It is My Name!!!

Recently I've done a lot of thinking about names. It's odd, but true. I've thought about there meanings, there importance, there orgins. All that good stuff that comes from a name. Then on Sunday it really hit me. You see, Sunday was my birthday. Yes, it's true. I celebrated my 26th birthday- don't every gasp at once : ) I was thinking about that joyous day when I was brought into this world and my parents looked at my gorgeous face and said, "Will call her....TISHONA MARIE...." As a child, that name was well....odd. It's definitely rare, if not ever heard of around these parts, but it is my name. As I got older I began to appreciate it more and more. I mean it is my name. Then do you ever have those moments when you truly realize..IT IS MY NAME!!! I began to do some research online. I was curious about the meaning of names. I began to search on baby name websites different names and there meanings. Well as you could probably have guessed..Tishona is no where to be found. But, it is my name!! This saddened me, but not too much. I then remembered another baby who was born and brought into this world. When his obedient parents looked at his gorgeous face they said, "We will call him JESUS!!!"

Wow! Isn't that fabulous : ) That is HIS NAME!! I was then reading in Isaiah 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." THOSE ARE HIS NAMES!!! Jesus has many names. These names represent all of who He is. There are many more than the scripture in Isaiah mentions. I was thinking back on this year that I have just experienced. I was thinking of the different characters that God has shown Himself to be to me. He has surely been my Counselor, my Prince of Peace, Restorer of my soul, Sanctuary, and Lover of my soul. His names are great! He is great!

This Christmas as we thank God for the birth of His son and the gift of eternal life that we have through Jesus, let us be aware of His name!! As His name is on our lips, let us praise Him for all of who He is!! Remember Acts 4:12 "SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED."

A Girl and Her Shoes!!!

Well if there is one important fact that everyone should know it's - DON'T MESS WITH A WOMAN AND HER SHOES!!! I love shoes! I believe I have for the longest time. I remember being a little girl and wearing my fabulous "jelly" shoes- oh yes!! I know you know the ones I'm talking about- hard, plastic, brightly colored shoes that left great blisters- yes those are the ones! Now however I have moved on to big girl shoes- oh yes!! I know you know the ones I"m talking about- hard, man-made material, 3 inch heel that leave great blisters- yes those are the ones!! I got a great deal on them though. They were one sale over the Thanksgiving Holiday- buy one get one half off!!! So of course I bought the black pair and got the brown ones half off- or visa versa- either way- everyone loves a great deal!

Let me tell you about this truly remarkable deal that I have found and have came to cherish!!! The advertisement read, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Wow! That is one deal that I'm thankful I didn't pass up!

Just as most of my divine spiritual moments arise, I was taking my shower this morning and was just praying and thinking and thanking the Lord for all He has done for me. Well in that list of things, came the gift of forgiveness! It's such a powerful word. I have been FORGIVEN!!! My sins, my mistakes, my shame, my guilt, have been erased from my life and forgotten by my Savior. That is truly a fabulous gift. I began to think of how powerful it is for a believer who has experience this forgivness to forgive others. I think begin to think of my past hurts, pain, and scars. I began to ask God to teach me to forgive just has I have been forgiven. By this point in time I was now putting my "face" on and drying my hair and doing all the rest of my morning routine. I was getting dressed and was preparing to slip into my new shoes. You remember the ones that I got a great deal on!?!

Something on the inside struck my attention- the label on the side of the shoe that has the size and all the info about its creation also listed a name of that shoe- FORGIVEN!!! Yes, it is true!!! My shoe had been named Forgiven. I was thrilled!!! I thought well isn't that just so special. Not only was my shoe names Forgiven, but so was I!!!! On the day that Christ forgave me of all my sins He named me- I am FORGIVEN!!! So I slipped my foot in the shoe- by this point I felt like Cinderella slipping her foot in the shoe from the prince! I was going to walk in my Forgiven's all day long!!!! Isn't that what we should all do? Shouldn't we all walk in His FORGIVENESS!?!

And Out of the Fog

This weekend I went to Richmond to the EKU Homecoming. It was a great time of reuniting with wonderful friends, catching up on the latest news, and experiencing one of the greatest parades east of the Mississippi! But I must confess that the greatest event that happened to me was something I witnessed this morning that resonated deep within my spirit.

