Hope - Hillsong

Dear Friends,
As I was preparing to lead worship this week, I began to meditate on the lyrics of this song. I felt led to go to Biblegateway.com and look at the scriptures that had hope in them. I was magically lifted as I began to read. I was enlightened and lifted from a lower plain to a higher plain in God. I was reminded of the many promises we have in His word. Let me share a few of these magical treasures with you.

One, the word instructs me to hope in Him all day long. Psalm 25:5 "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (NIV). This is the key: thinking on Him.

Two, Psalm 39:7 says, “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." (NIV). This means I need to look for Him and not to other places to bring me hope. I need to keep my eyes on Him.

Three, Psalm 62:5 says, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him." (NIV). My soul will rest in God because I do find my hope in Him. I might need to call my soul into resting and speak this scripture, but I still have a choice. I can find rest. This is what I am choosing to do!

Four, "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Psalm 71:14 NIV). I will always have hope. Jesus came to give us life (John 10:10b). He has an abundant life for us. This means we always have hope. To think we do not have hope is a lie. I believe the word of God.
Psalm 119:81 tells us that we can hope in His word. There is always hope!

Finally, Proverbs 13:12 says that, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." (NIV). This tells me that if I have deferred hope, my heart will be sick. Why not reach out to God right at your computer and tune in to the hope line. It's taking calls as you read. May He pour His presence over you mightily and restore, revive, and renew your hope in Him.

Reserving the Right for Free-Time

Dear Readers,

One thing I have been trying to do is take the time to smell the roses more often. This means I have to make myself refrain from working and focus on something that is important to me. Even narrowing down what “thing” it will be could steal my joy, and if I am not careful, I try to cram too many things into one day. This week the Lord showed mea new way of looking at free-time.

You might have wondered if it ever seem like we make things too hard? I think we do, but man, I have to over complicate things. I guess it's just my way. Being given to detail can be a gift and a detriment wrapped in one package. Thus, I am learning to schedule me time, family time, Jesus time, and whatever other time I feel I need. I schedule it all-even free time is labeled. If you have seen my planner, you'd know why this makes me feel crazy.

But a revelation hit me this week, and I incorporated free-time with no label. I have reserved this time, thought it may be short, for what I feel impressed to do at that moment. What is nearby me that I am missing in the hustle and bustle of my life? My husband, my granddaughter, my friend, etc….. I think as I begin to do this more I am going to be a person who is full of more grace, faith, and love.

It’s time to stop and smell the roses more often and open our eyes to the grace, faith, hope, and love that is welcoming us. Don’t you think?

Overflow Equals Harvest

This past Tuesday I spoke at Community Life in Port Charlotte, Florida at a Womens Ministry meeting. The Lord was faithful in giving me a the word that overflow equals harvest. He took me to Isaiah 61 and told me to remind these women that He had given us many gifts and garments to break the cycle of worry. Step four: praise, is key to breaking the cycle!





Once we break the cycle at whatever part in the cycle , we take our thoughts captive, and we get to praise, thanksgiving, and joy; the result is overflow. That we means we get beyond ourselves and our problems. We begin to truly trust God with our problems- no matter how big or small! How else will we get to doing the work of the harvest.


The overlfow spills out to others around us. This overflow brings about harvest if we begin to tell others what God is doing and what He will do as we trust Him. In short, overflow equals harvest.


We have all been commissioned by Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Don't be intimiated by the word preach. Just go out and tell others what God is doing. Your words may bring them out of a miry pit and the sinners prayer is the next step.



If you are interested in reading more about this, below is the book mark that I gave out and the scriptures for that night. Enjoy!


