Let it go

This is an excerpt from a chapter in my book, "Daddy Issues," which will be available this fall.

There is a reason why the song, “Let it Go” from Frozen was so popular. There is so much truth to it. The world wants us to hold onto the pain of the past. “Don’t let them in.” “Don’t let them see.” “Be the good girl (boy, man, or woman) you always have to be.” “Conceal, don’t feel.” “Don’t let them know” are all lies the enemy hopes we’ll all fall for. No one was made to take that much pressure. The truth is freeing. Being genuine, real, and authentic are the keys to your freedom.

“A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m the Queen” (or King) is exactly what the enemy wants you to feel like. He wants you to think you are all alone in your battle. He wants you to think that bad things only happen to you and he wants you to go off by yourself where you are easier to attack. The top predators on the savannah of Africa know that in order to go in for the kill, they have to drive their prey away from the safety and the protection of the herd. The enemy works the same way with us. 

Now think about your situation and circumstances. Get ready to release all of that junk from your past. All the hurt, all the pain, every last bit of it is getting ready to vacate your heart and mind. It’s not going to hold you back or control your future any longer. Are you ready to sing it? Go ahead and belt it out!

“Let it go, let it go”
“Can't hold it back anymore”

“Let it go, let it go”
“Turn away and slam the door (on your past)”
“I don't care”
“what they're going to say”
“Let the storm rage on.”
“The cold (that situation) never bothered me anyway”

Ahhhh! A breath of fresh air just entered your lungs and you feel lighter already. You’re not done yet. There’s more to sing. It’s time to go full throttle for your healing, restoration, and breakthrough. Are you ready? Here comes the second verse. One, two, three, go!

“It's funny how some distance”
“Makes everything seem small”
“And the fears that once controlled me”
“Can't get to me at all”

“It's time to see what I can do”
“To test the limits and breakthrough” (The enemy puts limits on us, but we can breakthrough them)

I’m sorry to break into your song, but I must tell you that there is right and wrong and rules we must all follow. This is what keeps chaos and confusion at bay. The good news is right and wrong and rules are for our good and protection. If you had a young child and you let him do anything he wanted, he could get hurt. If you let him play in the street, he could get hit by a car. So, making a rule that he cannot play in the street protects him and keeps him safe. It’s wrong to kill someone. If this was a right, then murder could be justified and none of us want that. Right and wrong and rules are a good thing.

Now the next part is amazingly great news! The Bible says this in John 8:36 NKJV, “³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Jesus is the Son of God who came to set us free from all of the bondages and tricks of the enemy. So, now you can resume the song with a hearty declaration.

“I'm free!”

“Let it go, let it go”

As much as I love Frozen, we are not fairytale prince and princesses with magical powers, so we are not “one with the wind and sky.” Don’t be bummed out by that. I have more good news for you. You can be one with your Creator God. In fact, that is what He wants. He loves you that much and He wants a relationship with you like a husband and wife have. The Bible says a husband and wife become one flesh. Now, God is not flesh. He’s spirit. So, His desire is that you would be one with Him in spirit. Okay, keep on singing…

“Let it go, let it go”
“You'll never see me cry” (Tell the enemy he can’t get to you)
“Here I stand” (Draw the line in the sand today)
“And here I'll stay” (Be bold and courageous. Do not fear)
“Let the storm rage on”

“I'm never going back, the past is in the past” (This is the key to it all my friends)

“Let it go, let it go”
“And I'll rise like the break of dawn” (Beauty for ashes, He makes all things new)
“Let it go, let it go”
“That perfect girl (or guy) is gone” (Simply because no one is perfect, so stop pretending)
“Here I stand” (Declare this is your moment of breakthrough from the past)
“In the light of day”(Truth always brings what’s hidden in the dark to the light)
“Let the storm rage on”

“The cold (that situation) never bothered me anyway!”

“Let it Go” was composed by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez for the 2013 Disney movie Frozen.

Running ahead of Jesus

Have you ever been so excited for the next season or a promise that God gave you that you actually ran ahead of God? God speaks to us in a whisper, so if you get ahead of Him, you can not hear Him. If you ever find yourself in this place, here's what you need to do...

