Perfection

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

The Definition of Perfect: "Lacking nothing to the whole."

How many of us really understand the depths of these words penned by King David? How many of us can truly stand in the mirror and simply praise God that we are made by His perfect hand? I did not say that we are perfect, but what He did was perfect, and still is perfect.

Alot of us shy away from that word "perfect." I often do that, especially when it comes to looking in the mirror. Whoa. "Lord, this is too big. This is too small (not often does that come out of my mouth.) This is too low and this is too high." Then, as usual, the accuser of the brethren is there to agree with me and assist in my self-condemnation.

But the Lord uses that word perfect quite a few times in the Bible. "Every good and perfect gift is from above.."(James 1:17), "He is the Rock, His works are perfect.." (Deut. 32:4) " "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.." (Psalm 19:7) "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on thee" (Isaiah 26:3) "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.." (1Samuel 22:33) And then one of my favorite verses in the Bible: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9)

Look at that definition of "perfect." We lack nothing to the whole. If HE is in US and we are IN HIM, we are made perfect. Those things that may seem imperfect to us are perfected through Him and in Him...and essentially for Him. Let me encourage our hearts today..if there is any area that we feel "less than perfect in" , especially our self-image, then let's take self out of the picture. Self wants to much attention! Let's focus on the one that has perfected everything concerning us..(Psalm 138:8).

Is it a wedding coming up that you need help with? Or a diet you have failed over and over with? An emotional issue deep in your heart, weighing you down? A marriage crisis? Children gone astray? Ministry too overwhelming? Feeling less than competent? Pressures of everyday life got you filled with tension? Let's take all that and give it over to Jesus today. Take a moment, pause, breathe deep, and picture yourself with whatever ails your heart. Then see yourself physically hand this over to our Lord.

"Lord, this is too heavy for me. I have failed over and over again. I cannot seem to get the victory in this area. And Lord, I do not know how to get past this mountain in my life. I ask you, in your perfect way, to take this burden from my heart. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I do not want another second, minute, or hour of my day being robbed from me anymore. Lord, I look to you."

XtremeFaith

Proverbs 6:16

"There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man that stirs up dissension amongst the brethren." (emphasis mine)

When I see a scripture that talks about God hating something, my ears perk right up. I want to hate what God hates, and love what God loves. In this verse of scripture, the Lord hates the first 6 things listed, but the seventh thing is detestable to him.

Hate is defined as: to feel hostility towards, to dislike intensely, or to feel extreme aversion about something. Detestable comes from the root word, detest, which comes from the word "detestari" (latin), meaning to "call down a curse upon" or to "bear witness against." Anything God calls down a curse upon is a very serious matter.

I know in the Body of Christ, while we are all serving the Lord, times can get really tough for alot of us. We all go through trials and tribulations. But there is nothing more hurtful, in my opinion, than when the 'one that takes sweet counsel with me in the temple of God lifts up their heel against me.' These were David's words in the Psalms. As a matter of a fact, David said if it were his enemy, it would be ok..but not one that stands in God's place of worship.

None of us are perfect..and all of us have made one grudging comment or another about someone or something in the Body of Christ. "Her perfume is too loud..his pants are too short..the service is too long..the choir is too loud..her skirt is too colorful.." This is not the stuff God detests. No, it is merely flesh having a flesh fit. We ALL have been guilty of this.

There are times I have had to "vent" my feelings about a brother or sister to a SAFE sister in the Lord (or brother) that I KNOW will ultimately lead me to see that I am having a flesh fit, and most of the time, that conversation ends with my repenting and then praying for the person that I seem to have a problem with. God honors that. It is part of the ministry of reconciliation.

What God HATES is when others say destructive things about another, whether truth or fiction, with the intent to reduce that person to a value less than trash. We have to guard our ears and our tongues from hearing evil, destructive words about a person Christ died for. Again, I am not talking flesh..I am talking about an evil intent. You will know the difference between a person venting and a person destroying. Trust me, the Holy Spirit is very faithful with this.

So what's my point? Let's not get so carried away in our flesh about another brother or sister. If something is bothering us so deeply, let us go to that person and discuss it. More often than not, I have found that it was not them that had the issue, it was me. And if that brother or sister is not approachable, then confide your heart in someone safe and balanced that will lead you to pray for the other person. Don't call someone that you know will tear another person up..no!

We are the Body of Christ. Simply put, we are nothing without one another. And those that are in the Body to sow dissension, the Lord will do the work of removing that person. But we have to remember that our Lord is gracious, abounding in love, slow to anger, not willing that none would perish, but that all would be saved. Let that be our character. And let God do the separating of the wheat from the tare.

