The Narrow Way

The other day, while caring for my sheep, I walked into such a vivid picture…

I was moving the sheep from one paddock to another. Due to the recent addition of a pig, I decided to move them around the outside of the paddocks instead of through them. My plan was to take them through Paddock 4’s gate, around the pig’s paddock (3), and into Paddock 2’s gate 🤓

Usually my matriarch, Daisy, would lead the way in following me (and often a bucket of grain) and the rest would predictably follow her to wherever I wanted them to go.

But Daisy has been off base 😕 She had about a week of normal between recovering from her C-section to full on shedding and a minor infection of her C-section’s incisions. Her discomfort is evidenced by her avoidance of me 😞 She just doesn’t do what she normally does and has little interest in everything (she’ll bounce back in a week or two😀).

So instead of following Daisy to me, every sheep did what they wanted 🙈. They ignored me and my delicious bucket of grain and blew right past me! At top speed the mamas and their lambs all raced to the sheep shed as I stood in Paddock 2 🙄 During the lambing weeks, they became quite familiar with their shed which we otherwise only use for food storage and vetting. However, this spring it became a place of snacks, shelter, and security 💝

I stood there and shook my head as I walked to the shed to collect them and move them to Paddock 2 through a different route. At the same time, God began to whisper.

So often, we–God’s sheep–receive something from Him in a certain place and begin to associate that place as the place of blessing instead of Him as the blesser. We go to church (as we should) without thinking twice or pausing to ask if we that’s where the Shepherd plans to meet us. If we are honest, we often go because that’s just “what we do” and we lose the Shepherd along the way. We associate our Church with being a place of safety, security, and snacks, just like my little flock did.

And this is NOT necessarily a bad thing, but it could be if we aren’t mindful…Our Churches (Sheep shed) should be all of the things above, but they should never be those things and void of the Good Shepherd.

I’ve heard so many people call sheep “dumb animals,” which they can be. But remember, God calls us the “Sheep of His Pasture.” Humans aren’t dumb, we just tend to move forward without thinking. We, like sheep, are creatures of habit.

In the story above, for a multitude of reasons, my sheep defaulted to where they thought they should be instead of where I was calling them to 🤯 They were so used to the sheep shed being the place of blessing that they ignored me as they ran off to where they felt most comfortable. To be fair, they’re animals, so I can’t really blame them😉

Yet, this picture from several days ago stuck with me even until now. How often do I (we) as believers follow the same path because it’s what we think we should do? What would our walk with our Shepherd look like if instead of blazing past Him, we let Him lead us?

We will only know if we stop, listen, and then follow.

Please hear me clearly on this: I believe that the Church is good and God uses it for His purposes 🔥 If we are believers, attendance is not optional, we are absolutely to be part of a flock☑️ That said, it’s important to avoid the religious habits and formats that we are prone to 😬 While these activities can be blessed, we can also easily lose our Shepherd and miss what it is He has for us, or where He wants to take us.

If Daisy was on her A-game, this never would’ve happened. But when my leader was feeling off, my flock went off track too 😓

So guard yourself. Make sure that YOU, personally, have a relationship with the Shepherd, because someone else’s relationship simply won’t do and if they fall away–well–you may too 😟 Make sure you don’t charge the building this weekend and miss the Shepherd 🙂 Hopefully He’s in that space, but it’s up to you to find Him 😉

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 40:2

“Should I check again?,” I thought to myself 🤔

“Yes, I’d best,” I decided as I made my way to the grain bucket in the chicken run. I unscrewed the lid to the black 30-gal drum and looked down. There she was again…🙃

Daily I’ve been checking the scratch grain bin, despite not needing to give any to the chickens, because daily I’m finding a juvenile field mouse in it 🤦‍♀️ Daily I reach down, grab hold of her 2 inch tail, and as I set her on the palm of my other hand I give her a little pet and then set her free.

For some, this is too much 😆 I get that. But I can’t turn my back on this little mouse. I’m not angry at her for continuing to squeeze into the grain bin, fall to the bottom of it, and get herself stuck for eating the food that’s not hers 😂 I just hate the idea that if I don’t save her, she’ll become dehydrated and die. So I come rescue her again and again, day after day.

Why?

Because I care 🥲 I don’t want any creature to suffer, even if it is a pest or inconvenience. It’s not ideal to have mice around, but that’s why we have outdoor cats. That said, I find one, I’ll rescue it. If that cats do, it’s between them 🤷‍♀️

Can I just say—how much more will God do that for us?

“…for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…” Prov 24:16

How many times do we stumble and fall into the same pit, or for the same temptation, over and over again?

Yet how many times has God turned His back and refused to us help? Zero.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Mat 6:26

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jer 31:3

There is literally no limit to the compassion and love of God 🤯 God is love (John 4:8). He knows we are prone to temptation, and that sometimes we fall, and each time—He’s willing to help us 🥹 He’s willing to rescue us when we call to Him 🙌

While my little mouse can’t call to me, I know she’s there. Even though I disapprove of her behavior, I care for her. I don’t blame her for being tempted to come back to eat some grain only to once again fall into the bin 🤦‍♀️😂 I actually feel bad for her that sometimes she is stuck for a while, and that while she’s in there, she’s terrified. I’m sure when I grab her that each time she thinks “this is it.” And yet each time, I “set (her) feet upon the rock,” like in Ps 40.

Sitting and thinking of this, I was just awestruck by this picture. How remarkable is the mercy and love of God? That time and time again, He WILL meet with us. He WILL save us. He’s ALWAYS willing 🙌

All we have to do is ask.

You may feel like you’ve messed up too many times and God is angry, done with you, or tired of helping. Let me assure you, He’s not. He’s still willing, let that wash over you for a minute. The God of the universe, the Creator of Heaven and earth isn’t mad at you, He still wants to save you, just like me and the little mouse.

