Jesus Responds: (Pic)

 
LINK

AOT 2.26 DONTES DEN Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts found a recipe that uses only

3 Ingredients for Dog Cookies:



Organic Peanut Butter

Flour

Chicken Stock

Animal Outtakes - 226 - Donte's Den Grand Opening

Two-legged kitten ditches tiny wheelchair for something much better

Now is the Time/ Open Dor

 
Now is the Time

For indeed says the Lord, I have opened the door before you and it is for you to walk through it. I have arranged the people and circumstances for your good and to make this season easier for you to pass through.

However, you must take action and take a leap of faith. For the circumstances cannot stand still. Life goes on and people will shift in where they stand right now. So do not hesitate and do not look and wonder if you are ready to move forward on this journey. The time to take action is now.

You have waited for the right time and have prepared yourself for such a time as this and now it has risen upon you. So do not be afraid to cease the moment and take this opportunity.

The door that is before you has been opened for you to take, so walk through it now and do not look back. You have what you need to pass through. You are ready and I will give you the grace that you need to walk through this door to opportunity and promotion, says the Lord.    LINK

Know My Power- Colette Toach

Know My Power

By Colette Toach

Oh that you could see my wonders and touch my power, for then you would know that my arm is not weak to save you my child. Often you lean on your own strength and you fall short, but my strength is unfailing! I never grow weak or weary and although the circumstances around you try to crush you, I am able to lift you high above them.

So throw caution to the wind and let me carry you now and lift you into my throne room. For there you will see what is possible and the great things that I am able to do in your life. There you will receive a new picture and hope for the future. For you desire my promises to come to pass, but then allow thoughts of doubt and fear into your heart, which eat up the promises I have made.

So run from the doubt and the fear. Run from them and into my arms. Allow the truth of my promises to drown out the negative voices around you. Allow the pictures I give to you to displace the ones that the world would try to paint. For I am strong and I am capable. I am able and I am willing to lift you up and to provide every promise I made. So come and dwell on those promises today child. Let them fill your heart and mind until they are more real to you than any fear or doubt. Then you will mount up on eagle’s wings and fly high above your circumstances says the Lord. Amen.   LINK

B Strong & Courageous, Ur feelings will catch up

God never says to “feel strong & courageous,” but to “be strong & courageous” (Joshua 1:9). And there’s a big difference. “Feeling” is an emotion that comes and goes, but “being” is a decision. Yes, you can decide to BE strong & courageous, even if you don’t feel like it. Your decision will lead your feelings, and eventually they’ll catch up.    LINK

One person commented: That God actually Commands us to 'be strong and courageous'

Pastor Larry Huch - Seeing And Receiving - April 17, 2016

Beckah Shae - Your Presence (Official Video)

Beckah Shae Yeshua

Don't fall into the trap of....

 
Don’t fall into the trap of being negative, complacent or just taking whatever life brings your way. Set the tone for victory, for success, for new levels. Enlarge your vision. Make room for God to do something new. You haven’t touched the surface of what He has in store. - Joel Osteen  LINK

Darren Canning: 'Women Are Rising in Ministry!'

Darren Canning: 'Women Are Rising in Ministry!'

"Women Are Rising in Ministry!"by Darren Canning, Ontario, Canada

From the Desk of Steve Shultz:
The world simply could not exist and function without women! This is a most awesome word for women from my friend Darren Canning, in which he shares from a couple of recent dreams about the power and authority that the Lord has gifted to women.
Just read this one sentence from Darren:
And some of the wildest packages that God will use in this hour for revival will be women.
Now, I want you to do me a favor...make sure to forward this on to everyone you know...because we all had better get ready for the outpouring God will do with His anointed, gifted, and powerful women of God!
Please forward this word to your friends! Encourage them to subscribe to the Elijah List right here: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Enjoy!
Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
http://www.elijahlist.com
*************************************

"Women Are Rising in Ministry!"by Darren Canning, Ontario, Canada

In a number of dreams over the last month, I have seen how God wants to use women to bring in the end-time harvest of the Lord.

"Don't Stop Revival"

In the first dream I saw how God wanted to start a revival in a major city in America, but it was stopped because the leaders of that city could not recognize the package that God wanted to use. In this dream I saw the Holy Spirit begin to rise on a young woman. She was given the mic to begin to speak and prophesy, but as she started to manifest under the power of the Holy Spirit, the leaders were not comfortable because they thought she was of the flesh, so they took the mic away from her. She literally ran toward me crying and saying, "You don't understand; they just stopped revival from coming to this great city." I consoled her and said, "I do understand, this has also happened to me in the past."