We go after principalities...not personalities.

XtremeFaith

The Whispering God

"And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a sound of a gentle whisper" 1 Kings 19:12


In a world where noise is so prevalent and seems to be the main "mode" of communication, I am pleased to know our God whispers. Isn't that neat? The God that created the roaring of the oceans, the clashing of thunder in the skies, and animals whose noises will send us running for our lives (like lions)..chose to whisper to the Prophet Elijah when he hid.



God could've yelled at Elijah..whoa..imagine God yelling? I can't imagine that only because of His great power. What would a yell sound like??!!! After all, we all know the infamous story. Elijah called down fire from Heaven, and it came. Then due to a threat from Jezebel, Elijah ran for his life. And God found him. In tenderness. In love. In peace. In restoration. Ahhhh the love of God..far too great for my words to elicit.

Growing up, there was rarely a whisper in my house. Everything was said authoritatively or yelled. When I say everything, I don't mean that there were not good times. There were plenty of those. But when we did wrong, or upset someone, yelling was the main reaction.

Not too long ago I had a very disturbing dream in which my mother was screaming at me for not doing something right. It woke me right up and reminded me of the unsettled feeling I would get. Her reactions to my mistakes certainly did not make me want to draw near to her. I wanted to run!

I had to retrain my Christian mind when I got saved. I carried this "hit you over the head when you do wrong" mentality right into my walk with God. I tried to do everything right, only to do wrong. Finally, after years of exhausting myself, I just didn't care anymore. The "work" of being right was too heavy for me. I could not read, pray, fast, worship enough in my way of doing things.

Once I gave up the performance, I saw His love wash over me like never before in my life. God revealed His character to me so deep and that character is LOVE. Don't get me wrong, love also disciplines. And I have had my share of that from the Lord...but I understand that it was due to His love not anger that he did that.

I encourage all of us today to allow the Lord to whisper his love to us, even now. Take a moment. Seek Him. Let the gentle, tender, kind, compassionate love of the Lord find you. Even in the midst of the chaos of life. I pray the peace that surpasses all understanding would fall on us today. Let the singing God, mentioned in Zephaniah, quiet all of our souls. Then take that whisper of love..and pass it on.



XtremeFaith

The King of Glory

"Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty; The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; Lift them up, You ancient doors; That the King of Glory may come in. Who is He? This King of Glory? The LORD Almighty--He is the King of Glory. Selah." Psalm 24:7

My goodness. That Psalm BLOWS me AWAY. I mean doesn't it do that to you?? King David had such a way with words. I love how he CAPITALIZED the LORD'S name in those verses. He did that to put emphasis on the answer to the question he had just asked. It is the LORD that is the King of Glory. David wanted us to reflect on this sooo much that he put "Selah" at the end of that verse. That means to pause and reflect on what was just said.

I need to know that the King of Glory is the LORD mighty in battle every moment of every second of every day of my life. I have so many battles, seen and unseen, that it is a great comfort to know who really fights them for me. Yeah, I think we tend to gravitate towards thinking we are such warriors. You kiddin' me? Only through Christ. The last time a demon came around me, if I could've fit under my bed, I would've hid there. But that was not 'bouts ta happen! LOL.

The LORD came upon me and was like, "Excuse me? You are PERFECTED in my love..so that fear is CAST away." WOW. In a flat second, I began to speak in the Holy Ghost and call that evil presence dismissed in the NAME above EVERY NAME..the KING of GLORY, who is the LORD. Those are those battles that are WAY too big for me. Demonic powers are not to be reckoned with, unless one is clothed with the LORD. I am so grateful it is HIS power we call upon, because in and of ourselves we have zero power. Remember those jokers that tried to cast out demons in the bible..using Jesus' name??? They got beat so bad that they were butt-naked by the time the spirits were done with them. But it's what the evil spoke to them, "Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but WHO ARE YOU?????"

OH JESUS! THANK YOU THAT WE KNOW YOU! THANK YOU THAT NO EVIL POWER CAN WITHSTAND THE KING OF GLORY! THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE MIGHTY IN BATTLE!

Sisters, I got a whole bunch going on right now. I am sure you do, too. Physical, emotional, spiritual, kids, house, husband, the dog, the cat, the mouse, the fish...and the Maker's Diet. Yeah, it's all going on. But on days like today, where I wish I could sail away on a clear blue ocean to nowhere, I am rest assured that a FORCE is backing me up in this war far greater than I can ever imagine. The LORD is His Name. He has my back. My front. My left. My right. He IS the KING OF GLORY, and HIS NAME IS JESUS.

Selah.