Today, if that’s you, reach out. He’s near to the brokenhearted, He’s quick to forgive, and always willing to save. All you have to do is ask. 🙌

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23

As always, thanks for stopping by 💚

Have you ever stopped to think about how confused the world is right now? 🧐 Things that once seemed to be “givens” and “automatics”… aren’t anymore… both in the Church and outside of it…

I brought home a ram lamb the other day as part of a ewe-ram swap. This little guy was raised by his shepherd after his mom rejected him (bottle baby). Unfortunately for him, the main flock was about 20 minutes away from the shepherd’s home, so he raised him with some chickens and turkeys to keep him company. Seems like a good plan, right? 🤷‍♀️

So, I brought him home and set him in with the flock 😌

Instant. Panic. 😱 😳😰

Ram lamb raced around the elctronetting zapping himself a few times while trying to flee from the other sheep. Not long after, he charged the netting and caused it to collapse😬

Hmm 🤔

After catching him, I moved him to a permanent paddock with a few turkeys to keep him safe 🦃 + 🐑

He seemed to settle and be more at home with the turkeys 🙈 They weren’t foreign like the alien-looking giant sheep he just met. I gave him some time before moving the turkeys into the adjacent paddock. I did this so he could still see them, but not eat all of their food 😁 Next, I moved Dolly (my visually impaired sheep) in with him, followed by one of my ram lambs. My hope is that these two wouldn’t be as threatening as the big mamas and he will form a bond with them before trying to join the flock again 🙏

As of today, it’s been a week since bringing him home, and he’s still struggling…

Why?

Ram lamb doesn’t know that he’s a sheep 😮

Think about that for a second.

This animal, with a fairly simple mind and some measure of instinct, has no idea who he is. Born a sheep, raised by humans, cohabitating with poultry, he is unaware of how to be a sheep. Rather than grazing and frolicking among a flock, he prefers to be near the turkey gate waiting for a chance to return to his bird friends 😔

This is the state of so many people around us, both inside and outside of the Church: unaware of or terrified of what we were created to be and trying to be something more comfortable/familiar instead.

Something I’ve observed over nearly 2 decades in the faith is that many Christians don’t actually know how to be a Christian 🤔 No really 😬 I’m not trying to sound puffed up as if I’m some perfect example, I’m not 🫣 However I will say that I have an idea of what it looks like by now. I’ve seen mature Christianity demonstrated powerfully both abroad and in the US, and had a glimpse of it by reading the testimonies of old saints. So when I say we don’t know how to be Christian’s, I’m not fully excluding myself. What I am saying is that for many, American Christian culture looks a little like a ram lamb outside of a turkey gate. Overall, we—the Church—are lacking in maturity. We might be Christians, but we are missing some big pieces about who we really are.

Unfortunately, many Christians struggle because they’ve actually never seen mature Christianity modeled 😔 So it’s understandable. They’ve never been discipled so they don’t know how to make disciples. Many believers have been churched, but have little idea of what life as a Christian can look like.

Have we had a heart-to-heart with our Shepherd like Moses? Are we ready to call down fire like Elijah, or march around the walls of Jericho for the 7th time by faith? Have we experienced the power of the Presence of God leading to conviction, rejoicing, or even healing? Have we cast out demons, spoken in new tongues, or preached to the lost? Are we filled to overflowing and baptized in the Holy Spirit or just barely able to prioritize opening our Bibles daily?

If the answer is “no”, that we aren’t there yet, BUT we are doing the right things (reading our Bibles regularly and rubbing elbows with some good characters), then we can be assured it’s only a matter of time 🙌

But if we haven’t read the Bible for ourselves and don’t have good *mature* influences around us, how can we expect to know how to look and act like a mature Christian? 🤔

We can’t.🤷‍♀️

It’s no different than my ram lamb. He doesn’t have the option to read a manual on how to be a sheep, but the influence he has had—hasn’t been proper so he’s limited and confused. He’s existed on a shred of instinct sprinkled with the influence of man and poultry.

For so many believers, they simply haven’t been confronted by a flock of big mama sheep before 🫣😱 They have existed with the turkeys (the unsaved or lukewarm believers) and been comfortable. Safe.

I think for many of us, when we are first confronted by a genuine *mature* Bible believing Christian—there is a bit of a panic 😱 and maybe a dash of excitement 😃 The testimony of living faith can be almost overwhelming as we look at the model compared to ourselves 😰

If that’s you, don’t panic, don’t charge the electro-netting, lol. 😂 God knows. Your Shepherd sees the gap. And just like me with my ram lamb, He will come scoop you up and guide you along. You don’t become a new creation over night, and it takes time to have a renewed mind.

“ therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17

“ do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Rom 12:2

For my ram lamb, I picked him up and set him in a more comfortable setting, but only for a time. I didn’t leave him there, because at some point, I need my flock together, not separate. So for a time, he was with a few gentle sheep and had some turkeys nearby.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be and want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Ps 23

I think it’s the same for us. If we truly desire to be mature, we must humble ourselves and allow God to lead us out of what feels comfortable and through what feels foreign. Our job is to hold on and trust, because it’s not easy. I’ve been there, it can be down right scary and lonely.