The Bookmark


Breaking the Cycle with
Prayer & Thanksgiving
1. Denial
2. Question
3. Fear & Worry
4. Panic
5. Praise
6. Joy
7. Thankfulness
8. Overflow

Psalm 63:4I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
© Ileana Reich
Harbinger Ministries 2012
Illyguana@hotmail.com

Opening Scriptures:
Isaiah61:1-3- What we have been anointed to do and give

1. John 18:24-26 -Denial- It happens, but we can stop it!
2. Psalm 22:1- Question- It happens, but we can stop it!
3. Psalm 3:6 , Psalms 56:4, and 2 Timothy 1:7 Fear- We don't have to fear!
4. Isaiah 31:1- Panic can make us do all sorts of things!
5. Psalm 42:5, 2nd Samuel 22:1, Psalm 149:3, Psalm 8:2, Psalm 66:17, and Isaiah 61:3- Praise is a powerful decision.
6. Psalm 69:30-Thanksgiving leads to joy
7. Psalm 28:7 and Psalm 95:1- Joy leads to overflow
8. Collissians 2: 6-7- Overflow

Closing Scriptures:
2 Timothy 3:10-17- We are equipped and should do what we have been taught.
Colossians 2:6-7 -Thanksgiving is pertinet to overflow.

Yolanda Adams - The Battle Is The Lord's

Sometimes we grow fatigued sauntering through our daily state of affairs. The chin splints of trekking through life are killing us! We loose our energy and chutzpah (nerve) to keep fighting and running. I must clarify that that there is a place for battle, but it is important that we seek the Lord and know when we are to battle with weapons in our hands, like when the Children of Israel crossed over the Jordan river, or if we are to stand and see the salvation of our God, like Jehoshaphat did when he defeated Moab and Ammon without lifting a finger in battle! Nevertheless, we always have to dress for battle and be ready and that is tiring enough!

You may have heard the old cliché and chiastic structure, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This implies that we need to sprint through our daily struggles like tough bring home the bacon woman fighting our battles with a spatula and masher in our hands. As you can see, this quote implies that we need to muster up enough vigor to do it ourselves. This is the world’s thinking and is contrary to what the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13- NIV). Our success is grounded in Christ who strengthens us, and this is, my friend, is where victory presides!This is why we can get dressed for battle and arm ourselves!

Ephesians six tells us who our enemy is, how to dress for battle, and ironically, after doing all of that, we are instructed to stand. For example, there have been situations with my husband where I refused to listen to God’s gently urging to let him figure it out on his own, to let God handle it, and to let go. It took me a long time to figure out that pestering him was not going to work. I can be stubborn and that makes me a slow learner sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I had to learn to trust that God would give me the strength to stand still and wait.

So, I think we can agree on the standing and having to wait sometimes, but what do we do while we are staring down that scary hill looking down at our ashes, such as arthritis, depression, muscular dystrophy, floaters, thyroid disease, etc.? We have a choice to see what God sees, or we can look with natural eyes. I am not telling you to visualize something into happening; I am telling you to see yourself as God sees you. He sees you as a whole spirit being. In 2nd Chronicles 20:17 it says to “stand still and see the deliverance of God.” Take the word for truth and see your deliverance today.

So I was reading 2 Chronicles 20 in preparation for worship service tomorrow and just about interrupted King Jehoshaphat’s plight. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall. Since I cannot, I read it very closely to learn about how he handled his predicament. Let’s take a look at 2^nd Chronicles 20 and trace the steps of King Jehoshaphat:

He called a fast in his kingdom when he heard a great enemy was coming (V 3). If you are looking at a giant, fast. That’s the first step. If you have a special medical diet, talk to your doctor and ask what you can fast from. You may have already been told not to eat certain things, and this is a fast from those things. Turn your fast and action towards God.

He gathered his people and told them to seek God (V 4). Gather your friends to seek God with you. They can do it in their own homes. If you do not have many friends or are a shut-in, call your church to pray for you!

He prayed (VS 5-12). It’s time to pray. I don’t mean the quick get it over with I’m busy prayer, “Jesus, heal me. Amen”; I mean take the TIME to pray and seek God. Read His word and pray about the promises you read.