I want you to consider this dream for a moment. I wonder how many revivals in the earth have been stopped before they could even happen. How many souls have been lost as a result?

When I was young I heard a story in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There was a revival preacher in the early 1900's that was seeing great results as he preached around Atlantic Canada. As he neared Nova Scotia, the leaders of the church put a stop to him coming in. They were not happy with the message he was preaching and the way he was preaching it. As a result the revival he was a part of didn't come into that land.

The truth is we don't always like the packages that God wants to use to bring in revival. I know of churches in my own region that would never consider that revival could move anywhere other than inside their doors, but inside their churches the Holy Spirit is not allowed to move. I won't pretend to understand why they stop God from moving. Perhaps they have been hurt in the past. Perhaps they have seen it all before.

And some of the wildest packages that God will use in this hour for revival will be women.

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, is known to have said, "Some of my best men are women!" I remember when I was young hearing his granddaughter speak in Newfoundland, Canada. The church was filled with people wanting to hear this woman's stories of her grandfather. It was thrilling to hear her. There was a soaring in the spirit that day.

Pray and Intercede – Your Authority with the King!

In another recent dream I saw 1 Kings 2:19: "Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand."

I want you to consider the picture that is being painted in this passage. Bathsheba approaches her son, the king, to intercede on behalf of another son. When she comes into the throne room where her son is seated, he greets her by standing. He then has a throne brought to her so that she can sit in the presence of the king. This is a picture of the authority this woman had with her son.

I feel that this is a picture of what God wants to do with women in this hour. I believe that women are about to be granted an authority to sit in the presence of the King to intercede on behalf of others. Women who will sit in the presence of the King, seeking His voice and pleasure, will become like the salt that was thrown into the waters of Jericho. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, Elisha was in Jericho where he was staying after Elijah was brought up into Heaven in a chariot. One of the first miracles that he performed was throwing salt from a new bowl into the waters of Jericho which purified them for generations.

For me the bowl represents the vessels that God uses to pray and intercede, and what is inside of them is the power of the Holy Spirit to change things.

This passage in 2 Kings reminds me of the image that is painted in the book of Revelation 5:8 which says, "...the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people."

This is a picture of the power of intercession that I believe is rising in the hearts of women in this hour. God is going to use them to purify the impure waters of towns. Their prayers are going to be so powerful that towns, cities and indeed entire regions will be shifted into purity for generations. God has ordained a season for the Church. This is the hour of the Army of God rising. He is going to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things for His glory because He can.

This is a picture of warfare in the spirit. I declare that women will even have mighty dreams and visions of the conflict that is taking place. They will see by the Holy Spirit the battle and they will be a part of it, inflicting great devastation and harm on the plans of the enemy in this hour. We must always remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers, rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).

Your prayers have the power to shift atmospheres and bring in the glory of God. I declare that the women of God shall be an instrument yielded and wielded in the hands of the King to produce a new sound that will change nations.

Miracles, Healings and Deliverances!

All this shall be bathed in the love of Jesus. The nurturing hearts of women shall perform miracles, healing and deliverances, as they are filled with the love of Christ. They shall prophesy and they shall walk in the gifts of the Spirit. They will become the mothers, daughters and sisters that the earth has been groaning for since the beginning of creation.

A prayer for women today: I pray that God would open you up to new levels of glory. I ask the Lord to move you into a greater understanding of His love and His grace. I pray that the revelation of the King will fill your heart so that your prayers will be powerful and effective, and may the blessing of our God overlap and fill you completely.

Darren Canning
Ministry of Darren Canning
Email: darrencanning78@gmail.com
Website: www.darrencanning.com andwww.facebook.com/darrencanningministries

Darren Canning is a revivalist preacher who travels throughout Canada, the United States, and the world. His heart is for revival and believes that God will touch lives deeply wherever he travels. He teaches on hearing the voice of God and experiencing the supernatural. Darren's life was touched powerfully through an encounter with God and he was transformed from an atheistic lifestyle to a Believer in a moment. He has spent 14 years working for the government of Canada as an analyst specializing in transportation issues related to Aircraft Safety and Security. He is married to Lydia and is the father of seven children. He believes that if others experience the God of the supernatural then they too will be changed forever.