I left Richmond around 8 this morning and was headed home. I had my radio on K-Love and I was just praising the Lord and watching the Sun rise in the beautiful, blue, cloudless, Autumn sky. It was a great day to praise the Lord. The roads were clear, the air crisp, and the sun bright and shining on the fiery mountains. As I'm moving along and praying I come to a small valley that was thick with fog. I became quite nervous because I couldn't see anything before. I soon thought of deer or other animals that love to get their morning breakfast and feared that they would jump in front of me. I seriously was worried that I would hit anything in front of me because it was thick fog and I couldn't see too far in front of me. I knew the sun was shining. I new the sky was clear. But I was in this mess of the fog. I was blinded for a short time. And out of the fog I drive into the clear, blue, cloudless sky that I new I was in the entire time. As soon as breaking through the fog I said "thank you Jesus" and I was soon reminded of the "fog" that we often travel through in life.

We can be moving quite well in our journey through life. Thinking everything is picture perfect and then we hit the "fog", whatever it may be and we can't see and we are blinded for a brief sometimes lengthier periods of time. Even though we walk in the blindness, in the confusion, and in the darkness, we know the Son is still shining, the Son is still on His throne, the Son is still Sovereign! And out of the fog we come and into His marvelous light!!

As I continued driving and the sun was out longer and the effects of the sun was being felt more intensely, the spots of fog were less. They were less often, less dense, and less intense. Again I was thinking that the longer we are in communion with the Son, the longer we are spending intense time with the Son the spot of fog will grow less and less. The Son will make a greater impact in our lives and our journeys can be clearer and "picture perfect" before Him!

Look what God has done!!

I love just being able to sit back and say to myself "Look what God has done!" God has been opening many doors and windows for me to be able to be used by Him and for Him. It's been amazing to just be able to see what's going on in the community around me. I am so thankful to have been brought up and raised in such a fabulous place- "God's Country!" The people are great! The scenery great! The sense of community great! And then that God blessed me with a job as a teacher in this area is just wonderful. Going into the "mission field" each morning is such a blessing. Of course it takes me some mornings a bit longer to remember this! God has put me in a place to be able to love and minister to so many student and in a variety of ways. I think it's wonderful that He would even choose me to use!

Last week I was invited to speak at the high school FCA meeting. I was so nervous. Getting up and speaking isn't my cup of tea. I'm a behind the scenes kind of gal. I'm all about planning, organizing, praying...but to actually share something gets my knees a bit week. BUT I do love sharing what God has taught me. I definately could go on and on and on about that! Thankfully, just as God always does, He was teaching me something wonderful of blessing and curses and how each day there are moments that choose the blessing over the curse and sadly, visa versa. I was also reminded that in the Garden, Adam and Eve had the same laid before them. They could have ate from the Tree of Life- blessings! or from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil- curses! And they chose the latter. Being able to share this was powerful for me. It was amazing for me to see what God was doing in me and what greater things He may have before me.

Tonight was another great night and honor that I was able to be a part of a great ministry to students. Fields of Faith, again is an FCA started ministry. This is a national night set aside where schools and communities gather on a field to read the word of God and to challenge one another to get into the Word. The key scripture for Fields of Faith is 2 Chronicles 34. This scripture is about Josiah and how he found the Word of the Lord in the Temple and brought it before the people and challenged them to follow God and His commandments. Many students shared their testimonies and God ministered in a mighty way. We may not have seen huge numbers or results tonight. But we can truly sit back, smile, rejoice, and say, "Look what God has done!!!!!"

God is Good.

I added the period in the title because it's true- God is Good- PERIOD, ENOUGH SAID, THAT'S A FACT! It's been a while since I last posted. I always want to post some great a new things that God has been teaching me or doing in my life. There's been so much that I just can't post about one certain one. He is so faithful.

Last week, I went to a revival at my church. We've done a lot of "talking" about revival. We are ones to just have a week of services and say it's a revival. We were truly seeking to be revived!! And guess what- WE ARE! Last weekend we experienced a great outpouring of the Spirit. I was ministered by and through the power of the Holy Spirit. I really can't even express into words what happened. It was powerful. I was so blessed just to be able to sit and watch God answer our prayers for my very eyes. It was wonderful! God is so Good. On Sunday, I was being prayed for by a beautiful, fearful, Spirit-filled woman of God. God was revealing some things to her to pray for that I was blown away by. He was definitely confirming some truths in my life and was even responding to some prayers that I have previously had. There is definitely nothing bad about a God who does that!! God is so Good.