Jahaziel prophecies to the king and tells him not to fear, to stand still and see the deliverance of God (VS 14-17). I write a lot about fear. I think it’s because it’s an easy crutch to fall back on. Sometimes the words “I’m afraid” jet out of my mouth without me even thinking it. I have to correct my speech and let the devil know that I don’t believe his lies. There are times that I do recognize that I am fearing a situation. In those cases, I take that thought into captivity and deal with it. I give thanks God! I am learning to stand and wait for the Lord to handle my battles. So much emotion is wasted when we worry and get flustered!

They worshiped God (V 18). This is simple and something we can all do. Worship Him because He is Lord. That’s it!

They praised the Lord (V 19). When I read this scripture, I see people jumping, shouting, routing for God like they are at a football game and the team’s quarterback is about to make a touchdown that will win the game. They see the touchdown and crazy like praise breaks out! This is the kind of praise the Lord inhabits. The Lord does not desire to inhabit the praises of wimpy, lazy, half-hearted, shallow praise that we have been guilty of offering up during worship service from time-to-time. He is looking for a people who will be thankful and give it all they’ve got!

They believed the prophet and were thankful (V 20). We must believe God before we can thank Him. Because the people believed God, they were able to thank Him. Do you believe that God will deliver you? If you do, than a spirit of thankfulness and praise should break out of you!

They got dressed, sang, and praised God the next morning. They approached battle with praise on their lips and the battle was won (VS 21- 22). Once again they gave it all they had. They approached the battlefield but knew that God was with them. The stood there praising and waiting. Their shouting was so loud, that Ammon and Moab’s people did not see the ambush, which was the people of Mount Seir, whom God sent after them! All of them died in confusion and not one of Jehoshaphat’s people were touched!

This tells me that the battle is truly the Lords. I am going to do to do a lot more standing and waiting, while seeking, praying, and praising. I have learned first hand that these are things that I can do with Christ’s help!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2020&version=NKJV

God's TV

I was inspired at the sunset on beautiful Englewood beach a few weeks ago by my friend Jacqueline Anderson-Moore. She read her poem she had written called “God’s TV”. This idea resonated with me, and I took it further. I have been writing about watching less TV, and I am not missing it one bit! I have new outlook on life. Look at the following God TV channels I have:

The God Channel

The Exercise channel

The Music channel

The Family channel

The Bible Channel

The Romance and marriage channel

The Grandma Channel

The Worship and Praise Chanel

The Cooking Channel

The Fishing and Beach Channel

The Read a Book Channel

The R & R Channel

The Sunset Channel

The Nature Channel

The Friend Channel

These are just a few! I meant a young woman today for lunch, and we talked about what we do with our time. If I tune into the boob tube, aka TV, look at all of the things I am missing out on! It’s food for thought. Isn’t it!

Taking a Seek-cation

Dear Readers,

I am taking a vacation with my husband, but will return in two weeks. I have no idea if I will have internet access via my laptop. My goals while I am gone are the following:

Jesus Time

Rest and relax

Walk the beach

Hubby time

Work on my book

Eat healthy

Read some books and His word

Pray

Listen to the CD: R.A.W (Revival, Alive, Within) by Steve Swanson

Brainstorming with Don on our new couples blog

I am a firm believer in pressing in and feeling refreshed in the Lord. It’s time like these when we are busy that I have to stop, get away, set myself apart, seek God, and listen to Him. So friends, though I am not too far away, we are far enough away where we can do just that.

Psalm 27:8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek (NIVV).

Matthew 6:3 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (NKVJ).

In Christ,

Ileana Reich

Heaven On Earth: Christine's Electrolysis in Port Charlotte, FL

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Christine's Electrolysis in Port Charlotte, Fl. I have heard other friends talk about their peaceful atmosphere over and over. Not to mention the repetitive ravings about their super customer service and competitive prices. So, I had to experience it for myself! There are three words to describe my experience: Heaven on earth! You might be wondering just about now why I am writing about this in my inspirational blog, but the owners attend my church and through their business and ministry, I was touched!