BOOK REVIEW- TAKEN BY THE SHEIKH

An exciting hot romp in the desert. Laurel de Courcey is captured by terrorists, chained up in a disgusting bunker, and videoed for a ransom demand which is shown worldwide. Ooops - wrong hostage! Who'd expect a shy Kiwi nanny to be worth anything? 
Laurel's soon tied up in Sheikh Rafiq's bed instead, because he rescues her and appoints himself her personal bodyguard. Very personal. But she has good reason to distrust men. 
Imprisoned in his old royal hunting lodge deep in the desert 'for her own protection', Laurel rebels.   AMAZON  3.5 STARS

I liked the story, in fact the book blurb caught my attention because of the different sounding plot.  I think it did a pretty good job of keeping my interest because of the difference from the usual ideas.  Both of the main characters were also able to keep my attention and there are also some interesting secondary people in the story.  There is also another unexpected surprise waiting for Laurel, we the readers get to hear about it first as the story runs.  It added another element to the story.  It was a good surprise for a change.  One that Laurel will enjoy.  The story does have some predictable moments but in the long run still managed to be enjoyable.  There is a HEA with no cliffhangers.  A good afternoon story. 

BOOK REVIEW- MASQUERADE BY THE SEA

After personal tragedy, Captain Jolie Gordon takes charge of the Masquerade, a fishing boat turned pleasure-cruiser. Jolie dreams of owning a successful business charter, but she is one pinion away from losing everything she’s invested. She’s got the summer to come up with enough money to buy a new engine and can’t afford any distractions. 
Ex ski instructor Heath Hamilton boards the Masquerade for his brother’s wedding party charter, angry at all he’s lost due to a random accident on the slopes. Excruciating pain keeps Heath from trusting that he will ever be whole again. Left with the pieces of who he used to be, nobody is more surprised than Heath when he accepts Jolie’s offered job as a bartender on the yacht for the summer. 
Opening her heart is a risk, but Jolie recognizes in Heath a kindred spirit, forced to rebuild after circumstances changed the planned course. They spend the steamy South Florida summer daring to love again, fearing that life does not always go according to plan.   AMAZON  3 Stars

I have read several books by this author and liked them.  This one I would have to rate as "okay." I liked it but its not a favorite.   Even with good main characters, beautiful settings and good secondary people, I still have to give it 3 Stars on Amazon.   Maybe because of the slower pacing of the story.  But then, towards the end of the book it does pull out a surprise or two that I didn't see coming.  That I did like and there is a HEA ending. 

Carry the Glory (pic)

LINK

Victoria Boyson: 'Women in Ministry: As it is in Heaven'

Victoria Boyson: 'Women in Ministry: As it is in Heaven'

Intro From Victoria Boyson:

Dear Friends,

Never before has there been such a widespread attack against men! It seems no matter where they turn, they are inundated with demonic messages of perversion. One of the most underrated attacks against our society is the rampant plaque of the porn industry. And the enemy has especially targeted Christian men.

Literally changing who God meant for them to be, men are ensnared and trapped in the bondage to demonic spirits of perversion. Without even realizing it, some of these men are then tormented with lies about women who've become mere objects to them. At younger and younger ages, our young men are pulled into the pit of porn, which is literally teaching the next generation how to view and treat women.

This must stop! We must stop it! It's time to come out of the shadows and clutches of shame and fight for the next generation. If we do not fight against this spirit, we can expect its grip to tighten. Violence against our young women will increase until we stop this spirit. Men will never be able to value women as God intended until they are delivered from perversion's grip.

As a Church, we must fight to deliver our men and boys, and God is raising up an army in this hour to wage war against this demonic plague overwhelming us. We need deliverance! And we need to teach our young men and young women how GOD VALUES WOMEN! (Photo via Pixabay)

Through Scripture and the power of God, we can be delivered from the chains of the enemy. God needs for the Church to come together, work together, and fulfill the great commission! For such a time as this God has called us to fight for freedom, for ourselves and for our sons and daughters.

Pray this with me: In Jesus' name I claim Joel 2:28: "I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." I stand for the next generation and declare: THEY WILL KNOW TRUTH!

Father, release an intense passion to know Your Word amongst this generation. Save them from deception and bring them into Yourself. Let them know You as You are!

We will be a spotless Bride! We will become what our Father has dreamed we would be! In Jesus' name!

Today's email is very special to me and I knew I needed to share it with you. It is taken from my newest book, God's Magnum Opus: The Value of a Woman.

Bless each of you and thank you for being a part of our family,

Victoria Boyson

Note from Steve Shultz: By the way friends...our "What is God Saying for 2016?" Elijah List conference set is one of our TOP SELLERS right now!And YOU CAN ORDER THE CDs, DVDs OR MP3 DOWNLOAD just below!

This truly, truly, truly was the best conference yet and I've NEVER EVER heard so many positive words coming forth from God's prophets. Our speakers were: Chuck Pierce, Jane Hamon, Dutch Sheets, and Dr. Alveda King (niece to Martin Luther King, Jr).