XtremeFaith

Jesus, the Healer

"So He Began Shouting, "Son of David, Have Mercy on Me!" Luke 18:38 (NLT)



Jesus, the Healer. This was who the blind man appealed to. Not just the King of the Jews, but Jesus, the Healer. The blind man did not whisper as Jesus walked by, by NO MEANS. He "Boe'd"! Those words, "cried out", means to "SHOUT", or to "boe" in the Greek language. He may have been a blind man, but his ears were wide open, and he could hear the crowd coming. What a step of faith to SHOUT out to Jesus to have mercy on him. And Jesus did.

Sometimes healing is much deeper than we can grasp. You see it's not always about the physical body. Like the blind man, we have those issues that I would like to call "skin deep." And I ain't talking the top layer of skin either. I am referring to the layer beneath the layers...where the blood is crimson red...that's the depth I refer to. It's the depth that if IT were cut, we would bleed to death. And that is what is happening to many of us. We are "bleeding to death spiritually speaking." Oh, if someone could sew up the cut, Lord, that is so deep within our souls!!!! AHHHHHH Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on us!!!!!!

Have you ever wondered why a cut is called a "superficial cut?" Because it ain't got no depth to it. Point blank. It has no cause for concern. But then there are those wounds that are way too deep for a band-aid. A hemorrage of the spirit calls for the 911 Physician to rise up and respond. But we must call out to Him.

This blind beggar had far more than depth. He had a heart that said, "I am gonna run Jesus down if I have to. I may be blind, but my legs can run, my ears can hear, and my mouth can BOEEEEEEE (shout)!!!!!!! I don't care who knows my pain! I don't care as I shout out "Have mercy on me, a sinner!!! I don't care who knows my business! I am gonna be transparent! I gotta touch the Master!!!!"

Sisters, we are coming to the close of this 40 Day Makers Diet. Maybe we won't cross the finish line as a strong athlete would, filled with physical victory. Maybe some of us will. I know a few sisters that did not veer off their course. They stayed the race, steadfastly, with great endurance. AMEN and congratulations, praise God for your victory!

But then there are those of us that are laggin' behind, still on lap two, facing deep truths that this Diet has brought to the "surface." For some of us, it is lack of self-control. For others, it is plain cynicism from past failures that keeps us from seeing how "one more diet" could help. And yet for others, deeper issues came up. They are too painful to acknowledge, too embarrassing to share, and some of us are too tired of the repetition of it that we have shut down. Completely.

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." But the crowd warned him sternly to be quiet. (forget the dumb crowd. Jesus didn't die for us to let the crowd stop us.) AHHHHHH. WHAT DID JESUS SAY? "What do you want me to do for you?"

And this, my dear sister, is what Jesus is saying to us right at this very moment. "What do you want me to do for you?" Ponder that. Get past the "superficial response." Let's let Jesus inside the depths of our souls today..and we stand assured that He will grant us our request.


XtremeFaith

Carry On!

"If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us???"

(Romans 8:31)














Ladies, it is the final week of the Maker's Diet. Wow. How time flew by! I am sure some of us are relieved, while others of us will make this a way of life, but still relieved not to be "under the pressure" of conformity with a group! LOL! Either way, I am almost positive we are ALL grateful for the fellowship and lasting relationships we built with one another.



I just felt in my heart to declare over everyone of us the verse that if God is for us, who could ever be against us?? It is a well-known verse that we often recite when times of trouble come upon us. Often times, unfortunately, it is said in arrogance, which does not glorify our God. He intended this verse to be one of assurance..not used in a prideful way.



Like a little child looking to his father for protection when scared, is the same way we should declare this statement during times of trial and uncertainty. Even during times of failure. I am sure we have all met failure at one junction or another, but let's look into the eyes of our Lord, and say, "God, you are for me. So don't let failure be against me. Take my failures, Lord, and count them forward to my successes. Lord, I am a trophy in the making, and you are my Coach. I submit myself to knowing that you are FOR ME today!"



Sisters, let's not let the negative attitudes and selfish actions of others AND ourselves ever prohibit us from seeing HOW GOD IS FOR US. HE is our sword and our shield, standing ever ready to protect us from the onslaught of our unseen enemy. Let's look to Him today as our covering, proclaiming that He has a plan and a purpose in ALL we do. Including this Diet.



Blessings.



XtremeFaith

Regrets

"Impulsive Leaps often end in Painful Landings."

I was pleased to see that our health coaches are requesting photos of our old selves. Also, our lists of "would've-should've-could've's." For some of us, this list may take up the entire room (half of it would be mine). The email sent out prompted my spirit to write about the topic of regret.