I had many options to choose from, such as a laser hair removal, European facial, paraffin was mask peel-off, chemical peel, back facial, body sugar scrub, facial and body waxing, eyelash and or brow tinting, and make-up consultation. With this amazing list and one hour of time blocked of in my planner, I narrowed it down to a micro-dermabrasion service and mini facial. To top that off, I had the most unique thing done: Eyelash tinting! People in public were making complements on my think eyelashes. I had no mascara on, just the eyelash tint. It was great not to have to get up and put it on.

Christine’s Electrolysis also houses the Florida School of Electrolysis and Skin Care School. Whether you have a professional technician or student in training working on you, I assure that your experience will be well worth it. The owners, Christine and Ron, and their professional staff are knowledgeable about their services, are hands-on with their training and procedures, and have high standards about the services they provide. On the other hand, if you are thinking about a new career, what a well-run, quality driven, respectful, and peaceful establishment to train in!

Please contact Christine @ 941-764-7000 to make an appointment, ask questions about prices and services, and even register to get your new career in motion today!

The Location: 17843 Murdock Cir # 7A, Port Charlotte, FL 33948-4000

It's Coming: A For-Couples-Only Blog

Dear Readers,

I excited to announce that my husband and I will be writing a For-Couples-Only blog! While I wrote about this in my book’s introduction in March and held it in my heart, the idea was birthed yesterday in car conversation. God is good!

We plan to pair this blog with our marriage class that we will be teaching in the fall as part of our life group at Gulf Coast Assembly of God in North Port, Fl. It will be based on the book His Needs Her Needs, by Dr. Harley to start, but will continue on after the class ends. It is our desire to bring hope and faith to couples and allow for reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, and new health/life in the couples we touch.

While I cannot get my husband to include the cliché “keeping it real” in the title like the other three blogs I write, we will be able to reach an audience that may not otherwise come to class and or enter a home. In fact, we may be able to reach the unchurched by doing this blog.

Everyone can improve their marriage. Joining this blog or class does not necessarily mean you have a failing marriage. It means you are going to take a step and enrich what you already have. It means you are going to take time for one of the most important relationships you have next to God and your children. Think of it like an investment. the more you put in; the more you get out of it! The more you will grow!

Also, people who miss class can get the notes from the blog. Comments can be made. People can contact us via email. Another option is Skyping with people who need marriage support. We hope to help support couples work through issues in their marriage, as well as assist them in growing and enriching the marriage they already have!

We plan to write each week about something the Lord puts on both of our hearts from a his and her perspective in addition to our course notes. In short, we are really excited about this blog. You do not have to attend the class to read the blog; however, you can join, read, comment, grow, and follow this blog.

Our class plans to take place on Mondays from Sept. 9th to Dec. 12th and meet @ 2800 Pan American Blvd. North Port, Fl @ 6:45 PM.

If you want me to email you the blog link once it is created please email us. If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to email us. If you plan to attend the course in person, you can register for this course by by emaling me now at illyguana@hotmail.com. Spots are limited!

There will be no cost for this course. We will ask each couple to sign-up on a snack calendar and evenly take turns providing an inexpensive snack.

What in the World Did I Eat Last Night?

Excuses, pretexts and/or fabrications, is that all it is? Or, is there a deeper reason? These are the thoughts I awakened to, and oh boy, did they get me going: What in the world is going on in my head? What did I eat last night?

Was it the comment I heard yesterday from a close church friend who said, “It was so good to hear the Pastor’s voice; it was nice to know that someone cared.” I considered this as I talked to her. I had Facebook messaged her a quick note this week, but was this what prompted these streams of thoughts, as I lay sleeping and now awake? Was it my other good friend’s comment from school who said yesterday, “Illy, it is so good to hear your voice; I just needed to hear it. It’s been so long!”? Am I too busy for people? That’s silly. It had to be my subconscious working on overdrive while sleeping. I am a good friend…….

I got to thinking about one of my favorite Bible verses “…speak Lord your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9 NKJV). This is when Eli tells Samuel that if he hears that voice again, tell God, speak, I am listening. He wasn’t sure what it was that he was hearing, but his mentor tells him it is God trying to get his attention. The God I know still acts and speaks in the same way He did back then. The word says that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever more” (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV). Should I expect anything less? No, and neither should you!