1. STOP right where you are and don't move in any direction, until you have assessed the situation and have a clear vision on where to go next.
2. EVALUATE. Ask yourself why you got ahead of God. Be honest with yourself. Were you impatient or were you pushing for your way and not God's way?
3. REPENT. This is not a bad word. It actually means to do an about face and walk the other direction of where you were walking. Tell the Lord you are sorry for running ahead of Him and ask Him to forgive you, then turn around and start walking back to His side.
4. CHOOSE WISELY. If you want your way, make no mistake about it - you will get your way, which in the end you will see is not what you wanted or at least not the way you wanted it. God's ways are always better.
5. PRAISE! Don't whine, gripe, or complain about the situation you are supposed to be trusting God for. Praise Him instead. Praise gets God's attention and expedites the process, because you are seeking Him and not things.
6. BELIEVE! Don't doubt what He told you about that situation. Put your emotions in check, so they don't get the better of you as you wait on God. Ask the Holy Spirit for help with this daily.

Now, some words of wisdom...

• God knows your heart's desires and He is always working ALL things for your good. Be patient. You don't want to rush His timing or force His hand. It has to be His way and in His timing. It's like baking a cake. If you get impatient and try to eat it before it is fully baked, you will not enjoy the undercooked part of it, and it may even make you sick.

• If it's a person you are praying for, God loves that person more than you do. He is crazy about that person, so you can rest in the knowing that God is working ALL things for that person's good, as well as yours.

• God can NOT work out your situation when you try to work on it yourself. You have to keep your hands off the matter and let Him be who He is. We forget that He is the indisputable, unmatchable, all powerful, Creator God. He created the whole world in 6 days, so what is your situation to Him? Remember, NOTHING is too hard or too difficult for God. With Him, ALL things are possible.

• Don't run ahead of God mentally, emotionally, or otherwise. This is where the enemy comes in to steal your peace, rob your joy, and kill your dream. This is where the old you rears his/her ugly head. Doubt and disappointment will become your new companions in this place, and you don't want them to be on this journey with you.

• Remember, God needs to be your #1, your first, and your sole focus. His promise to us in His word is that if we put Him first, seek Him first, above all things, then He will provide for and add blessings on you for what you are seeking. See Matthew 6:33.

• You must stay close to the Lord, for you do not know the way the Lord is going, or how He is going to work out your situation. In Joshua 3:1-5, we see the Children of Israel, about to cross the River Jordan into the Promised Land the Lord was giving to them. The instructions Joshua gives to the people are highly symbolic of our modern-day situations and issues.

1 Joshua got up early the next morning. He and all the Israelites left Shittim. They came to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 

² Three days later the officers went through the camp. ³ They told the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the promise of the Lord your God and the Levitical priests who carry it, break camp and follow them. ⁴ However, stay about half a mile behind them. Don’t come any closer to them so that you will know which way to go because you have not gone this way before.” 

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy because tomorrow the Lord will do miracles among you.”

The Ark of the Covenant is a typology for the Presence of God, which we now have in Jesus, through the power of The Holy Spirit. He is The One we follow today. Notice, the instructions were to stay a certain distance behind the ark, not in front of it, nor beside it. Jesus however, has a relationship with us, so we can in fact walk along with Him, beside Him. Sometimes, you may want to walk behind Him, especially if you are a little afraid to walk in the situation. You can hide in and behind Him. He is your protection and He does understand those times when you need to do this. However, He desires a relationship with you, so He wants you by His side, as you walk through the situation together.

So Dear Ones, NEVER walk, or run ahead of Him... Not even 1 step ahead of Him. Always walk beside or behind Him.

Women of Influence ~ Daughters of the King: JOIN THE MINISTRY-MOVEMENT!

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Welcome to Women of Influence ~ Daughters of the King!

 

This is the beginning of a ministry-movement! It is open to all women of faith in God as their Daddy. This makes you His Daughter, which is what makes you a Woman of Influence. This page is just the beginning and a place to offer encouragement and build sisterhood.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/268597216654136/

This ministry-movement is both local and global. It includes like women of faith in your circle of life and local church. However, it goes far beyond that. It is not just a ministry or a movement of any one church, but a ministry-movement across the face of the earth!

The name and logo have been officially trademarked by me for the expressed purpose of bringing unity of God's Daughters across the earth, equipping, encouraging, and empowering Women of Influence.

Ask yourself this question: When we awaken to our soul purpose, what can we accomplish for our King? As united sisters across the earth, what can we not do? All things are possible!
A website is coming soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, join the ministry-movement and invite other women of faith to join.

Many of our sisters need encouragement and to be empowered to know who they are in Christ, and what they can do for Him and His Kingdom!

It's time to rise up in faith sisters! You are needed! Each of you has a God given purpose to fulfill on this earth. Only you can fill your role! People are waiting for you. Nations are calling you! Will you answer the call?