Regret could be an old friend of ours, or a current one that we try to snuff out every now and then. But he still comes back. I believe the only way to abolish regrets is to focus on what we did RIGHT and not WRONG. I would like to NEVER have regrets, but then what would propel me to my goals? Certainly if I had no negative issues, and life was all "peaches and cream" (yum), then what in the world would I ever change???? NOTHING!

Speaking of regrets, I do, however, regret the six chocolates and two slices of pizza that I ate yesterday. When I tell you that I am sick today, I am not kidding. My stomach is in knots..but junk in equals junk out!!! So I won't bore you with the consequences of my behavior. BUT the "regret" of eating wrong motivated me this morning to "do right." I downed a glass of the green stuff (I actually like it), and I have set the day in motion towards healing.

"Well, sister, you should have never eaten wrong in the first place, then you would not have had any regrets." This is true. But for all of us, ERROR is part of our HUMAN DNA. It may not be in eating, but it sure is somewhere in our lives.

For some people, they can make a decision, stick it out, and get the desired results that propelled them in the first place. For others, like myself, it will be like trying to lasso a wild bull headed straight for the matador's red cape. Listen, old habits never die hard. But I refuse to focus on my mistakes that do not come as often as they used to. I hope you won't stay in that place either. And by the way, that dumb bull is colorblind.

Did you know God had regrets??????

"Sister!!! SHUSH YO MOUTH!!!!! God NEVER HAD REGRETS!!!!!" Well, before you stone me to death, let me point out the scripture in Genesis 6:6.

"And the Lord was sorry that He ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart." (NLT)

"The Lord was sorry He had made humans on the earth, and He was heartbroken." (GWT)

"The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain." (NIV)

The words "sorry and grieved" derive from the word "nacham" in Hebrew. Strong's Hebrew dictionary gives a ton of translations for this word. Here they are: changed mind, to be sorry, console oneself, relent, repented, and regret. God regretted the sins and wickedness that he saw his children committing. He was full of pain, as any tender Father would be at the foolishness of his children. (Amos 2:13, Isaiah 43:24, Eze. 6:9, and Psalm 95:10 all describe how the Lord feels about our sins.) The actions of His creation was His pain, not the creation of His children.

How do we see ourselves? Do we weigh ourselves soley based on our actions and find NO worth in who we are as creatures of the Most High God? I could have easily thrown in the towel for my actions yesterday, and ate the other 9,000 pieces of chocolate in the kitchen. But I refused. I got up, took a shower, and got dressed all pretty. I threw all the chocolate out (GASP!), drank the pond water, and said, "Lord, it's a new day. I start all over again. But I am not gonna fall into self-accusation voices and be depressed today. No way. Did that way too many years. It's onward Christian soldier! I pick up my (big) butt today and carry on in the NAME OF JESUS!!!"

Although God destroyed the human race, Noah found grace in God's eyes. Wow. God did not give up on us. He could have. But one man moved God's heart and the Lord continued to populate the earth, despite the great wickedness of mankind. Then He did not stop there. He kept his promise to never flood the earth again, but His wrath against the evil had to be satisfied. Like the relentless lover that God is, He sent His own son, HIS VERY OWN SON, to satisfy His wrath and to bring all of us into His redemptive grace.

Sisters, I say all that to say this. Our worth can never be founded on what we did or didn't do. Our worth is founded on what Christ did for us. Not on the scale, what people say, our successes, our failures...never that. My prayer for us is to keep on moving on in health and wellness, taking one day at a time, and resting in the unfathomable, uncontainable, unshakeable, immeasurable love of Jesus Christ today. I encourage you, while I certainly speak to my own broken soul, let's take the focus off of ourselves (that is from the devil) and let's put it where it belongs: upon Jesus.

Love you all.

XtremeFaith

8 Days Left on Maker's Diet!

"In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not aquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:12-14)


I thank God for all the strong Christians that I have come across in my life. They have done what the Bible calls "iron sharpening iron." Thank God for our health coaches that come every Thursday night to sharpen us. They pack up everything but the kitchen sink. In our class last night, they had everything from spelt to organic butter. Get this, they even brought in a toaster so we can taste the Ezekiel bread warm with melting butter dripping from it. Talk about show and tell!


I also thank God for weaker vessels in the Lord. They teach me to humble myself, love a little more, and exercise patience. Even more than that, in their zeal to share their newfound love of Jesus, they often tell me things that "I already know." Ever had someone do that? Perhaps quote a scripture and try to tell you the story about it, or the meaning behind it? What is your first reaction? "Oh, yeah, I know about that sugar-buns..learned it twenty years ago." That used to be mine. Until the Holy Spirit showed me how prideful I was.

