morning dwelling on the words of faith God has given me. I’m going to literally walk out my marching orders:). No matter what I do with the rest of the day ….at least for one hour…I will be thanking God for His goodness, Love, beauty and Nets Full of Fish. The focus will be on Thanks rather than the Limitations that so easily infiltrate a neutral mind! Active Faith! Loving God! Rejoicing! I’m going to take a stand and Believe. I’m going to pray for Breakthrough and Freedom for my life and those God puts on my heart. I believe it’s a form of intercession.

This is one of the songs I listen to on this walk. It’s called Mountain of the Living God by Jason Upton. It has an inspiring lighthearted tone with the reminder that we already have access to life’s greatest joy! We can step into God’s love, beauty, joy and adventure regardless of what’s going on in our lives. It’s funny because the fact that -this- is the song that leads me into intercession prayer shows that it really is a new season in my life. Usually intercession comes from the deep caverns of my soul through brokenness. The songs I listen to usually reflect this. But this time …it’s springing up through Joy! Like the “we three queens” toast for this year:The Joy of the Lord is our Strength!

Thank you God that you give us your wisdom, strength and courage we need to head out into uncharted territory. Thank you that when we are weak, You are strong. Thank you that you didn’t leave it up to us! We need a Savior! We weren’t meant to walk alone! Speak to our hearts today Lord….we Love you!

I’ll keep you posted on this 7 day Faith Walk Adventure:)
Love and Hugs
Missy

I was writing in my journal today and thinking about Good Friday. After a few minutes, I realized God was giving me the next blog post. It still surprises me when this happens.:)

I had one of my top three Defining Moments on a Good Friday a few years back. Just before Easter weekend, I finished up a journal with an incredibly special “ending.” I was dealing with a tremendously difficult break up at the time and as God promises He was, in fact, very “close to the brokenhearted.” During this excruciatingly painful time…God was practically touchable! After such a significant ending, I knew the next journal had to be extra special. But after a week of searching, I still couldn’t find one. I started stressing about it, actually. Then, I saw a picture in my mind of God Smiling (like He was amused)!! It was odd because “why is he smiling?” Then, I felt silly for stressing over a journal. This isn’t rocket science and God is working through my own creativity …so I can’t pick the “wrong” journal. But that Smile…really stuck out in my mind…It didn’t completely make sense…it was like there was laughter behind it Hmmm…. Then, I went back to my apartment and found a journal my mom had given me SEVEN YRS prior. It was stuck between a bunch of old books. Awh…it was perfect. I remembered thinking when she gave me it to me…it was for a special chapter in my life. There was a quote from Mother Theresa on the cover, “God is the friend of silence. Trees, flowers, grass grow in silence. See the stars, moon and sun, how they move in silence.” It was just a perfect fit for that time in my life as I was very alone, overcoming the seemingly impossible and discovering the love and beauty of God in the most amazing ways. BUT HERE’S THE CRAZY AMAZING POWEFUL UNBELIEVABLE UNEXPECTED THING…….

I went to my little coffee shop and opened the journal and THIS IS WHAT I SAW!
THE SMILE FROM GOD……..