Here is the link to purchase this TOP SELLER in DVD, CD, or MP3 audio formats:

http://www.elijahshopper.com/what-is-god-saying-for-2016-conference/

Enjoy! And thanks for forwarding this to your friends! They cansubscribe just below...

Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News 
http://www.elijahlist.com

P.S. – Oh, and a Quick Note to our readers: To have daily, encouraging prophetic emails from The Elijah List sent to your inbox, just CLICK HERE or go to: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe. PLUS: HEY! Please EXPLORE our more than 4,000 Christian Prophetic books, CDs, and gifts at: elijahshopper.com.

"Women in Ministry: As it is in Heaven"

Victoria Boyson, Montgomery, TX

Women in Ministry: As it is in Heaven

...He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1 NLT

It is unfortunate that some men who I greatly esteem do not have equal respect for me solely because I am a woman. Their regard for me is limited, not by what I do or how I minister, but it would seem I am handicapped in their eyes simply because of my gender.

Jesus came to the earth to break the gender-bias that was held by the Church during His day, yet it seems, though many accepted His ministry, they ignore the example He set for them. Indeed, He realigned women with the Kingdom of Heaven, positioning us to receive the Spirit's outpouring for the last days.(Photo via Pixabay)

Jesus' mind was engulfed by His heavenly perceptions, and He imparted all of His Father's concepts, beliefs, and actions to humanity. He lived His life on earth as an example of the prayer He taught us to pray to our Father. His life's breath was, "May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:10 NLT).

It was Christ's passion to see the model of His Father's Kingdom become the way of life for His followers on the Earth. "As it is in Heaven!" are just five little words that come down like a hammer on our past traditions and mindsets.

My grandma use to make us all pray the Lord's prayer together before family meals – it was very important to her. Yet, I do not think she had any real idea of the tremendous power of this amazing prayer. For simply and truly, Jesus was calling forth all of the riches of Heaven, its wealth of love and acceptance, to come and be made manifest in humanity. His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, so He taught them to pray in accordance with His Father's will to be made manifest in their lives.

In an encounter I had with the Lord, He showed me His home in Heaven. I have only seen Heaven a few times, but in one particular encounter, I was so completely overpowered by the overwhelming feelings of the acceptance I felt in Heaven. I literally did not realize how much oppressive rejection we live with every day here on Earth. My mind and soul felt rejuvenated and restored by the penetrating sense of acceptance – it consumed me. I felt truly welcomed, understood, and celebrated. So, I can say with absolute certainty, something we should already realize, and that is there is no gender bias in Heaven!

As I came out of the encounter, my family could tangibly feel the acceptance of Heaven. As I shared with them all I had seen, the essence of Heaven's reception filled our home.

The love that is expressed in Heaven is truly unconditional and is what our heavenly Father wants for us here in this world – in this life. "As it is in Heaven," that's what God wants for us, and that is how He wants us to live – treating people with the respect and esteem of Heaven. That is why Jesus was so passionate about Heaven's Kingdom possessing Earth's realm.

Truly, as Christ lived, He became a voice for anyone who was thought to be unacceptable or undervalued by Earth's societal scale. Why? Because it was directly opposed to the Father's way in Heaven and it stood in the way of the Kingdom of God coming to Earth!

One of the most prevalent attitudes Jesus fought hard against while on earth was the belief that women were inferior or second class. Jesus knew women and men equal and this belief put Him in direct conflict with the religious leaders of the day. "'Haven't you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator "made them male and female," and said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh"? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate'" (Matthew 19:4-6 NIV). (Photo via Pixabay)

Contrary to what is often taught about the Lord's conduct toward women, He accepted women into His ministry and had many women disciples as well: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Salome, Martha sister of Lazarus, Mariamne sister of Phillip, Arsinoe, Susanna, and Joanna (see Luke 8:1-3).Jesus lived His life as an example of how we were to relate to each other as human beings. He broke taboos, rules, and laws in His conduct toward the women He came in contact with – the Word records the many incidents in His life where He openly empowered women, which was against the oral law and customs of the times.

Jesus allowed women to travel with Him, they were a part of His inner circle, and were His disciples – He related with women as His equals (see Matthew 27:55-56; Luke 8:1-3; Luke 10:38-42; John 2:5; John 4:4-26). Jesus did not teach inequality between the genders, He taught us to honor others as more important than ourselves and, in doing so, we would discover that is what truly makes us great, not our race or gender (see Mark 10:43). Love was much more important to Him than law (see John 13:34).

Jesus came to purify the attitudes of humanity and start a revolution of love.