He gave me this scripture: "To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all means I may save some." (1Cor. 9:22) We may know things, but in dealing with the weaker vessel, it may often benefit us to become weak. Imagine allowing someone the opportunity to just share their heart without us rattling off how many degrees we have, or possessions we own, or what we have attained in our lives? Jesus, knowing all things, always asked those he encountered questions. "Do you wish to be made whole? Where is your husband? Who touched me?" He asked these questions to allow for encounters with the weaker vessels...humanity that he created.

Paul said that all he gained he counted as a loss. And none of us could compare with what he had..education, money, status, political power...Paul had every reason to be puffed up in his vanity. But he counted it a loss, and he became weak when he had to. How awesome it must have been for Timothy. Timothy, once tutored by Paul, the great Apostle of faith, also saw this man of God at his worst state..ready for death. Here's the kicker: Paul invited Timothy to see him in this way. You know you're operating in humility when you can readily show your weaker side in front of those "under you" in the faith!


Almost every "dieting person" is very knowledgeable. Think about it. We have read every book out there, tried every diet, and know depths of information pertaining to health. But we have problems applying the information long enough for success. Our coaches have mastered this weakness we have. For myself, this is one of the main reasons I attend these meetings. It is humbling, number one, to admit that although I "know" the info..that is as far as I got sometimes!!!! Knowing is NOT ENOUGH!!! Application and follow through are most important! Secondly, I attend class to sit underneath the anointing that is there when we gather in one accord before God! I feel empowered and encouraged when I depart at the end of class.


In closing, I know we were all blessed by the many praise reports last night. Bravo to Natalie and all her success! She should be our "poster child" for this Diet! For all of us that have had any success, even changing just one thing, hats off to us as well! We win the war one battle at at time. Thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus!

XtremeFaith


Happy Valentine's Day Weekend Ladies! I will resume the devotions on Monday! God bless!

9 Days Left

"Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself.."





Ahhh BREAD. Now, I don't want to be a hypocrite and act like I have not had any in the past 31 days. That would be a flat out lie. Not only have I had bread..but...well, we won't go there.

BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE REMAINED TRUE TO YOUR COMMITMENT THUS FAR, CONGRATULATIONS! Soon, you will be heating up some good grains, and spreadin some butter on it, too! Nothing like HOT TOAST for breakfast, along with some organic eggs and maybe a Kefir shake! YUM! Or some GOAT'S MILK. NO THANKS. LOL!

Bread is a good reason to rejoice. Actually, there are alot of reasons to rejoice! We have learned so much information. And have changed many very bad habits. I'd rather focus on the positive than the negative. For most of us, we can stay fixated on the failures we have made during this diet. I know I can. Honestly, when it comes to mistakes, I tend to get buried in them. Guilt and condemnation can keep us on the continuous, never-ending, "hamster wheel" of failure.

For starters, many of us are drinking (faithfully) the SuperSeed and the Raw Green Food. Somehow, I don't think we would be doing this had it not been for the diet. I mean who would torture themselves like that? Then there is Kefir, goat products, organic produce, hormone-free meat, organic milk and eggs, too. I would never had bought these items---based on cost alone! But now, I prefer "clean" products as much as I can have them. Some of you can testify that your pantry and fridge are not as toxic as they used to be. Personally speaking, 80% of our food is all healthy now. I am happy about that. I don't even buy regular ice cream anymore. I buy coconut milk ice cream (The Purely Decadent brand). If you have not tried it, you HAVE to! The best part is it has SIX GRAMS OF FIBER IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN ICE CREAM???????????? Yes.

So ladies, ..we are gettin closer and closer to the "end" of this diet. I have been motivated just by seeing how great everyone looks. I ran into a few of you this past week and the proof is in the pudding quinoa...Faces are radiant, bodies are slimmer, and I am hearing of physical healings. For myself, I was able to zip up (completely) a nice pair of slacks AND wear a pair of heels I bought 6 months ago. My feet were so swollen that they were impossible to wear. Now, they are LOOSE. I was so happy! All of us have SOMETHING good to say about the changes we have made. Let's keep our thoughts on that!!

Have a great day!

XtremeFaith

10 days left!

Enjoy the snow day sisters!

Phase 3 coming soon!

Almost there!

11 days left on Maker's Diet!

"A glad heart makes a healthy body,

but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry." (Proverbs 17:22)

From time to time, we all can just use a good laugh. Some of my closest friends are the funniest people on earth. Hilarious, actually. When you combine us all together, forget it. We have been known to have "accidents" if you know what I mean...not makin it to the potty in time. I have one girlfriend that I usually travel to Florida with. Let me tell you something, I-95 South is a lonnnng road. Her and I usually start laughing the minute I get in the car until we get to our destination.

