Fruit that Lasts...

There has been a verse and a song that God has had on my heart and mind all week. With the shift in the natural seasons fast coming, my heart is anticipating the shift in the heavenly seasons as well. Sometimes the planting season seems redundant, it's dark, cold, and wet. It's a waiting game for sure.....and maybe some times what you view as the planting season is really the fruit season. You keep looking to the seeds being planted, without taking a minute to realize what you have grown into. Fruit that will last goes beyond season changes because it keeps the cycle going. It knows there is a time when the fruit is evident and a season when the fruit is planting seeds that will bear more fruit.

It's the season when we realize that losing ourselves (I'm not talking being a doormat), but in that place where you are going purposeful about life that you lose yourself in what He created you to be. Hear my heart and caution for a minute.......when you find that place where purpose meets passion and you are walking it out....be aware and on alert because you are a threat to the enemy at that point and he will soon be after you. I could preach a sermon at this point, but it's not the time for that. When you are tired, worn out, discouraged, and defeated......your eyes start to droop downward and all you can see is how things are going, but looking up shows you how things will become. You see the promise of He works all things for our good to those called according to His purpose, is still true. It doesn't mean it won't be a mess at times, but like the three Hebrew boys thrown in the fire....you will come out not smelling like smoke.  Battles are fought with eyes looking forward not looking around to what everyone else is doing or saying. How you fight is what you are accountable for, how someone else fights theirs is not.

Stir up what's on the inside of you....there is a season change coming!
Here is the song I've had on repeat this week.....I'm still not the best at remembering in the moment "the same God who'se never late is working all things out..." but I'm growing and praying that somewhere in this messy process this year, He's shining through despite my insecurities and doubts.

The enemy said devour, but God shouted empower

I've been on a writing hiatus I guess you could say for the last few months. I was honestly thinking this ship had sailed and the writing flow had dried up. Have you ever just gotten real with God and said what's going on? That just happened.....the last few weeks have exhausted me physically, mentally, etc. (Ask any teacher how the beginning of the year is, now ask a teacher who's had to change grade levels, subjects, etc. and the exhaustion is at another level. ) It's been 21 days of prayer at church and through all of this time...I've felt God stoking the timbers and stirring something up. I just had no idea what that something was (and no energy to lean into finding out what it was).

"I heard the whisper devour time and I knew what was going on." The enemy wanted to devour and wear down, but you see he could only work from the outside in. So he set about to make circumstances that would devour time, energy, and creativity. The sly one set about to push buttons, exhaust, and do all that he could to wear down this Jesus girl. When it looked like he was winning, when silence was starting to be the norm, there was praise stirring inside that would one day turn to a shout.  You, see he formed the weapons, but prosper they would not.....because when he said devour, God, stepped in front and shouted empower. The Jesus Girl felt the pressure, she could feel the heat from the fire, but deep down she knew what came from the seasons where quitting was a theme. There is a promise from the pressure, a presence in the fire, and a praise coming from the season that will empower.  There is purpose on the inside of you...protected by God's power.


There are some seasons where we may not always know what God is doing, but we can trust that messes become messages when we let Him. Devour may be what you feel on the outside, but remember God has a shout of empower rising on the inside of you.....Trust Him.

My song this week has been "It may look like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by YOU". I've felt a shift take place over the last few months and honestly I'm not sure how the pieces fall into place just yet, but I know how they don't. The enemy seeks to wear down the saints (Daniel 7:25), when that season comes...do what you must to keep the fires stirring on the inside. There may be times when you have to encourage yourself when you have to lean into what He's telling you to do (even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else). Have a meal, enjoy the nap (aka take care of you), and then get up from under the tree and get back to your purpose. It may not look like it did when you went to sleep under the tree, but my guess it's been what He's planned all along.  (See the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19).

More to come later........