Traveling back in time as I lay there dozing in and out, I remembered a book I read by Pastor Patricia Gruitts’s book: Understanding the Master’s Voice. Each week we studied principles or ways to hearing God’s voice, which were all grounded in the Word. I am reminded of the wealth of teachings I had a Mt. Zion and the synergy of a large body that was compelled to serve God and move together in one purpose- a force to be reckoned with- to make a difference in this world! These were powerful days when I allowed God to build me one nail at a time for such a time as this when the tools are on my belt, and I am using mentoring nails on other people (Esther 4:14 NJKV).

I was about fifteen years back in my journey now, but I went back even further; this was serious. I was now thinking back twenty-five years. I remember a weekly homework exercise called Hearing Ears, which I encountered while studying the ministry at Mt. Zion Church, Clarkston, MI. Every Saturday morning I had to come in and turn in one of these slips before class started. Man, I used to sweat over these, but I learned to hear the voice of God.

Hmm…. So God, people need to hear other people’s voices, and they need to hear yours (I thought). This is the earth shattering point of this blog today?

I wonder if I if should just scrap this blog entry right now. This is a ridiculous place to end up. I never get up thinking I am going to write this or that today exactly, or this is going to be the point of my writing. I get up, pray about what is on my heart and mind (the topics for each blog), and then I ask God to direct my thoughts and key stokes. Because I need to trust that He directs my steps, I won’t delete it. Here it is: Everyone knows that we need to hear people’s voices and God’s voice, but why then all of the excuses?

Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4 NKJV). The mouth of God implies that one can hear something coming out of His mouth. God speaks through His word, people, nature, and in our spirits. We will never hear these revelations if we do not open ourselves up to these experiences. We also will never hear if we are too busy with distracting stuff and even worse, getting off track, running from God, and going our own way because of any of it.

I learned about a running prophet in a heap of trouble who thought God had forsaken him named Elijah in Ministers Candidate School way back in the late 1980s. It says in1 Kings 19:12, “After the earthquake fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire, a still small voice”. This is when God gets his attention: “Elijah, what are you doing here?” This is when his world stopped spinning. This was “the moment” when time stopped. This same time-stopping miracle moment can happen to us and does happen to us if we are willing to stop and listen. However, I need to clarify.

Yielding to hear God is not the same as stopping and hearing. When we stop to hear God, we are waiting for Him to give direction. When we yield in prayer as a routine measure, it is a mere pause. If we are not careful, we keep our plans, thoughts, baggage, and agendas. We can carry on in our will or plans for the day even though we have prayed.

You might be thinking I don’t have time to pray and seek God and listen. That could take hours. Yes, there is some truth to that. But God can speak to you in your car, while on your way to work. He can whisper to you as you order via the Wendy’s drive-through. You can choose to give the cashier the twenty dollar bill you were going to use to buy treasures at Goodwill. You can’t hear that if you are not open. Our minds are running a mile a minute. Slow down, breath in, and listen; you will be amazed what you hear as you stop and listen for that still small voice.

I also have to address a touchy area for many shipwrecked, bruised and abused Christians, back sliders, and once in a while church attenders. Forgive me if I step on any sacred cows or soap boxes here, but there are many reasons why people don’t go to church. I am sorry that many have been hurt in God’s house; not all churches are bad, though this, all, or any of the above may be one of your excuse. But the Word tells us that “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalms 89:7 NKJV). As I peruse Biblegateway.com and search the word assembly, I learn a lot about why I should go to church. I know several people who no longer go to church. My heart breaks for the good things they are missing! I have had to many people tell me I don’t need to go to church to hear from God.