At least, this is how God did for me. I know that after my dream of Jesus returning I followed the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I read the Bible and allowed it to wash over me and slowly, in time I stopped wanting to hang out with the turkeys…slowly I didn’t want to eat the turkeys food….slowly, I started to become who God made me to be and I desired company that was the same…

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33)

What’s confusing is that sometimes even our “Christian company” isn’t the best company 😕 There’s a saying “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” We like to think that people of the same faith are all equal, but they’re not. Some will challenge us and call us higher (iron sharpening iron) while others, who have themselves often unknowingly settled for less, will actually numb us and call us back toward mediocrity and carnality. I don’t like saying this, but I’ve found it to be true in my own life 🤷‍♀️ I am roughly as strong as the believers I spend time with coupled with the amount of time I spend in prayer/reading my Bible. Period. If the believers we are around aren’t mature, we either never grow or we will gradually slide back into numbness. To grow out of this, don’t be surprised if there’s a period of isolation…just you and your Bible…a ram lamb hiding off in the corner trying to figure out what’s going on…

I think for my ram lamb that over time, after some space, with the right company, he will figure it out 🙃 His cravings will change, his attitude and behaviors will shift. And while it won’t be instantaneous, I think one day I’ll look out there and no longer see an identity crisis, but a mature sheep grazing with the flock—unafraid, bold, ready to protect his girls 😊

My prayer for every Christian is that God will help us to see who we really are/should be. That as we approach Him and read His word, it would be like the mirror James described and we would NOT walk away and forget the Truth of what we’ve seen. I pray we set the standard high, not on the immature believers we may be around, but on Jesus and the Apostles, and great men and women of faith from today who have refused the erosion that comes from culture.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by 💚

I went to help a new friend shear his sheep last week. He had come to help me shear mine, so in exchange he asked that I would come and bag wool for him 🐑

2 professional sheep shearers showed up to do the hard part, while me and several others wrangled the sheep to keep them moving.

After the first group was finished, we moved the ewes out and slowly herded the next group into the staging area. There were probably 50 animals in that group including lambs, which we then had to remove. Separating the lambs out and grabbing those first few ewes was much harder than anticipated.

Sheep are herd/prey animals with very little natural defenses. In fact, without horns about all they can do is run and stay together. When cornered as they were for shearing, they will “pack up” tightly as a final defense mechanism. And when I say tightly, I mean smashed together as densely as possible while pushing their noses up and opposite danger. Once they’re positioned like this, removing the lambs or pulling out a ewe to shear, takes all the strength you have, because you not only have to overpower the animal you’ve selected—you have to overpower the force coming from the sides of the other animals that is locking that ewe in place.

Needless to say, my body wanted a bath with epsom salt and some ibuprofen when we were done 😅

When we were trying to single out a ewe from the second group, we weren’t just “attacking” that ewe. It was as if we were taking on the entire flock as they all pushed back and forth to make it extremely difficult to extract one of its members 🤯 This is something I can show a pic of (above), but to actually FEEL the strength in their numbers would be hard for even the best writer to describe.

Enter the Church analogy…

When *we* the Church come together as ONE we make it nearly impossible for the enemy to grab hold of one of us. 💪

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them and you and me that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me And loved them even as you loved me.” John 17:20-23

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer before being led off to be crucified was a plea for those around Him and those who would follow after Him. That we would be ONE. One with Him, the Father, Holy Spirit, and each other.

Why?

When we the Church, link arms against a common foe, to serve, love, guard, and defend each other—we become impenetrable! We become a place for His glory to manifest.

Imagine the power we could harness if we refused gossip an entry? If we covered over offenses against us with love? Wait a sec, that’ll preach…

“But she stepped on my toe!” Said sheep 1

“Mine too!” Replied another.

“You were all stepping on each other to avoid the Enemy, remember? But only you two chose to get offended, and when you stopped to complain, you broke ranks and actually let the enemy in…”

“Love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

What if next time you got stepped on, you told no one? And in doing so, you actually forbid the enemy from coming in the camp and dragging out another sheep?

Or if you have to tell someone, tell someone who is not part of the same flock 😃 Tell someone who doesn’t know anyone involved so you can preserve reputation, dignity, and get impartial advice as much as possible. And I’m not talking about serious things here, like abuse etc, ✋ I’m talking about the daily stuff that in the grand scheme of things is quite small. Just had to be clear 😉

So, is it possible to have such a flock? 🤔 Can we really expect broken people to come together as ONE? 🤔

I think so.

I know so.

I think I’ve even had moments of this in several seasons of life….where the flock I was with was so consumed with following the shepherd that they kept each other. They didn’t allow the small things to come in and cause division. They defended one another and pushed back against the enemy together, covering over each others wrongs, assuming the best, attributing good motives…

The security I’ve felt in these seasons is unmatched. There wasn’t one sheep that was more valuable, it was truly the power harnessed from the unit that strengthened us all. We were all better for having submitted to the Word of God and each other. Obeying His voice in the small secret moments vs choosing offense, anger, unforgiveness, gossip, etc…

But more than having had moments of this in my life (and have it currently), I believe Jesus gets what He prayed for! If He prayed for us to be ONE, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect it. 🙌 Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t have to ask for it or put in some effort 😬

When we get stomped on, it’s so easy to poke back or let some words slide, and for a moment it feels good. Our flesh is temporarily appeased, but the damage done in the flesh never brings healing. It’s a temptation with a cheap momentary reward. In those times, we need to resist, as best as we can, even if no one knows or no one sees.

If we, as a Church, want to reap the rewards of being ONE, we must choose the “not easy” and deny ourselves daily.

“ if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Because daily We will have the opportunity to break rank and let the enemy in. Yet if we stand firm, and push back collectively, we can expect to not only ward off the enemy, but we can expect that “the world (will) know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23

When we operate as ONE, the world WILL see Jesus and know the love of the Father. We will see His glory when we come together as one, refusing the enemy entry.

Just imagine…

How about you? Do you hold on to every offense and frustration or do you turn them over to God Almighty? Do you trust His justice and conviction in the lives of the ones who step on you, or are you too busy handling it yourself (and therefore making everyone more vulnerable)? It SO easy to know the right thing, quite another to do it 😰 Especially when you’ve been stepped on 😔

My hope in writing this is to share an image that I hope is forever with me. Feeling those sheep pressing against my legs, pinning me in place as I tried to move among them, THAT is how I want the enemy to be in midst of those around me 💪 I want him stuck. Unable to advance. Unable to break us apart and tear one away for torment.