His goal was and is to cleanse us from any attitude which did not further the advance of the Kingdom of Heaven in our lives. Bias against women comes in squarely against God's love and is in stark contrast to the acceptance of Heaven. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we allow the Lord to purge us of any ideology that limits the manifestation of Heaven in us.

Beliefs that limit women's ability to exemplify spirituality are corrupt social practices that have been accepted and advanced by the Church. This is just the opposite of what Christ worked for.(Photo via Pixabay)

Indeed, Jesus wanted the Church, His Church, to lead the world in displaying the example He set and break down the barriers against women and anyone who suffered under the weight of rejection and abuse. We were given the assignment and responsibility to love with equality all God's children.

Jesus Launched Women into Ministry

In John 4:7-26, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob and asked her for water. As she served Him, He revealed to her Who He was. He met the need of her heart, delivering her of her shame, and set her heart aflame with His love!

Knowing full-well she would share the great news of the Messiah, Jesus did not stop her from sharing it as He had done with others on all other occasions (see Matthew 12:16). In His knowing silence, He started the first woman's ministry and many Samaritans believed because of her testimony of Him.

His disciples were of course shocked, because, again, Jesus broke the rules: He spoke to a woman publicly, taught her theology, and, to make things worse in their eyes, she was a Samaritan.

According to Jewish teachings, He was not supposed to talk to a woman or a Samaritan, and He was definitely not supposed to teach her theology. But Jesus hated all those anti-Heaven rules! So, He not only talked with her, He turned her into an evangelist! He super-charged her with the acceptance from Heaven, then stood back and watched while she brought a harvest of souls to Him.

What is interesting about the Samaritan woman Jesus chose is that she had previously been married five times. Her past was uncovered, yet, she was unashamed in the eyes of the Beloved; she was washed clean from the contempt of society. Through His eyes, she saw herself only as the accepted of Heaven and wanted the world to experience her joy!

I have heard so many Christians chastise divorcees [with the first half of]Malachi 2:16 (NLT), "'For I hate divorce!' says the LORD, the God of Israel!"But, [if you continue reading the verse,] the reason God hates divorce is because it is abhorrent treatment to the woman being divorced. For, "'To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,' says the LORD of Heaven's Armies."

Understand that the women of this era were never allowed to divorce their husbands, for any reason. No, indeed, that was a "privilege" reserved only for the male sex, and use it they did. For any reason, a man could divorce his wife and keep her dowry, children, and any possessions she had, leaving her destitute.

The Samaritan woman came to the well alone that day, and not while the other women of her village were getting water. No, she was arejected woman who was divorced, who had been passed from man to man. She was the utter explanation of Malachi 2:16: she'd been treated cruelly by the men in her life. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

So, the women of her time were basically forced by society and by the law into marrying simply for survival. Then, for whatever reason, the husband could cast her aside and her only hope then was to be picked up by another man. She was cast off and left to the mercy of men who did not value her except as an object of property to be owned and used. Sadly, wives could be treated horrendously by their husbands, beaten, or killed and the law completely supported the man's actions.

The Father in Heaven mourned for the plight of His daughters and asked, "Who will help My daughters? Who will be their voice? Who will offer them another way?"

Jesus.

And so He did.

Jesus was never tempted to live His life according to the world's standards, for His goal was to redeem mankind. He redeemed us through the Cross, but also through the examples He showed us in His own life. He lived His life to reveal the mindset of Heaven to Earth. His hope was that we as His Bride would eventually learn these principles as well and manifest them through the way we treat each other.

We can't pick and choose which principles we'd like to live by. No, if we want to be His disciples and represent His Kingdom, we must abide by the laws of Heaven which are faith, hope, and love: Faith to live a life that would transform the lives of others; Hope in the Cross of Christ that separates light and darkness; and the Love of a very merciful Father who wants to draw us into Himself and make us His own.

Taken from Victoria's popular book, God's Magnum Opus: The Value of a Woman.

Victoria Boyson
Speaking Life Ministries
Email: victoria@boyson.org
Website: www.boyson.org

Victoria Boyson is a powerful and genuine prophetic voice. She is the founder of Victoria Boyson Ministries and Women of Impact Ministries, a ministry dedicated to raising up an army of women who will impact and revolutionize their world. She is a passionate speaker, operating in extraordinary authority to awaken the Church to their victorious reality. Through revelations of the Holy Spirit and the Word, Victoria is breaking down strongholds which have kept the Church from fully realizing the great commission.

Based out of the Houston, Texas area, she is called to awaken and prepare the Bride of Christ for the end-time harvest and compel His Church to embrace a passionate relationship with their heavenly Father. She is the author of The Birth of Your Destiny, His Passionate Pursuit, Awakening: The Deep Sleep, andGod's Magnum Opus: The Value of a Woman.