We only rest from laughing when someone is asleep. Or if we can get around to praying and worshiping (which we usually do). But for the most part, we crack up. We laugh about ourselves, our mistakes, our finances, our families..you name it, we laugh. Not in a bad spirit, but one of joy. After all, if we can't laugh, we would cry. What kind of fun would that be? Twenty hours is a long ride..I would most likely leave her at a rest area "by accident" if all she did was cry. She would roll me out of the car..well, ok, she would have to shove me out..rolling is something that can be done to a 90-pounder! LOL LOL LOL !!!

So what's my point? Do you feel a little blah-blah-blah today? Laugh. Life got you down? Laugh. Finances a mess? Laugh. Husband crazy? Laugh. Actually, laugh really hard. I once heard of a woman that was diagnosed with an incurable illness. Taking God at His Word, she rented all funny movies and watched them for three months. You guessed it, no more illness. Can you believe that? I think I read that in a devotional somewhere...but I never forgot that story.

As I am writing this, I am thinkin' about a whole lotta stuff. And I just busted out laughing, almost scaring my son right off the couch. Now THAT woulda been HYSTERICAL!!!!

Ladies, laugh today and laugh strong.

Love ya!!!

XtremeFaith

12 Day Left on the Maker's Diet!

Even though I walk through the shadow
of the valley of death
Your Perfect love is casting out fear
And even though I am caught
In the middle of the storms
of this life
I wont turn back, I know you are near

And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me,
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no! You never let go, through the calm and through the storm!
Oh no! You never let go, in every high and every low!
Oh no! You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me.

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We will live to know you here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise you, still I will praise you!


Zephaniah 3:17 ..."He will rejoice over you with singing"

13 Days Left on Maker's Diet

Enjoy the Sabbath rest of the Lord today.

14 days left on Maker's Diet!

"He will put His angels in charge of you to protect you in all of your ways." (Psalm 91:11)


I was headed out to get a sister in the Lord after prayer tonight. She was coming to my house for the weekend. It was around 11pm. I was being held up by a slow moving car in front of me. Finally, he pulled to the right. I was thinking about how much he annoyed me---going so slow! Then perhaps I looked at my phone, can't quite remember. But whatever took place in that split second saved my life, and perhaps a few others.

I don't know how to explain that I "heard" the noise before I "saw" the noise. Right where I was to turn, a car ran through the stop sign and literally crossed four lanes of traffic without incident. If you are familiar with Newark, then you are familiar with Bloomfield Ave. It is a very busy street, even at night. This car was doing what seemed to be about 100mph. He never stopped.

I realized within a few seconds that it was not just a driver that ran a stop sign. It was a high speed chase involving cops. Let me just say that the driver must have a praying mom or something. He literally missed being hit by several cars. It was like something out of the movies. Although he never slowed down, all the cars were kept away from him.

Meanwhile, I was still sitting there in total shock about what just happened. If I was not "held up" by Mr. Slow Driver, that speeding car would have hit me right on my door and the impact would have caused serious injuries,perhaps even death. The "weird" thing is as I was on my way down to her house, I was thinking about the time God saved my life from a shooting at a convenience store last year. I thanked Him about that. And then I was spared again, tonight.

It is almost 3 am. I am sitting here listening to "Holy" by Jesus Culture. If you have never heard it, I highly recommend you go to YouTube and listen to it. I cannot get over what God did for me tonight. I shudder when I think of being broadsided by a speeding car like that. Although I was in a truck, it would have been an OUCH for sure!

Even putting my face to the floor right now is not low enough for me to bow before God. I feel the Lord's Holy Presence so real right now. If I could kiss his feet, I would. You see, today was a non-eventful day for me. I went to prayer and it was awesome. But prior to that, I was so down, almost the entire day. I can't even explain why or what..but I was at a low point.

I forced myself to go and pray. It wasn't like I read 2,000 scriptures or anything worthy of being saved tonight. But that is what is beautiful about God. It will never be what I do or don't do. Cuz if it was about that, trust me, I should have gotten hit. But this is about who He is. He is infinitely faithful, true, loyal, full of love and mercy, for all He has made. Including a nutcase person like me.

Holy. Holy. Holy. There is only one word to describe Him. Holy. He loves me in spite of myself.

If you read the post right before this one, you will see that I requested traveling mercies for all of us at almost the last line. He heard me.

Thank you, Father. You are Holy.