When I’m tempted to let my words and offenses fly, I want to remember the sheep, and the power they have when they choose to stay together. But also how easily the slightest break in rank (my unbridled tongue for example) can cause the entire group to become vulnerable.

My hope is that God will bring this to remembrance for me, and may for some of you too. That when you get stomped on, you choose the narrow road, deny yourself, and give your offenses over to Jesus to deal with.

Because I believe He can. And He will. And as we do that with likeminded people, we can be sure that we will see His prayer answered.

As always, thanks for stopping by 💚 May we actually demonstrate the grace we have received.

“

Miss Daisy. Would I even have anything to write about if not for her? 🤣 If you’ve read any of my blogs, you may remember that she’s my favorite sheep, the matriarch of my flock 😌 I have a total of 7 sheep right now, but none are like her. She is a top notch sheep in every way PLUS she has a fantastic temperament. All of that aside;

Daisy knows my voice.

Daisy follows where I lead.

Daisy leaves the flock to chase after me.

The other sheep, well… I’m not so sure who they are 🤷‍♀️ I mean, I know their names, their general disposition. I know which of them is likely to head butt me or who’s the first for the grain bucket, but I can’t say that I know them the way I know Daisy.

I’ve only owned her a little over a year, yet because of our bond, Daisy has secured a forever home, even after she can no longer breed. Unfortunately for the other sheep, they don’t have that security. I don’t know them like I do Daisy, and it’s not for my lack of effort. It’s theirs 😔 They’ve chosen not to come as close as she does. Furthermore, while they may come running as a whole when I call, I don’t think they actually care to follow ME, I suspect that they actually follow Daisy and come to me by default (following her as she leads them to me).

The Parable of the Wedding Feast:

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:1-14

OUCH. Can I just say, no one likes that part? 😬

But it’s fair.

God is just.

Back to my flock. As far as I can tell, Daisy is the only sheep who genuinely trusts me, the rest just sorta go with the crowd. Like the guy at the wedding feast who didn’t put on the wedding clothes (which BTW were provided, it’s not like he was too poor, he chose not to), he thought he was ok just slipping in among the crowd. He was doing what everyone else was, except for one important detail: his outward appearance reflected his heart’s attitude. It’s really not much different than the sheep. Except with my sheep, they all look the part, it’s their heart’s attitude that’s different. They don’t all want to be close to me. They aren’t willing to put off their old ways and put on “the wedding clothes.”

They don’t see what I see, which is that even though Daisy is still one of them, she’s been transformed. A little over a year ago she went from being skittish and leery of me to looking for me daily. Because she responded to me, we have a relationship.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” Ez 36:26

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Mat 7:21-23

The sheep don’t know it, but there is a day coming, March 5, 2024, when we will separate the sheep. The ram lambs will go to butcher and the pregnant ewes, Daisy and 3 others, will remain. Just like the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, except of course it’s sheep and sheep here 😉

The truth is, there is also a day coming for each of us, be it the return of Jesus or our death. What needs to be settled is if we’re a ram lamb/part of the general flock or a Daisy. Do we know our Shepherd?

Unfortunately, the way we do church in America makes it really easy to be part of the flock without having the changes that a relationship with our Shepherd produces. And we’re only cheating ourselves, albeit, sometimes unknowingly 😔

We’ve made it really easy to just show up to a service and attend the same activities. With social media we’ve made it really easy to follow pastors and public Christian figures online, not unlike how my flock follows Daisy instead of me. We can convince ourselves that because we do the right things outwardly, we’re in good standing, but God…He’s looking at the heart…♥️

All of my sheep have the same opportunity to get to know me, but as it says in Matthew, few are chosen…

While my example doesn’t carry over perfectly, because the other 3 ewes get a stay even though they don’t know me, it’s worth noting that their stay is conditional. As long as they’re able to be productive, I have room for them. In the event that they aren’t, they too will load for the butcher. And it’s not because I don’t care for them, but unlike God, I have practical limitations (dollars and acreage)🤷‍♀️

God, thankfully, has room for EVERYONE 🙌 He invites EVERYONE to come to the wedding feast and provides us with garments of righteousness. This means you! You have a choice to make. And if you’ve already made that choice, I want to remind you: there’s a difference between Daisy and the other ewes. Just because all of the ewes have a current stay, doesn’t mean they have a permanent one.

Like David we need to pray:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Ps 139:23-24

Because our hearts can deceive us.

But isn’t it wonderful that we can’t fool God? 🥹 🙌 We may be able to fool ourselves or those around us, but we can not fool God. Ask yourself: do I know my Shepherd or do I just know of Him? Because someday, maybe even today, the answer to this will be all that matters. Do we know the Lord for ourself, or do we just know about Him through others?

While this isn’t the most “feel good” blog I’ve ever written, I feel it could be one of the more important ones. If you’re like Daisy, stay the course, no matter what. But if anything in you says you’re just part of the flock, missing out on your own genuine relationship with God, there’s still time to change that 🙌

If you can, find someone to disciple you. Make time for God EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Pause. Sit with Him. Read the Bible. Wait on Him. Obey Him. You will get to know Him, and perhaps more importantly, He will get to know YOU.

Side note, if you’re just in a rough place, you feel like maybe you were a Daisy but now you’re one of the flock, sorta distant from God…please don’t panic 🫶 The journey with our Shepherd can be LONG, and we may not feel close all the time. Sometimes we’re going through a series of struggles or failures, but it doesn’t mean there has been a status change. Remember, He’s looking at your heart. ♥️ Once you’ve given your life to the Good Shepherd by putting your faith in Jesus, He doesn’t just forget you or leave you behind.

I chose Daisy, and she chose me back, which has been evidenced by her actions. It’s no different with God. We don’t earn His love. He chooses each one of us, calls us to the wedding feast and makes room, the only part we are responsible for is responding by faith and putting on His righteousness (the wedding garments).