Little Prince Afghan

Little Prince Afghan

BOOK REVIEW- BLACK HILLS BABY

 
When Hollywood heart-throb Cooper Lindstrom needs money to get his late mother's homicidal bookie off his back, he jumps at the lifeline Black Hills postmaster Libby McGannon tosses his way. In Cooper's mind, their arrangement is simple: his sperm in trade for a share in her family's gold mine. But the real pay off is her story--the one he plans to turn into a hit sitcom that will push him back on top. 
The hit show Coop saw coming. 
Love? Completely blindsided him. 
And the baby? Who could have guessed Cooper wanted to be a father? Too bad Libby--the woman he's fallen hard for--might never forgive him for turning her life into a joke for worldwide consumption. Not to mention the changes he's brought to the small Black Hills community of Sentinel Pass, where happily-ever-after isn't left to chance.    AMAZON 4 star. 

I wasn't sure about this book at first.  In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I thought (at the beginnings of the book), "Oh no,  I shouldn't have got this book.  Its sounding kind of juvenile."  But as I kept checking it out, I found that Coop had hidden pain and hidden depths too.  As that was beginning to shown more and more, I found I liked the book even more. Coop's mother really did a job on him throughout his life and she pretty much controlled more of his life than she should have.  He loved her but he also resented some things about her as well.   Libby was so easy to like, she was the "good girl" taking a huge risk. Its way outside her comfort zone, and she's hoping that her town will support her decisions.  She was always respected and looked up to but her town was part of her extended family and she's looking for them to have her back (like always).  Her book club friends were a delightful touch of reality and humor.  Libby's brother, Mac and her niece, Megan and her grandmother add to the real family part of the story.  And their part of the story is interesting as well.

Coop's one true friend, Shane Reynard was a mysterious person but also the touch of stability in Coop's life.  He was a good reliable friend but his personal life isn't delved into too much in this book.   Just some hints thrown out.  He's a very talented friend and there is a short excerpt of his story added at the end of the book.  It's called," Black Hills Billionaire" and it has a Prologue and Chapter 1 included.  I have to say the story between Jenna Murphy (Libby's friend) and Shane has my curiosity up.  That's because of all the hints sprinkled towards the end of this book.

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

"Finding My Identity!" Richard Crisco

Love Song | Molly Kate Skaggs | One Take

BOOK REVIEW- WHEN DAY BREAKS

Eden is said to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her face has graced countless magazines and her body has sold millions of dollars of clothing. But her fame and beauty has earned her more than she ever imagined. Evil is stalking her, determined to extinguish the ethereal beauty forever.

Swanson or “Swanny” as his teammates call him is always up for the next mission. He came back from Afghanistan wounded and scarred. Hardly the kind of man who even belongs in the same room with Eden. And yet there’s something about the quiet beauty that stirs his blood and makes him dream of the impossible. Because Beauty loving the Beast only happens in fairy tales and KGI doesn’t deal in fairy tales. Ever.       AMAZON

I liked both of the main characters and the storyline was unusual. That's what drew my attention to it. There were good twists and turns, which was good. But some of the repeated themes kind of dragged the story down. Although I understand how hard it must be to face what “Swanny" did with his facial scar, it was repeated over and over as was how perfect Eden was. What helped me like it a bit more was the family on both sides for Swanny and Eden. Eden's father and two brothers and Swanny's Kelly Group International (KGI) family.
I hard a really hard time connecting to Swanson because of that weird nickname, “Swanny”.
I was a bit disappointed by this book but I'm still open to read others by this author.

Thank You // Jonathan David Helser // Have It All Official Lyric Video

What is Empowering Your Choices? By Wm. Paul Young

 
Paul Young, author of the Shack    LINK- brilliant perspectives

For me, last year began and and ended with funerals. Both funerals were for persons precious to me, whose place at the table on the inside will be kept until one day filled again by their presence.

With each year, there are more of these empty places. But there is an inner assurance that after death, my friends were met and embraced by Relentless Affection. It is the same inner rest that allows me to hear “fear not!”  every time I receive an invitation to freak out.

We are surrounded by a world and media propaganda that tell us being afraid is the same thing as taking responsibility. That’s why it’s so tempting to allow fear make our choices.13

What is empowering your choices in 2016 so far?

Is it control? Or is it trust?

Both control and trust are active and real responses to fear. It’s easy for us to say we choose “trust,” but in reality, we end up blending trust and control. I might do this by “trusting” my fist, or my gun, or my color, or my country, or my party, or my border.