God bless you all!
Wendy

Passover and The Open Doors

Passover has arrived and with it many amazing opportunities. It is the year 5774 on the Hebrew calendar. It is known as the year of the open doors. How appropriate is that, since Passover was the time when the children of Israel applied the blood of the Passover Lamb to the door of their homes, so that the death angel would pass over them.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb and in this year of the open doors, we know He is more than able to protect us from all evil, provide a way of escape for us from our enemies, and provide for our future. Do you trust Him with this completely?

Not only is tonight Passover, but it is also a rare occurrence of a blood moon. Now, this is nothing to be afraid of, but we should take notice of the seasons and the times we are living in. There is something uniquely significant to this time. Let's view it as a time to seek the Lord and all that He has planned for us in this season as He leads us through the open doors that He has placed before us.

This is a time of expectancy! This is a time of no more delay! Just read Ezekiel 12:21-28 (NIV).

There Will Be No Delay

²¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ²² “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’? ²³ Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. ²⁴ For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. ²⁵ But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

²⁶ The word of the Lord came to me: ²⁷ “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’

²⁸ “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Whose Plan Are You Following?

Abraham had his plans, but God had another plan.

Instead of waiting patiently for the promises of God, Abraham followed the advice of his wife to take her servant girl. Abraham and Sarah thought they were helping God fulfill His plan, in doing so. However, what resulted was the birth of Ishmael and their house was never the same, nor our world for that matter. Jealousy, envy, bitterness, anger, and many more emotions resulted from man doing it his way. Strife and animosity, regret and shame were also present because of this choice to not wait on God and His perfect timing and plan. A rivalry between two people groups still exists to this day. This still results in wars in the middle east, all these years later. WOW!!! Did that just preach to you, as it did to me? What are the long-term effects and fall-out of your plans and choices going to have on this world, your family, your friends, even your enemies? This is serious!

Jonah had his plans, but God had another plan.

Jonah, who was an Old Testament prophet of God was told by God to go to Ninevah and preach a message of God's Judgment. However, he chose not to go to the city, because of his fear of the people and what they would do to him when he delivered this message of doom and gloom. If you studied history, you know just how ruthless the Assyrians were with their enemies, so it's easy to take Jonah's side. However, we must always be obedient to God, no matter what it looks like or what we think about the situation. What we know, that Jonah had no way of knowing, until he actually walked it out was that the people of Ninevah repented and God spared them, pouring out His mercy and grace on them. So, there never really was any true danger to Jonah, but he did not know that. For his disobedience, God sent a storm and a giant fish to redirect his path. In the end, Jonah repented of his plans and followed God's plan, thus bringing grace and truth to an entire city. Again, we see a message of the far reaching effects of our choices and obedience to God and His plans.

Saul, who would become the Apostle Paul had his plans, but God had another plan.

A Pharisee who saw it as his ordained purpose to kill Christians... Now, who could be more determined than that? If anyone was committed, it was Saul. He thought he was doing God's work by bringing judgment and death, but he was way off. In fact, he was deceived! This is why Jesus literally stopped him in his tracks. He was questioned about what he was doing and why by the Creator of Life. He was blinded for 3 days. If ever there was a story of brokenness, Paul's is it! His circumstances were beyond his own control. God had allowed a crisis to arise in his life to stop him from carrying out his plans. Jesus Himself called Saul on the carpet for questioning. This man of power and authority was arrested in his tracks. Then, he had to be led by others to a house where he began to question his life and his plans. After 3 days of fasting, he finally saw the light and repented. He was saved, baptized, and born a new man - the Apostle Paul. He wrote 2/3 of the New Testament and evangelized the world for Jesus... Long-term and far reaching effects for sure!

What about you? Are you making your own plans, or are you going by God's plan?

If you find yourself relating to one of the three stories above, then you have found yourself in good company. You see, the Bible says many are the plans in a man's (and woman's) heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. God's ways are not our ways. He sees and knows all. He has a better vantage point than we do. Purpose is higher than a plan. Purpose does not change, but plans change all the time! So, I ask you to search your heart. Are you following your own plans, or God's purpose for your life? There's a big difference. Your way will not produce even 1 thing you want; or think you want. God's way always produces all that we need. He even fulfills our heart's desire. God knows you better than you know yourself, so trust Him to have His way in your life. You won't be disappointed!

 

Turn it Around

It's time to Turn It Around!
It's a New Year!
I am listening to Israel Houghton and New Breed - "It's Not Over," right now.

Listen, it's not over! It's not finished!
It's not ending! It's only the beginning.
When God is in it, He makes all things NEW!