A final thought, regarding this picture…No matter what, I’m always open to my entire flock drawing near. Alternatively, if Daisy suddenly changed and stopped coming to me, I wouldn’t disown her or forget our relationship; rather I’d long to have it back. That’s God’s heart towards us. Always.

Today I pray that if you’re not 100% confident about which kind of sheep you are, that you would take some time figure that out 🙂

Thank God there is room for all of us in His pasture.

As always, thanks for stopping by 💚

I’ve noticed a heartwarming trend when I’m out in the yard lately, especially if the sheep are out of their paddock. No matter what I do, or where I go, the animals follow me 🙂❤️

I can literally take a selfie with the camera pointing behind me, and you will see the dogs, chickens, cats, and sheep keeping pace. 🤣 I feel like Dr. Dolittle🙈

That said, if I’m out there long enough parading around with my mixed posse behind, another thing starts to happen. Daisy, the matriarch sheep of my flock (and always the closest sheep to me), will usually start to charge and head butt the dogs. She seems to do this when she thinks they’re too close to me. Similarly, the dogs will try to chase the sheep off for the same reason. The cats and chickens are too small, so they flee when this nonsense starts. I usually start yelling at whoever started it and it ends 😁

“I become all things to all men in order that I might win some.”

Why does this happen? I think it’s because both the dogs and the sheep count me as their own. Daisy tries pushing the dogs back to protect me, the dogs do the same.

I’m obviously quite different from both. I don’t walk like them, or talk like them. I don’t sleep where they sleep or eat what they eat. But they don’t seem to care about that. They seem to accept and welcome me. 🙂

They trust me. Period.

Over time they’ve seen good come from me whether a scratch on the head, feed, or some treats.

I’ve not tried to change who they are.

The sheep are sheep; the dogs, dogs.

We’ve built a relationship over time on the few things we have in common, mainly food.

But it all hinges on trust.

Not surprisingly, it’s no different with people.

When you read Paul’s writing saying “I become all things to all men…” I think he’s referring to relatability. He had found what was common, and over time, having been consistent in character, he was trusted. Credible.

I’m going to use a phrase I don’t like, but when it comes to “relational evangelism,” trust and consistency are key, just like with the sheep and the dogs.

People all over watch to see if we, Christian’s, are consistent. If we are genuine. It’s the consistent witness they trust—not the perfect one. I’ve heard believers share about how hard they try to be a good Christian in front of the un-saved. This is not wrong, but, it can be unintentionally deceiving 😕. When we cover up our flaws, we present an unrealistic picture to the un-saved. Maybe it’s just me, but I certainly STILL have shortcomings and some are glaringly obvious 😬. Some are slips of the tongue or attitude…I could go on…🙈

What I want to suggest is, it’s ok, use it! Mistakes aren’t as catastrophic to our witness in the way you might think. Mistakes offer an opportunity to show humility and grace towards yourself the way the Lord does. I’ve heard believers condemn themselves at times for things like this. Sure, it’s not what we want, we should always be striving towards holiness, but it happens. In such cases, remember that “God (really does) works ALL things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose…” That slip of the tongue, it’s not a ship sinker, it’s a moment to humble yourself openly, repent, and demonstrate the beauty of grace 🙌

This is going to sound weird to some, but the Christian who appears “perfect” isn’t usually trusted. And rightfully so because the truth is: there is no such thing. When we portray perfection, we often become unapproachable and unrelatable. If you have no problems, faults, or short comings, how can you relate to the lost? In your perfection and glory? Not likely. Humans connect through hardships and brokenness. They trust others who are like them, not the ones who are completely unlike them. They build bonds on what is common, not uncommon. Purity, holiness, and perfection–while admirable and desirable–are not where we find common ground with the unbeliever.

Important to emphasize: I am NOT suggesting that we (Christians) lower our standard or jump into sin for the sake of being perceived differently. What I AM suggesting is more transparency. It’s ok to show your scars, your faults, and your imperfections. To hide them means is to avoid the whole truth of who we are. I’m not saying you have to fully disclose every issue or shortcoming, there’s a place for wisdom and discernment, but it’s more OK to be transparent.

It’s no different than my animals…

If I go out to my sheep pen and call them with the intent of catching them, they rarely come. The same is true with my dogs. Animals are an excellent judge of character and motives. They smell “something is up…” and want no dealings with ‘pretend’ me. No matter how hard I try to cover my intentions, they stand back.

Our relationship is built on trust, transparency, and the few things we have in common (mainly shared space and food). If I want to catch my animals to say, do hoof trimming or brush out their coats, I need to remember what is common and go back to that. Even after trust has been established.

We like to think we, humans, are so much different than animals, but there’s a lot that the same. Humans don’t trust other humans when they sense a cover up. If I’m trying so hard to win people to Jesus that I actually *pretend* to be someone I’m not, people know it and they stay away. When I’m genuinely exposed, faults, short comings and all, people (and animals) trust me.

Back to the mess ups…when I mess up around un-believers, I don’t condemn myself. I repent. I trust God to cover my faults. Then, depending on the issue, I may even go to them and tell them “this was wrong, and I apologize” or “I shouldn’t have…” They usually look at me a little funny, but something happens in those moments and trust is actually deepened. When I mess up in front of someone I’m discipling or someone I’m trying to be a witness to, an opportunity to share about grace opens up. Conviction. Forgiveness. I don’t purposely mess up in order to have these opportunities and conversations, but it happens more than I’d like 🤣

My animals trust me because they’ve come to know me over time. Even when I’ve violated their trust (luring them somewhere for cares for example), we have history and common ground enough to preserve our relationship. People aren’t much different. If you spend time with them on what is common, (sometimes only food and environment), you’ll eventually have enough character reserve built up to give care. Spiritual care. The difference is, when it comes to people, you’ll need to be humble enough to expose and address your mistakes if you expect them to continue to trust you. The animals just need a treat, lol.