But as Jesus says, if wisdom does not find expression in gentleness—a gentleness that can be intensely firm—it is a lie.5

Funerals and memorial services remind us that we don’t have control. Yes, my plans are still great for the remainder of 2016, but I am deeply aware that a single cell in my brain could catapult me into a tomorrow not anticipated and that the only real life I have is the one I am living today.

But, I am encouraged by the general drift of my life, the movement toward integrity and authenticity, where my inner and outer worlds are coherent—a singular expression. I ask for forgiveness quicker, recognize my slides into reactionary habits sooner, and I am able to recognize that I am already more whole this year than I was last year.

I think that ‘finished work’ takes forever, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to celebrate at every point in the process.2

Each year I pick a word or phrase, and then wait to see why.

It is only in retrospect that my life and experiences will give clarity to what those words meant over the course of a year. In 2015, the phrase was ‘Simple Trust’ and I could write a book now about what that word has meant to me.

For 2016, I picked both a word and a phrase. The word was “NO!” and the phrase was “Stand/Resist.” I think I have an inkling to what that word and phrase will mean to me at the end of this year,  but they are still mysterious and unfolding.

If my previous years and the first several months of this year have been any indication, 2016 will turn out to be most about daily life choices with the people right in front of me, saying “no” to any sense of objectifying women,“standing” for what is true and good and beautiful and right, and “resisting” participation in anything that demeans and divides human beings into categories.3

No lies, no secrets, no tearing down.

Sometimes standing in silence is the only way not to participate in human darkness. At other times, it is to state a clear “NO!”

And daily, incrementally, it is to resist.

May our eyes be opened to see with greater clarity to how each human being matters, as does each choice we make. And may we all sense the embrace of Relentless Affection as we journey into the last half of 2016.

These thoughts were shared originally on Paul’s blog here. You can read more of his brilliant musings here.

BOOK REVIEW- ITS NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN AGAIN

  
Never Too Late To Begin Again, she turns her eye to a segment of the population that, ironically, while they have more time to be creative, are often reluctant or intimidated by the creative process. Cameron shows readers that retirement can, in fact, be the most rich, fulfilling, and creative time of their lives. 
When someone retires, the newfound freedom can be quite exciting, but also daunting. The life that someone had has changed, and the life to come is yet to be defined. In this book, Cameron shows readers how cultivating their creative selves can help them navigate this new terrain. She tells the inspiring stories of retirees who discovered new artistic pursuits and passions that more than filled their days—they nurtured their souls.  
A twelve-week course aimed at defining—and creating—the life you want to have as you redefine—and re-create—yourself, this book includes simple tools that will guide and inspire you to make the most of this time in your life: 
-  Memoir writing offers an opportunity to reflect on—and honor—past experience. This book guides you through the daunting task of writing an entire memoir, breaking it down into manageable pieces. 
-  Morning Pages—private, stream-of-consciousness writing done daily—allow you to express wishes, fears, delights, resentments, and joys, which in turn, provide focus and clarity for the day at hand.
-  Artist Dates encourage fun and spontaneity.
-  Solo Walks quell anxiety and clear the mind.
This fun, gentle, step-by-step process will help you explore your creative dreams, wishes, and desires—and help you quickly find that it’s never too late to begin again.   AMAZON  4 STARS

A refreshing read.  I like that the author doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the resistance that we can expect to encounter.  With our own selves often making up excuses and reasons why this just won't work.  I particularly like is the definition of "The Censor" a critic that doesn't have anything good to say about what we want or plan to do.  Also a favorite in the information was the theme of recovering the wonder in life.  recapturing your childlike wonder and joy in simple things.  Not always having to be an expert on something.  It was great to see something about how to make retirement a new adventure instead of stagnating because of age.  Because like the author said, now you have time that you didn't have before, so that makes all the doorways of possibilities are open to you now.   I liked how taking baby steps along the way, help you in the process of trying new things.  We need to stop worrying about wasting time, its one of the things that will get in the way of finding our new directions in life.  If we think we are wasting time on something, then it has no value to us and therefore, not worth anything.  It becomes another excuse. The exercises that the author walks you through helps you to think outside of your "normal" boxes.  She helps you to find where to direct your creative juices when you identify them.  Bring the fun back into your life, it's not illegal.   You don't have to earn it, find ways to laugh too.  That's just a few of the simple steps but not it's not everything.
The reader has to remember that this a workbook as well and that it will take you through at least a twelve-week course, so it also is something to keep in your books,  I can see where it could/would be used more than once.  It had some really good interactive exercises.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