XtremeFaith

15 Days Left!!!

"...we have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.." (Hebrews 6:18-19)


Hope is one of the three theological virtues (the character qualities associated with salvation). Hope is the expectation and desire of receiving, refraining from despair and capability of not giving up. A lack of hope may give place to despair or cynicism (if you can believe this, that word cynic came from an actual group of people called the Cynics). Cynicism is an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity. Ouch. I think we have all had this feeling at one time or another.

"Hope floats." If a picture could speak to us then I believe that is what this photo is saying. I do not know where that quote derived from, but it sure looks light on the soul. Despair can drag a person down...but hope, it ....floats. Most beautifully and most importantly, hope is a spiritual gift from God. Ahhhh...the nature of our God to give us such a gift!

Did you know that Rhode Island was founded by a Christian man, who thought so much about hope that it is part of their seal? And he took it right from the scripture that is quoted for today. If the writer of Hebrews thought it so much to call hope an anchor of the soul, I always wondered why people would equate hope to floating.

I believe it's because when we get carried away with worry, sorrows, regrets, upsetments, and the cares of life, we need something to "hold us down." What better thing than the "anchor of hope?" Seemingly, when we allow hope to "hold us down", it lightens up the soul and frees us to think, dream, and hope for the very best God has for us.

I am not sure where we all are spiritually speaking on this cold Friday morning (with a snow storm inevitably on its way). But I speak hope over every single person reading this devo, including myself. There are days when I feel that success will never come my way, but the anchor of hope in my soul, that beautiful gift of God, will not allow me to stay in those thoughts. So I free up my soul and let it float...in the Hope of Jesus Christ. Join me?

Blessings and Traveling Mercies to all.

XtremeFaith

16 Days Left on the Maker's Diet

"Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear, then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:6-8 emphasis mine)


Holy smokes. Today is Thursday. The day we put the shovel fork down and fast from eating until dinner. Can I be honest? I love the after effects of fasting, but I do not like to fast. In my experience as a Christian, I have found the words of Jesus to be right on: "This type comes out only by prayer and fasting," (Matthew 17:21). What was the "this type"? Strongholds.

When I first gave my heart to Jesus, I had a very strict disciple coach. He handed me a book about prayer and fasting, told me to read it, and do it. So I did. Little did I know that not everyone did this...had I known, I wouldn't have obeyed..LOL. But my coach knew that I was coming out of a lifestyle of evil, debauchery, lust, witchcraft..you name it, there I was.

Many of you don't know this, but I was a former pyschic (gasp!)..but I never charged anyone a penny, because I thought it would be "wrong in the sight of God." I did not know any better. People would call me from overseas to get a reading. Satan used me powerfully. It took one powerful Christian to come and tell me that I was functioning as the devil for me to completely stop. I never, ever did it again. But don't think satan was gonna take this lightly. The attack against me continued for months.

Fasting is what broke that stronghold in my life. Not only did I experience demonic interference, I also experienced an incredible breakthrough from the devil's power. Many of you also do not know that when I first stepped in our church, it took about 7 pastors and a few others to pray deliverance over me. It lasted FIVE hours. The sister that was powerfully used that day to speak life over me lived a life of fasting and prayer. She became my mentor for five years, and I owe most of who I am today to her powerful influence in my life. She taught me how to war.

So, today we fast. Do you have an area of addiction over your life that needs to be broken? Fasting will break it. Do you have a loved one that needs deliverance? Fast for them. Do you want to get a "re-charge" in your spiritual battery? Fasting will do that. Let's remember, as we fast, even if we are at work, be in prayer. Have your mind fixed on Christ.

Because fasting is such a powerful weapon, we must be prepared for the counter-attack. Satan and his hosts do not take this lightly..however, the Word of God tells us the position the Lord takes. He will be our "rear guard." This does not refer to our "body part" but it refers to any attack that would come against us without us seeing it. Our righteousness, which is found in the Blood of Christ, goes before us..nothing can touch that Blood, and our protector, Almighty God, goes behind us. We are covered.

Fast with a purpose today. Can't wait to see how the glory of God would move among all of us in every area of our lives.

Blessings.

XtremeFaith

Burden Bearing

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ." (Gal. 6:2)

17 Days Left on the Maker's Diet





I believe the greatest thing we can do in the Body of Christ is to bear each other's burdens. I don't mean this in an "unhealthy" way either. I mean being led of the Holy Spirit and allowing His Spirit to lead us to the person needing comfort.

I am thankful for all the relationships that have formed from this Diet. It is not so much the eating right, the wealth of information about clean eating, or the science behind "whole foods." All of that is wonderful and it has its place. But what kind of class would it be if all we did was hear the teaching, say goodnight, and head home? I am sad to say that this does take place. (Not to my awareness in our class..but I have seen it in other instances.)