I believe at least *some* of what Paul meant when he said “I become all things to all men in order that I might win some,” is that he wasn’t afraid to be on their level. He didn’t turn down their food for being “unclean,” he didn’t separate himself out as a believer in Jesus, he lowered himself just like Jesus did, to participate in what is common. In doing this, he built trust and demonstrated love. Trust and love transcend culture. They can be understood even through language barriers, heck, even across species 🐑 🐶 🐈 🐓

If we want to win the lost, we have to dwell in what’s common. I recommend food…the great equalizer…

“You can’t win those you don’t love.” This phrase whispered to my spirit so many years ago too often resurfaces in my mind as a reminder…

“Love your neighbor as yourself…” Mark 12:31

Be genuine. Be honest. Be loving. And do it with everyone around you. In doing so you sow seeds of eternal value as you trust God for the rest. In His timing, He will knock on the hearts of those around you and one day, God-willing, you’ll be able to look over your shoulder and see them following you just like my animals do.

As always, thanks for stopping by 💚

Have you ever stopped to study how many times God has spoken through dreams in the Bible? 🤔

It’s probably more than you think, and some of the patterns might be surprising as well…

I’m writing this because of a dream I had the other night, (which I believe is meant for intercession vs. sharing), but also because I believe God is STILL speaking to people through dreams 🤯

It was a dream that actually turned me back to God just shy of 19 years ago. I’ve had numerous God-given dreams since that time, not hundreds, but probably more like one or two dozen, so I have a little insight, though I’m no expert 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I felt to write this specifically to encourage folks to *not dismiss dreams.* There is SO much that God can and does reveal to us through dreams. Unfortunately, because dreams are not always straight forward, they scare some folks 🙃 And I get it, things can get off into crazy “un-Biblical land” in a hurry if you’re not cautious 😂 😱🙃. Therefore, we MUST first and foremost follow the patterns we see in scripture, the character of God, and Biblical precedent followed by our God-given discernment. I want to very briefly look at a few examples in scripture before going any farther…

Number 1: Pharoah and Joseph. Way back in Genesis 41 we read about Pharoah and Joseph and their time in Egypt. You’re likely familiar with the story. Pharoah had 2 dreams. In the first, he saw 7 fat cows which were then swallowed up by 7 skinny cows. The second was like this, only with heads of grain instead. After this, it states that “his (Pharoah’s) mind was troubled…” by these dreams, so he sent for interpreters. Unfortunately, he and the company he kept was unable to interpret, they didn’t have the discernment that God gives His people. Yet, he knew enough to know they weren’t just ordinary dreams… True to form, God provided a way despite Pharoah’s lack. Enter: the chief cupbearer. This guy hears of Pharoah’s disturbing dreams and remembers an encounter with a man named Joseph in prison. Just 2 years prior, both the chief baker and cupbearer were imprisoned with Joseph when they too had troubling dreams. They shared their dreams with Joseph who interpreted them for them. Each dream then came to pass exactly as the dreamer dreamed and Joseph interpreted. Note that in both situations, the ones who had the dreams were not followers of the Lord, I’ll come back to this thought…😉

After hearing from the cupbearer, Pharoah summoned for Joseph to be brought to him and he shared his dreams. Joseph again provided dream interpretation. He stated that the dreams were speaking the same thing, a time of plenty was coming followed by a time of famine. “The reason the dream was given to Pharoah in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.” Gen 41:32

The next thing that happens is Joseph is given a word of wisdom for Pharoah. He tells Pharaoh to find someone to put in charge to manage the upcoming times, someone who would save up grain from the years of plenty to get through the times of famine. Can you imagine? It seems simple in the Bible, but seriously, trying to calculate and store a fraction of each year of plenty to make up for each year of famine wouldn’t be easy. Just think of your own household for a second, if today you began to store up enough food to supply for 7 YEARS, where would you even start? It hurts my head, 🤣 The story goes on to say that Pharoah placed Joseph in charge and they make it through, although the famine was so extreme it caused people to sell all they had for food. 😓

Pause for a minute here. Pharoah, an un-believer, dreamed dreams given by God that once interpreted (by a man God provided), gave him knowledge to prepare for upcoming times of trouble. The sharing of, interpretation, and acting on this dream not only increased his kingdom, it saved many lives. Even though Pharoah was not God’s guy, he used him. I say this because I think we sometimes put conditions on and around the things of God that He doesn’t. 🤷‍♀️ It didn’t bother Him in the least to give Pharaoh, the cupbearer, and the baker dreams. He used His guy, Joseph, for interpreting, wisdom to plan/act, and to have the favor needed to get the job done. 💪

Some things worth highlighting that we can see in other parts of scripture as well:

1. Prophetic dreams (dreams of things to come) can come through anyone. They do not have to be a church leader or even a Christian.
2. What prophetic dreams reveal often does not happen instantaneously. The cupbearer and baker were a pretty quick turn around, but if you think of it, Pharoah’s was not, nor are many other prophetic dreams/words in scripture. It actually took 14 years to see Pharaoh’s dream through. It would’ve been really easy in year 5 to begin to doubt the dream and stop stockpiling. In the midst of abundance, the temptation would have been to become complacent. It would’ve been equally difficult in year 13, 6 years into famine, to think it would ever end.
3. Prophetic dreams are often warnings. Some are fixed like Pharaoh’s situation. Some are for intercession and can be changed/averted.

Number 2) Joseph–not the guy we just talked about–but Joseph the stand-in earthly dad for Jesus. In Matthew 2:13-23 twice Joseph has dreams where the Spirit of God warns and instructs him…”Get up and go!” First he sends him to Egypt and then back to Israel. God revealed the problem and the solution, and through his obedience, Joseph saved baby Jesus. By having discernment about his dream–yes it really was God speaking–and acting on it–God worked through him to save baby Jesus. I’ve not once heard a sermon on that, but consider the implications of it. 🤔 *There is tremendous value of recognizing God-given dreams*

This doesn’t do justice to all that could be said of dreams, nor does it cover all of the ones we see in scripture. But it’s a start…

So what about us?

“Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2: 28

“When a prophet of the Lord is among you. I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams…” Numb 12:6

I believe there are a lot more people having dreams today and they aren’t all born-again believers. In fact, just a little over a year ago an un-saved friend shared a dream that was so vivid and concerning they believed it was from God, and I believe it was too.

As for myself, some of you know this, but it was a dream that turned me back to God. Despite being raised as a Christian, I turned my back and went after the world until I was 19.5 when I had a dream about Jesus’ return. I’ve shared that dream so many times…it’s hard to convey the level of despair I had in knowing I knew right from wrong and had chosen wrong by not walking with the Lord…In the dream, it was too late, judgment had happened, and I felt a sinking of soul and darkness that’s indescribable 😖 I knew how foolish I had been and was about to pay for it. Thankfully, even as a very messed up 19.5 year old, I had brains enough to take that dream seriously 🤓 I woke crying and repenting and the very next day began to read the Bible for myself. That dream literally changed and saved my life physically and eternally. 🙌

But it didn’t end there. Over the years I’ve had roughly one or two dozen dreams of a prophetic nature. I’m not boasting by sharing this, because I realize I have absolutely ZERO to do with it 😂 I can’t force God to give me dreams. He either chooses to or not. But in my case, He’s chosen to, at least sometimes. And unless I’m forgetting something, all of the dreams He gave to me about a time to come have been warnings, some which I took action on, including repenting and returning to Him. And all of the dreams He gave me for others were when they were in a hidden state, like a word of knowledge.

The dream of Jesus’ return was to-date the most important dream I’ve ever had, for obvious reasons. But it’s not been the only one of great significance. I’ll share another for the sake of my credibility to speak to the topic, the rest are maybe for another time.

About 15 years ago, I was living at my parents waiting to go back to Africa as a missionary. While there, I had a dream of a former friend who wanted to kill me 😰 The dream was so vivid, I actually got up in the middle of the night to lock my door as I prayed and fell back to sleep. Twice I had this dream. To some, this would just seem a re-occurring nightmare, but without getting into great detail, if you knew this person from my pre-Jesus days, you’d understand that the possibility was legitimate. 😕 The dream was so disturbing that I shared it with the only mutual friend that “Q” and I still had. I can still remember my friend’s face after I told him about the dream. He paused from looking down at the ground, looked up, and said “….never be alone with Q….I wasn’t going to tell you this but…” And he went on to share words I won’t repeat here. Suffice it to say, the dream was confirmed.

Creepy, right? I had chills knowing Q’s potential at that time.

Initially I had fear, until I prayed and two things comforted me: 1) if God gives a dream to warn, He wants our involvement (prayer in this case) AND He intends to do something about it. 2) from a logistical standpoint, I knew Q did a lot of travel and was FAR away. In these I rested and began to pray for Q whenever they came to mind. I knew the individual was very lost and dark, but not un-savable, not without hope…

A short time later, I went back out to visit the mutual friend. He had an animal born with with some markings he knew I’d like, so he text me to tell me to stop and see her 🤗 I went out to his place, but no one was there, just an empty building and a few animals. It was cold out. I remember the wind whipping through the structure and having a sense that I needed to leave, but I ignored it. The deeper I went into the building, the stronger the sense to LEAVE got, but I wasn’t listening. Then, my phone dinged💥 I received a text from a friend who had been praying for me and said “I keep getting the name Q. Don’t go anywhere alone!” 😳 Fear gripped me. I remember running as fast as I could out of the building and into my car, locking the doors and heading home. As I drove I kept telling myself “it’s impossible, Q is gone.” Yet, I felt like my life had just been spared, it’s hard to explain…

I walked into my parents’ home and sat down in silence still thanking God. A few minutes later my brother, who knew nothing of the dream or this situation, came home. “You’ll never guess who I just saw at the store, Q was in there.” I couldn’t believe it 😳 You may not believe me because of all of the details I’m withholding, but I genuinely believe I escaped death that day. 💯 of the time that Q was in town, Q visited the mutual friend.

That dream gave me a heads up about a danger lurking I otherwise had no idea of. Furthermore the obedience of my friend to message me is something I’m forever grateful for.

All these years and prayers later, I can honestly say Q has changed. I no longer believe there is a threat there 🙌

Other dreams have been to prepare me for heartbreak, while some have been for other people. For others, it’s been when they’re trapped in hard places in life. Every now and then God has provided a word of knowledge through a dream. It’s always nerve wracking to share with them, because I’ve felt like I’m shooting in the dark, but each time He’s done it, it’s to pierce that darkness with His light. To let them know He is the God who sees them, even when no one knows what’s going on, to encourage them and point them upward.

So how do you know if a dream is from God? 🤔

Honestly, some are so unshakable and strong, that you simply know it. 🤷‍♀️ Some are so random and clear, like the ones I’ve had for other people, that it’s like a movie I’m present for. I wake and I know the details and can see it. For warning dreams, like the one I described above or like Joseph and baby Jesus, you just know. I know that seems a cop out, but trust me, if it’s something that is critical to life, God is WILL make sure you understand what to do, just like with Pharaoh 🙌 That said, it’s still on you to take appropriate action.

There is no formula for whether or not a dream is from God, the enemy, or imagination really—more like guard rails to see if it falls inbounds. Safeguards include knowing the Word, knowing the Lord, and having a community of believers to test things with. The first thing to do is always to pause and pray. Dreams that require interpretation, like Pharoah’s are much tougher to discern because dreams of the imagination can be quite vivid like dreams from God. For those, I’d ALWAYS recommend prayer AND sharing with other discerning believers. God will tease out the important parts for you and you can usually find a common theme or message if it’s from Him. In most cases, prophetic dreams are NOT of the urgent “get up and go” type—BUT that’s not to say they can’t be. 😬 Remember that….