U are Marked for Victory, says Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is saying, "I have marked you for victory. I have marked you for destiny. I have marked you for love. See yourself the way that I see you. Embrace the reality that you are more than a conqueror in Christ. Relish in the understanding that greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world. Choose by your will to believe what the Word says about you over what the enemy, people, or your own thoughts insist. You are a new creation. Walk worthy of your calling."   LINK

Be the Pastors in your home (pic)

     
LINK

BOOK REVIEW- MUG SHOT

Former musician Juliet Langley has barely had a day off since taking over management of the coffeehouse owned by her best friend, Pete Bennett. But there’s always more to be done—such as prepping for the annual Holiday 5K Race organized by Pete’s snobby socialite girlfriend, Cecilia Hollingsworth. This year, Java Jive has a booth right at the finish line, and since Juliet and Cecilia don’t always see eye to eye, everything has to be perfect. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing . . . like Juliet stumbling over Cecilia’s dead body on the morning of the race. 
When Pete is arrested for Cecilia’s murder, Juliet sets out to clear his name. She’ll do whatever it takes—even if it means standing up to the police, her ex-boyfriend, and the grande dames of Nashville. But there isn’t enough espresso in the world for the greatest challenge in her path: infiltrating Nashville’s high society to uncover the hidden hotbed of scandal without running afoul of the law herself. With her last dime staked on Pete’s bail bond and her staff growing jittery, the last thing Juliet needs is for her trademark temper to land her behind bars. As time drips away, Juliet needs to crack this case before the killer comes back for another shot.     AMAZON 4 Stars

This is the second book that I have read by this author, with these characters.  I liked the first one and it was kind of fun to re-visit Juliet, Pete and Ryder and Gertie.  Ryder is the cop who Juliet has had an on and off relationship with.  She dumped him in the first book, but they still have a sizzle between each other, that doesn't mean that things are all okay between them though.  Gertie is still the tough, likable, often times too honest talking, grandmother of Pete's.   I liked Juliet and she still remains a trouble magnet, partly because she will do anything for a friend.  And when her friend Pete gets arrested, she goes nuclear to get to the truth.  Practically nothing is too much for her to snoop  through.  There are PLENTY of twists and turns and potential  evil doers.  I will say that I had a passing suspicion about one of the people but I thought, "Nah, couldn't be."  Imagine my surprise when at the end, the murderer is revealed, it was that person!! It was a great major twist, with an understandable reason for this person being the murderer.




I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in echange for an honest review.

Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind ~Bill Johnson ~ E-Course Sessio...

If only reading burned calories (pic)

God Doesn’t Do Magic. By Graham Cooke

 
LINK

When it comes to personal transformation and the prophetic, it’s easy to love God’s promises, but not the process attached.

It is not hard to envision the future, nor to get inspired about the purposes of God. But generally, people wish to obtain an impartation of transformation without the journey of change.

But that is not ministry; that is magic. And God does not do magic.

When God breaks through in power, we must then follow through in process.10

The church is full of people who have been touched but not changed. That’s because the key component to being turned into a new man or woman always lies in the mind. Transformation can only happen through the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2).

We must be delivered from the very part of us that made ministry inevitable. If we have to be set free, it follows that our minds must have been in bondage. The natural way of thinking is foolishness to the uninitiated (1 Corinthians 2:6–16) because they cannot be understood in logical terms.

God speaks to provoke faith and we always respond in faith, trust, desire, or need. But we must also follow up our response by changing the very mindset that created the deficit in the first place.

If we have not changed, we have not learned.

If our thinking has not been seriously adjusted, then our response will diminish over time. If that happens too many times, we become negatively intended, world weary, pessimistic, and even cynical.

We want new, but we cling to the old way of doing things. However, when God breathes on a structure it inevitably comes apart.3 An old structure cannot bear the weight of the fresh movement of God. We must begin again. A fresh impetus of the Spirit requires a new wineskin to accommodate and mature what God is doing.

We think that our first response to God is our only obligation.

But going to the altar is not our response to God, it is our acknowledgement that we are in need and things must change.3 Our true response comes after our initial agreement with God about our condition.

We need to follow up, and open our life to an ongoing transformation. After all, the renewal of our thinking is the key to change. We have all squandered too much of God’s blessing without being changed for the better.

Some things must change, or the new will dissipate.

It is simply not possible to grow in the new if we remain in partnership with the old.15

If interested in breaking this partnership, try asking yourself: What new experiences are you having at this time? What fresh encounters are you receiving? How do you plan to keep them? And what fresh movement of God are you praying for? How will you prepare the way of the Lord? What is the next phase of thinking that you must accommodate?

Then, simply write down the areas in your mind where renewal is required.