Though we have a responsibility to hear and eat His bread at home, we go to church to get fed and listen reverently. This is where the Hearing Ear slips come back into this text, as what I am hearing in the house of God should be a near parallel to what I am hearing at home: A word of enrichment, elaboration, and confirmed revelation. I remember getting to the place where my Hearing Ear slips were on topic with my pastor. So, we come to church to hear the Word of God and grow. We then take that confirmed word out and share it with others. Yes, we come to praise, worship, encourage others, but if we understand that we come to hear the Word of God and we want it, then we would come more often, take sermon notes more often, and tell others more often what we heard in church. If your excuse is that your church is dead, is that a real excuse? Not really. Pray and ask God what you should do.

What about people speaking into your life. Should it be just anyone that you listen to? The Bible tells us that iron sharpens iron (Psalms 27:17 NKJV) and faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6 NIVV). We want seasoned people with Godly wisdom speaking into our lives. Again, we need to take into consideration what we are hearing and not devising a rebuttal before they finish. This is another possible time-stopping moment where we have the opportunity to be changed if we listen. We may not take all that they say right there, as we should pray about it and then look for a confirming word to come via personal Bible reading, a radio broadcast or podcast, Sunday’s message etc. Nevertheless, one should always consider the source. I also feel led to say that if a person is not a Christian, I will NOT ask them for advice. I am looking for a pure unadulterated stream. There is too much “I” and “me” in people’s message out in “the world”. There is little talk about taking up the cross, seeking God, and living your life for God. These are not the tantalizing ideas that tickle our hearts and ears. Go back to the word. You have been deceived (1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9). For example, you are married but your husband is not meeting your needs sexually. God wants me to feel satisfied- this is worldly thinking that seeks your own desires- I should go elsewhere. It’s not an affair; it’s just the sex. No, go back to the word. Please! What is a marriage covenant? What about 1 Corinthians 13:3-5? There is another trap we fall into quite easily where we go around seeking what our ears are itching to hear and spinning our cause until we hear what we want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). Step back, and go to the Word for the truth.

What other excuses are there? Is it selfishness? I’d rather sleep in. I have to work later. I understand that people go on vacation and miss church. That is not what I am saying here. If you come to church and hear a confirming word, you are going to be more blessed than you are now. Why settle? God has great things in store for you (1 Corinthians 2:9 & Jeremiah 31:17 NJKV). If you’re running from God, you can keep running. But remember that He loves you and He will keep wooing you. If you are a shut-in or sick, you can hear the word from the internet, I-phone, or TV and receive life. God does provide a way, but the best way is face-to-face connections with saints and Christ. This is where people who are plugged into Christ engage in corporate worship and open their hearts to God. It’s glorious to hear the sound of thunder (corporate worship) and watch it rise up to heaven as people lift their voices and hands in a surrendering stance. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you need to get to church that is plugged in to God. I call it a direct connection church where you leave differently when you came in. My pastor praise this every week: “Lord may we leave here changed”.

I need to address training your children in the way they should go (Ephesians 6:4 NKJV). The need to be hiding His Word in their hearts early and learning to hear from God too (Psalms 119:11). We have a responsibility to train them both at home and at church (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV; Deuteronomy 18: 11-21 NIVV). We have all kinds of things that we want to instill in our children, but what does the Word tell us? What should be our top priority? But I am so busy and we need family time might be your excuse. Is going to church as a family, family time? Is talking about what you heard and learned over a meal is great family meal-time conversation. The answer is yes! If your spouse does not go with you to church, they may be blessed by your conversation.

So wherever you are on the topic of hearing from God, let this blog challenge you. There was pun intended in the title: What in the World Did I Eat Last Night. Feed on God and His word. Finally, please, pray and talk to God. Why not allow the slightly exposed disagreements or even temper tantrums you may have had while reading this text help you see them the excuses they really are? Admit the excuse, correct it, be freed, and walk in new life? Why stay chained in familiarity, dysfunction, and unhappiness? I do not write these words to condemn you. Think and pray about it. That’s all I ask.

A Stiff but Drinkable Cup of Take-an-Account

Vacation Revelations: A Stiff but Drinkable Cup of Take-an-Account was Brewed.