ALL God-given (meaningful/prophetic) dreams are for disclosing knowledge with the purpose of taking action through prayer and/or physical preparation. It’s never for fun, just to “know,” or for bragging rights. Dreams can be a specific means of communication from God. It’s often when something is so urgent that He needs us quiet 🤐 enough to listen and see the full picture (when we are asleep 😴 ).

That said, dreams can be tricky. There’s a lot of people who claim to have dreams from God. Heck, you might call me one of them, 🤷‍♀️😂 and that’s ok. 😉 My goal isn’t to convince you that God has spoken to me through dreams, it’s to convince you that He still can and still does do this. Period.

Throughout the Bible God has spoken through dreams. It’s in His character and nature. He hasn’t changed. Don’t ever put too much stock in someone else’s dream, especially in this day and age when anyone can rapidly spread every dream they have. YOU need to pray and discern if the dream is from the Lord and if so, is there any action that YOU need to take for yourself. *Trust the Lord.* If He needs YOU to take action, ask Him to confirm it. He can. He will. You WILL know. It’s not a guessing game where He hopes you’ll get it right and then laughs when you don’t. 🙂 That’s not His character. 🙌 He is sure to impart the information we need when we need it. Our job is to seek Him and take appropriate action like Pharoah and Joseph.

This blog doesn’t cover all that can be said of this topic, I realize that. There’s probably things I’m missing, forgetting, or don’t even know about. BUT it’s something. It’s a talking point at minimum. 🙂

Bathe your dreams in prayer. 🙏 When you have one, like the one I had the other night, don’t let it get pushed aside. Intercede. Pray THROUGH. Allow the warnings to take up residence in your spirit. You have no idea what significance it could hold for the future.

As always, thanks for stopping by. ❤️

I was reading something by one of my favorite authors, Derek Prince the other morning, and it reminded me of a picture I felt God speaking through recently.

When I go out to do animal chores in the AM, I’ve found the fastest way is to start talking to the sheep right away. 😁🤷‍♀️ I do this because of Dolly, my visually impaired sheep.

In the AM, generally all of the sheep are up by one of the gates except for Dolly. Because of her eyesight, it takes her a few minutes to figure out where I am when I’m calling and make her way to the gate. In the past, I just opened the gate and left, assuming she’d find the flock later, but usually she failed. I noticed as time went on that if I waited for her to exit with the others from the get-go, she’d often keep with them the entire day 🧐

Once I realized this, two things happened. First, I began to talk to the sheep right away so that while I tend to the other animals, Dolly has a chance to get oriented and join the flock. And second, I saw 2 pictures…

Dolly was a type of the Presence of God and the flock was me. She was happy to be with the flock if given the opportunity. However, if she didn’t get a chance in the AM, she often was alone. Not because she wanted to be, but because the others move too fast and refuse to wait for her.

Similarly, if we start the day without God by rushing into our activities without pausing, praying, or reading the Bible, there’s no guarantee that we’ll connect with His Presence later in the day 😟 And not because He’s not there, He’s everywhere, but because we move too fast and get busy. Dolly and the flock are all always on our property, but it doesn’t mean they’re grazing together. It doesn’t mean they’re interacting and engaged with each other.

Secondly, a thought from an outsider’s point of view….Dolly is the only way to identify my flock as a flock of SHEEP and not goats 🧐 I’ve found that the average Joe struggles to tell the difference. My flock, being majority hair sheep (not having wool), are often mistaken for goats. It is only when my single wool sheep, Dolly, is with the flock that people * pause and ask the question: Are those sheep or goats? Her big wooly fleece is distinctly different compared to the hair of the others, and it trigger’s the question and potential label change.

The same is true of us, when we take the time to get with God’s Presence in the AM, we become recognizable as believers. We walk next to the easily identifiable wool sheep so to say. 🐑 Taking time to wait on the Lord, even if it’s just a few minutes, is transformational and essential to each day. It’s what other’s later see or sense that causes them to identify us with Him. Better put through scripture:

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledgeof him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.” 2 Cor 2:14-16

Whether for good or bad, believers are recognizable by the Presence of God with, on, and in them.

In the book I referenced, Prince talked about reminding himself of who he is in Christ every morning. He stated that he would often look himself in the mirror daily and 3x thank the Lord aloud for things He’s done for him. He said “By the time I have said that three times, I am believing it. Every day, I must reestablish myself in my place in Christ. I do not know if this is true for everyone, but I think the way you begin the first five minutes of the day is usually decisive as to how you will spend the rest of the day. I’m not talking about spending hours in prayer; it is simply reminding yourself who you are and where you are in Christ…”

I couldn’t agree more. I know because I’ve seen the difference in myself. My perspective, patience, kindness, etc., as pathetic as it seems to say–it often hinges on how my morning went ☕️ 🌅 . It takes discipline to get up early enough to have time to pause, but it’s always worth it.

I’d like to also note that it’s not fixed or a formula. A rough morning or failure to start the day with God doesn’t mean you can’t find Him later in the day, just like the flock. There are times they reconnect and finish the day together. If you have a rough start, take 5 minutes to re-start your day by waiting on the Lord and connecting with His Presence. It may seem silly, but I promise it will change your perspective and attitude for the rest of the day. You will not only be renewed on the inside, but it will be like you’ve flipped a spiritual light on. You’ve positioned yourself with the wooly sheep and become identifiable as a believer again.

I hope this has helped someone out there remember to pause and wait for the Presence of God before they get going, that your day may be effective and marked by His goodness in all you do.

As always, thanks for stopping by 🧡