It's darkest before it's dawn. This might be the hardest season you've experienced.
It hurts, but you're closer than you think you are and closer than you've been before.
Hold on and hold fast!

Seasons are changing!
Just look at our weather lately.
Take that as a sign that God is changing, shaking, and shifting things for you now!

STAND your ground! Be BOLD and COURAGEOUS! Do NOT Fear!
God is Faithful! Look to the sky. Help is on the way!
No matter what it feels like, no matter what it looks like.

You walk by Faith/NOT by what you see! Do you hear me? God is right there with you.
Don't you DARE utter a WORD of doubt!
You SPEAK LIFE and ONLY words of LIFE!!!

And if you think you're gonna speak negative, put your hand over your mouth!
Don't you speak against your breakthrough! Don't you tear down your blessing!
Just remember, only you can stop the flow of God's breakthrough...
... by the POWER of your WORDS!

You can't be a rollercoaster.
Ask God to stabilize you while you wait.
See, when you agree today and doubt tomorrow...
... God has to stop and hold up what He's doing for YOU.
He says, oh, OK, you want to do it, all right, I'll step back and let you do it.

Set your mind now. No more up, down, up, down.
STOP IT!
Come on now.
LOCK IT IN!!!
Have a stable attitude, no matter what it looks like or sounds like.

When you agree with God, NOTHING is impossible!
Patience is your ATTITUDE, while you wait.
Don't grumble and complain, gripe or whine!

This is why the children of Israel stayed in the wilderness 40 years!
Do you wanna go around the same mountain 40 years?
No, you don't! Don't be like that! Learn from them.

Now is the time to praise and proclaim the goodness of God!
Right Now, when you can't see it, this is your time to step out in faith and dare to believe!
Lift up your voice of praise. Give God your best and highest praise!
Shout now, because you've got the victory! Worship God with all you've got!
Your breakthrough depends on your attitude, while you wait.

When God is in it, there is no limit!
Your God will FIGHT for you!
Only believe! Do NOT Doubt! Do NOT give up!

Stand up right now, by faith, and turn around.
Now say this: God is turning my situation around!
God is for YOU; so who, my friend, can be against you?

Nothing is impossible with God!
He holds your whole world in His hands.
You are not going backward. You are moving FORWARD!

Get up! Don't you lay down and die. Don't stay in that bed, crying!
If you are a born again Christ follower, the devil has NO authority over you!
You call the shots. You don't give him and inch and watch him take a mile. NO! Stop that!

You take back the inch and then grab back the mile too!!!
Go into his camp and TAKE BACK what's yours!
It's time! Come on! Get up. Get up. Get up!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
It's time for you to get mad at the enemy! RIGHTEOUSLY INDIGNANT!!!
It's NOT OK that you are sick!
That doctor's report is NOT an OPTION for you!
It's NOT OK that your spouse left you or cheated on you!
It's NOT OK that your loved ones are not saved!
It's NOT OK you're finances are in shambles!
It's NOT OK you think death is your only option!
It's NOT OK you think your answer is in that bottle!
It's NOT OK the enemy stole God's blessings from you!
It's time for the enemy to pay. It's time for you to RECOVER ALL!!!

You are not a slave. We have left Egypt!
Your chains are gone and the prison doors are unlocked and open!
Jesus has died to FREE you and REDEEM you!
We have crossed the Jordan! We're not wandering in the desert anymore! No!
It's time to FIGHT, go into the enemy's camp and get your stuff!

http://youtu.be/P40ApH4gUdQ

GOD Can Do Anything!

God is able to do anything, everything, and all that you need Him to do! Judge Him faithful and true! He is the Captain of the Armies of Heaven. He is the Fairest of 10,000! He is the Alpha and Omega (Beginning and the End). He is the Lily of the Valley. He is your Peace. He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is Father to the fatherless. He is our Comforter. He is our Advocate and Attorney. He is the Lover of our Soul! He is your Provider. He is your Healer. He is everything you need, could ever want, and more!

• This year He has set before you an open door that no man can shut! Rev. 3:8

• He has declared that NOW is the time of His favor for you! 2 Cor. 6:2

• He has told us that as long as we have a relationship with Him, all we have to do is ask, believe Him for what we ask Him for, and receive what we are asking for. John 15:17 and 20:22

Start praising Him for what He has done and is doing for you. He will make a way where there is no way. He will do what He has promised you. He is not a man that He should lie. You can trust Him with your whole heart! Do not fear! Do not give up or give in. Praise Him for your breakthrough.

This is your year Dear Ones! Only Believe. Let what's dead come to life!