I woke up this morning in a new place, literally. I began to peruse an unfamiliar kitchen, shuffling about making coffee; I had to read the directions on the coffeemaker to ensure that I did not ruin our friends’ essential appliance. That’s right. I need a cone filter (I thought). Both this trivial and normal thought brewed, but many other complex ones were perking and stirring my heart for a much needed makeover. Removed from my normal elements and familiar patterns, God began to expose some hidden areas. On day one of our home-away-from-home getaway, I began to question the very basic actions of my everyday life and existence. Yet, I carefully drank this cup of coffee that He poured for me this morning. I slowly, purposefully, and difficultly considered every sip.

The Bible tells us to search our hearts and take an account. I didn’t wake up thinking these thoughts, but I was open to let God speak to me and deal with my heart, which was heavier and stained more than I realized. Simple day-to-day repeated patterns, actions, and conversations reveal the pitter-patters of our heart: How big, how small, who they are directed to, who they are not directed to, who they are directed to sometimes, and how they are held back or diminished. It was a strong and bitter cup of coffee, but it went down like medicine. Vacation God; this is what I am thinking: Resting, the thing I do little of and need desperately to do more of; ah yes, this was on my to-do list and NOT this inward deep-sea heart diving expedition. In short, day one’s vacation headlines read: A Stiff but Drinkable Cup of Take-an-Account was Brewed.

After getting to know the coffeemaker, I began to examine my actions. My heart beats with grandeur love pumps when I praise Jesus or thank someone, which is a worthy and appropriate focus and task, but is my heart pumping out these splendorous love bursts to the people and family around me on a regular basis? Are there chambers in my heart that are still bruised th

at keep me from loving others the way God intended (1 Corinthians 13)? Does God expect me to be perfect (I thought)? Of course not, but He does ask us to take an account. Excuse me while I grab a tissue; this is a tough one to write and a terribly difficult cup of coffee to drink!

I thought about how nice it would be to have breakfast when my husband came back from fishing. How delightful it would be to sit and eat a breakfast he has prepared for the two of us! To clarify, yes, he has done most of the breakfast cooking over the years; I don’t cook breakfast well. I did enjoy cooking meals, and I belonged to two supper clubs. But where is my love for cooking meals? I pondered: Lost! What else it lost (I thought)?

Though I was never one to cook breakfast because the smoke alarm would go off every time, I remembered how things used to be. How I used to be. How I used to love whole heartedly despite arrows and darts that would come from every direction. Though I thought I had dealt with bitterness, it appears that the root was not surgically removed, or the wound was so deep that it is time once again to go digging in my heart garden. Dissecting this vivid moment and my motives was and is no easy thing to do. Why would anyone want to go there? I want to go here Lord because I want to be more like you and less like me. I want my life to line-up with the Word, and though this is a hard task, I am all in Lord (I thought and cried). These eye-opening thoughts took me back to the days of my youth, otherwise known as the early married years, which exposed and leaked some secrets I had buried. I went back to the kitchen for a warm up. As a write this piece, I feel as if time is frozen; I am parked here drinking this cup of coffee revelation. Lord, please change me and soften my heart. Let the results of this moment bring glory to You; let me be changed (I begged, pleaded, prayed, and thought).

As the years go by, my husband does more cooking; I do less. I am not saying that you should judge your relationships by the amount of time you spend cooking or how you divide up these responsibilities, but I am saying you need to take an account. As I stated earlier, my family discovered early on that I was not gifted in making tasty delicious breakfasts on the weekends. I could never get it quite right! But I am reminded that I need to judge my actions and look inward and dissect my relationships, especially the ones close to me, which is my family, my first ministry before anything else, except seeking and serving God.

Yes, this is a hard cookie to swallow or cup of joe to drink on any day of the week. But on day one of my house sitting vacation at our friends’ home; yes, I took a bite of this cookie. Hmm. It’s going to be a long vacation. My body may do some resting, but if I allow God to peruse my recent surge of weeds in my garden, I just may have a flowered heart garden ready to be posted in one of those well-manicured garden magazines. I hear my husband walking in.......

I posted this on both of my spiritual and inspirational blogs because I felt both readers would be blessed.