Sometimes we get too caught up in the "mechanics" of learning about healing rather than the person involved in the healing. Getting to know a person, their heart, their struggles, involves some investment. Jesus was never mechanical when it came to ministry. Our class is no different. We are ministering to our Body, our Soul, and our spirit. Having said that, how can we just touch on the subject of food, and say, "Ok, thanks for comin out, now take your burdens and beat it." IS that what JESUS would do?


"Someone touched me. Power has gone out from me." (Luke 8:46) Let it be that each time we gather, we touch Jesus, and get the blessing of His Power over our weakness.


Everytime the saints gather together, let our hearts be yielded to learning viable information, but more so, let our hearts desire to touch the Master. In doing so, we touch one another and lighten burdens often too heavy for us to carry. And there is no weight that compares to spiritual weight.

Lord Jesus, help us to carry each other's burdens as our own. In doing so, we can assure that you relieve us of our burdens. We thank you, Lord, for our sisters and the love that you have given us for one another. May we truly want victory for them as much as for ourselves. Amen.

XtremeFaith

Hello Tuesday!

18 Days Left on the Maker's Diet

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.."

(Psalm 92:12)

I always wondered why God would refer to the righteous in this manner. Why not a lion? Or a dove? Or something else..why a tree?

When I lived in Guam (for a short time) palm trees were everywhere. As a matter of a fact, the photo that you see actually looks just like Guam. It is breathtaking! But the palm trees..why..why did He pick that tree?

I was in Guam for three typhoons. One was a Category Four, Typhoon Omar, with winds of 230mph+. It was awful. I heard noises so bad that----'til this day---I have a hard time going through a car wash when that last windy part hits!! I am alot better than I used to be, but it was traumatic. A year later, an 8.1 earthquake hit the island..and I would rather go through 4 typhoons than half of an earthquake. Terror..nothing but sheer terror. There is nowhere to run!

But despite all of this, the palm trees were still standing when all quieted down. I remember riding around the island saying to myself, "Wow, the palms survived." There they were, swaying, chillin' in the afternoon sun. I could almost hear them say, "Hey girl, we are still here...cuz we do down deep into the ground..and no shaking, no winds, nothing will bring us down. So enjoy our shade and be at peace." Wow.

Our roots go down deep just like this awesome tree. Terrible things are taking place everyday...wars, rumors of wars, deaths, sicknesses, financial disasters..but what do people see when they look at us? Do they see that we are still standing despite the elements of our surroundings? Do we show our tenacity to endure the violent winds of life right now?

Let us be someone's shade today. There are lost souls looking to be comforted by the peace of our Lord, residing deep within us. Don't rob anyone of this anectdote to life's hurts. We are rooted in Him. And our roots go down deep, eternally deep. Be blessed today.

XtremeFaith

Happy Monday

19 wonderful days left on Maker's Diet!

"He leadeth me beside the still waters.."

(Psalm 23)

"The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all He created."

(Psalm 145:9)

Hello my sisters! It is "MONDAY-FUNDAY" as I have heard so many call it. I am sure we all had a restful weekend. NOT! Many of us were out Friday night, up early Saturday morning (cleaning, running errands, birthday parties, etc.), went to bed late Saturday night and spent most of the day in church on Sunday. Before you know it, here comes MONDAY!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!! NOT MONDAY!!!

Just kidding............

It is another blessed day. His mercies RIGHT now over us are brand spankin' new. That blows my mind. Brand NEW mercies! (I know I used all of mine up yesterday by 9am LOL) And if weeping was in the night, His Joy came in the morning. Thank God for JOY. If you do not feel joyful right now, ask the Lord to bring His JOY upon you. And forget feelings...they are such a distraction. If i had to go on feelings alone, I would be in an asylum right now. HIS JOY IS THERE FOR THE TAKING! TAKE IT!

We have another opportunity to bless someone today, through a kind word, or a smile. Perhaps on your job....maybe there is someone that you don't really care for (ha ha ha ha ha ha-uh oh) that God would want to touch through you. Hmmm. That is a TOUGH one. You thought I was gonna pick your coffee buddy huh? NO! Ask Jesus for His strength and love to consume you for one really mean person today. Perhaps you will be doubly blessed and the person won't accept your kindness..(read the Beatitudes...it talks about this)

And with all that is going on in life today, remember we have to eat RIGHT! Easier said than done! I pray that the LORD would give us all that we need to be victorious. Not for others, but for ourselves today. It is so hard for us women to put ourselves first, but let's try and do that today. Cuz if we aren't well, what good are we to anyone else?

Yesterday is dead and gone, today is a brand new day to be successful. Enjoy!

XtremeFaith