OMGOSH! It felt like God jumped out of the bushes and surprised me! When I was stressing about finding the right journal….God had something special planned. A surprise! It was like he had something up his sleeve and it made him smile in anticipation. IT’S CRAZY THAT I SAW THIS BEFORE OPENING THE JOURNAL…it was so peculiar to me! And then my parents had written, GOD SHOUTS HIS LOVE FOR YOU!!!!!!! It was like I stepped into a surprise party! So I began intently thanking God with stunned reverence. Then, another strange twist… I began sensing God’s presence withdrawing….like I was doing something wrong….like maybe I was giving the wrong response. I was even more stunned and I stopped and I said with great carefulness… “okaay God” and then the thought came to mind, “if your friends jumped out and surprised you…or if you showed up to a surprise party …would you spend an hour intently thanking them with such a serious face?” WOOOW! I felt like God wasn’t letting me get away with it. I believed He was WAITING for the correct response!!!! I said very cautiously, “oookay God……um…….if someone jumped out and surprised me in fun…..I would probably say…..ummmm……you crazy nut………..(really God, can you say that to the King of kings?)……… I can’t believe you did that…….I’m gonna get you back?……” haha and then it dawned on me! God was having FUN with me!!!! In that moment, I realized my relationship with God was shallow. Another surprise…I thought it was anything but shallow but I could see that I mostly came to God with Intensity and Tears even though there’s so much more to me. I spent most of my life laughing and finding FUN in every situation except God time. I mean, I thanked God for fun times…but I never had a “fun time” with God…see what I mean? So, I took it as a challenge. I thought, I know I can’t really “get you back” God, what with you being almighty and all knowing …. but I’m going to TRY and surprise you too. The thought of it made me laugh….surprising God…impossible …but what the heck. Sounds FUN!

Fast Forward a week or so to GOOD FRIDAY! Change the tempo……I was about to experience a moment that would mark change in my life. I received a phone call from someone who handed me the kind of news that makes everything go into slow motion. It was the mother load…the enemy’s best shot….a death blow! It was my worst fear materializing and it was handled in the most painful way possible! My heart was being tortured. I hung up the phone and I had not even a second to realize I had a choice to make. I was either going to choose a path of bitterness, heartbreak and disillusionment or a path that would ultimately SET ME FREE…free from the cycles of dysfunction I kept attracting in my life. As for what happened next, absolutely nothing in -me- could have prepared me to choose well…. but I pointed my hands toward heaven and silently shouted ………….. “GOOOOOOD…..THIS IS IT….THIS IS THE TIME I’M GONNA GET YOU BACK ……haha ….I KNOW YOU THOUGHT I WOULD BE ON THE FLOOR DYING OF HEARTBREAK……BUT GOD ….I’M GOING TO THANK YOU INSTEAD….I’M GONNA PRAISE YOUR NAME …..SURPRIIIISE ……ARE YOU SURPRISED?…..YOU ARE GOOD….YOU ARE GOOOD….YOU ARE GOOD”

*teeeeeeeeeeears…………………*

You know when a child falls down and they don’t know whether they should laugh or cry? God had prepared me for this moment and he appealed to my FUN side to give me the nudge I needed to choose the path to freedom…to “laugh”! Isn’t that brilliant! He set me up to choose Life. Rather than giving in to the tormenting cycle…He WANTED TO SET ME FREE FROM IT! God Knew the seriousness of this moment! It was a dark moment of decision and if I had allowed myself to crumble…I wouldn’t have gotten back up! It took me a long while to get there but I was at the end of hope. Looking back I can see this wasn’t just about a boy…this was about breaking up with Me, my family, my dreams…everything!! In the natural, all I could see was devastation and all I could feel was unbelievable pain. But God had given me a different picture…His Smile! And then think about this….He allowed this day to happen on GOOD FRIDAY! The day he was betrayed too! The day he wept! God didn’t let me go through this alone…He shared His day of pain with me.

My resurrection day came a few months later when I got the job in Sarasota as a tourism producer….I walked out this freedom with dolphins jumping, beach side sunsets on every coast and thrilling adventures. Just as my mom had written…..GOD SHOUTS HIS LOVE FOR YOU!!!!!

God thank you for the sacrifice you made! Thank you for the pain you went through so that we might know your LOVE! God thank you that you understand our pain! Thank you for constantly looking for ways to set us FREE! Lord, thank you for also sharing your day of pain with us and just as special….YOUR SMILE! God let everyone reading this post see your smile this weekend! Let them know how much they’re loved! YOU ARE LOVED! SO VERY LOVED! GOD SHOUTS HIS LOVE FOR YOU!!!

HAPPY EASTER……HAVE FUN
Psalm 2:4: “The One enthroned in Heaven Laughs.”