The Father brought me to 1 Peter 3:8-12 TPT

Anytime we get our eyes off Jesus and continue to do life and ministry outside of Him than we step into dangerous territory by doing things in selfish gain by allowing our flesh to lead instead of remaining in the spirit. It produces fruit when we remain connected to the vine. In John 15:5 (TPT), Jesus says, "I am the sprouting vine, and you are my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me, you are powerless."

Being able to focus is something I have often struggled with. Growing up studying for a test was almost near impossible. I would often have to set down and write things out multiple times in order for it to just simply stick. As an adult I was diagnosed with A.D.D. Now that I'm older, nothing much has changed with that, only that it seems to have gotten harder in some areas. It is what I feel the enemy often uses as a tactic against me, but I have seen God's mercy and grace in it. 

On 03.04.25 as I was setting on the front porch when the wind began blowing real hard. Upon setting there I felt led to close my eyes and as I listened, what was the wind, became sounds of huge waves crashing against the shore. I began seeing huge waves in the spirit. It felt as if it was a combination of both the wind and waves that God was about to usher some things in.

In the midst of transition, I have felt Papa God carrying me over the threshold and into the new. Nothing else can explain the peace I have had in my heart and the strength I have maintained despite the dismantling of everything I had known the last almost 19 years of my life, but God. It has been in that time frame where I have learned how to let Jesus be my everything that I have needed and more. 

Back in March of last year I remember finding myself setting in the graveyard and I wrote a blog titled Pruning & Grace. Little did I know that was just the beginning of the pruning process. I will share the link to that blog below, but I had no clue that 2024 would bring a complete unraveling of many things in my life. I have truly had to endure the season of crushing and to think that it's not even over with yet. 

The Reflection: The Father has had me in a time of reflection recently where I have sat and looked back on all the past few seasons that have led up to where I am currently at now. Not in a time of wanting to go back to the past but mostly in just reflecting back and seeing all the places where He was so very present along the way and to see just how far He has carried me. I am so thankful for even the hard things because it has helped me see the areas where I needed Him the most as well as grow me spiritually and be fully dependent on Him. Even though my heart is saddened about some things as I reminisce about the sweet memories of past family, friendships, and other connections that have been lost along the way or where they couldn't go where He has and is taking me and my family. It's a very bittersweet feeling and if I would have told myself years back that I would be where I am right now, I don't think I would have believed me and I'm sure I will say the same thing again down the road. One thing is for sure life has its way of throwing you curve balls and it pretty much never goes the way you think it's going to go. Ever. 

I've often times wondered why Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was about 30 years old. After all he was Jesus. But then it wasn't until recently that I understood why. In Ecclesiastes 3 it speaks of the different seasons of life but in verse one it says, 'There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven— '  I also go back to when he told his disciples in John 7:6 that he was not yet ready to be unveiled and even prior to that in John chapter 2 where he tells his mother, Mary, when she wanted him to do something about the wine running out at the wedding but then decides it was time to step into the next level of his ministry by performing a miracle and proceeds to turn the water into wine. He knew things would change from that day forward. He was going to his next level in his ministry. And he knew it was time to step into what he was being prepared for all along. And he knew from that day forward things would never be the same. 

*Before reading please know this is a collective word for the body as a whole and yes I am also speaking to myself lol*There are many of us who have stepped out of His rest. Some of the collective lessons being learned right now in the body is the power of our words and what it means to truly love one another and to be in unity. The church (collectively) is divided, and a house divided will fall (Matthew 12:25). The Father's heart has been grieved. We are also seeing a divine separating because just as the enemy divides so does the Lord. A separating from the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30) and the sheep from the goats and in some cases the sheep from the sheep (Matthew 25:32). The enemy also has people being in a state of offense where he is twisting, manipulating, and making things out to be what it's not. This is why it is so important to take everything to the Lord in prayer.

As I spent time with Abba this morning on my front porch, I noticed how silent it was. All of a sudden, the birds began to sing what seemed to be all at once in beautiful alignment and I heard the Lord say I am giving my children a new song, I am placing a new song inside of you and it will be as sweet as honey is to your lips. And my focus was attentive to the birds and their singing. Then I heard Him say, " I am doing a new thing! Tell my children!"

The counterfeit is produced when our actions come from a place of just wanting to be seen and heard and seek validation and acceptance from others when Jesus says I am enough, and I am all that you need. He hears and sees you. It is produced when the unhealed wounds from our past try to speak shame and condemnation and then become our persona. We begin to wear a mask of steal refusing to show any vulnerability and truth to others. Or in some cases we wear masks of pride, arrogance, being full of wisdom or knowledge, and always wanting to be right. We tend to look like we got it all together when others may continuously wear a mask of pain. If our heart is not in connection with His but continuously placed on self and trying to remain hidden behind the mask than it becomes "strange fire".

It has been a while since I last posted a blog. Every time I would set down to write, it would be hard for me to get anything out. But recently I have felt a major shifting in direction and for the first time in a long time I felt like I needed to document it. So here it goes...