And then, this week as I was seeking in the Word of God and just praying about some things that I've been dealing with, God was answering me again. So real and so true. It was a great releasing of who He is and what He was wanting me to do. I know that in listening and in following Him that I will walk in Freedom and He will be glorified.

God is so Good.

It was lost, but is now found!

Recently, like last night, I was studying some scripture and preparing for a FCA event, Fields of Faith. This is a night set nationally by FCA for students to gather at a local football field or set location for a time of scripture reading, testimonies, and worship. The scripture to be read is from 2 Chronicles 34. I wasn't familiar with this scripture so I read it last night, again, again, and again. It was amazing! Josiah was king. He was 8 years old when he began his reign. For me, this was amazing in itself. He was a young boy who did what was right in the eyes of God. It says he did not stray to the right or to the left. I thought this was incredible. That this young boy was steadfast and strong. Then, when he was 16 he began to tear down strong holds and strong places in the land. These strong places was altars that had been built in honor of Baal and other gods and idol. Josiah had enough passion and courage in himself at 16 that he stood up and began to make needed changes. Then, he began to clean the temple. He paid for the cleaning dream team to come in and purify what had been defiled and restored what was messed up. In their cleaning the clutter and junk from the temple they found the Law. This Law had been missing for 55 years! Imagine how messed that place must have been!?!

In doing this study and reading, God was bringing to my attention the "Josiah experience" that I had this summer. My life was getting cluttered. I had built high places to new gods. And in doing so, I had lost the Word. I had lost a passion to hear and read from the Lord. God began to place a desire in my heart for a new thing to be done. As I began to draw near to Him, He began to draw near to me. Things began to surface and I was able to tear down altars and high places that I had built without knowing. In doing this, the Bible, God's Word was found! As I began to seek and dig into scriptures, it was so new and real to me. I had never encountered the Word of God like this before. It had been lost in all my clutter, but now through the Light, it has been found. God is continuing to reveal new and fabulous things from His heart. These things can be heard and seen in His Word and through prayer. I pray that you along with me will continue to be aware of the clutter in our lives and that we, like Josiah, will clean and purge what's in our lives so that His word can be found.

For the Glory of Love!

This is actually quite a funny story (or at least I think!) about something that God taught me the other morning. I wasn't reading the Bible during my quite time. I wasn't in a deep spiritual prayer. I wasn't in the middle of singing a powerful worship song. I was taking a shower Tuesday morning. This week was Homecoming week at the middle school and we had fun dress up days each day for school spirit. Tuesday was Hero day. Students and teachers could come to school dressed as their favorite hero. I think this is some random information now, but it will soon come into play with what I'm going to say. During my shower I had a million things running in my head. I was thinking about what hero I could be...I quickly decided none! I was thinking about an email from a friend and some of what she said. Her email was beginning to stick in my head and particularly as word that she used. She had used the word "honor". I mean this wasn't a new word that I had never heard before. But, for some reason it was in my head. I couldn't even get it out. Now this is the funny part. I then began to sing a song. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Peter Cetera. If not, you should. I was singing Peter's song-"For the Glory of Love"-

I am a man who would fight for your honor

I'll be the hero you've been dreaming of

We'll live forever knowing together That we did it all for the glory of love
It's like a knight in shining armor From a long time ago

Just in time I will save the day Take you to my castle far away
I am the man who will fight for your honor I'll be the hero that you're dreaming of

We're gonna live forever knowing together That we did it all for the glory of love

I thought this was hilarious. Here I am in the shower and this song has popped into my head. And then, just as He always does- He began to speak to me. God was singing to me that HE gave me a man who will fight for my honor! What?!? I was seriously confused. Was God really using a Peter Cetera song circa 1986 to teach me something. Yes! It was clearly being unfolded in my heart and my head. Jesus is my hero. He's my knight in shining armor. He fights for my honor. I was then picturing myself standing in a courtroom. I was being accused of all sorts of wrongs. Sadly, I had to plead guilty. Yes- I am a liar! Yes- I have hated! Yes- I have served other gods! Yes- I have been impure! All these sins that I was being accused of were true...they were accurate. There wasn't a false accusation being thrown forth. BUT, here comes my defendant. He's not like anyone ever seen in a courtroom. He's hero material. A knight in shining armor sort. Standing before me, He begins to plead my case. He was pleading my innocence. This man was fighting for my honor! This is the mighty work of God's infinite grace, mercy, and certainly His love. God sent His Son as our defendant. Because of the Blood that covers me and my sins, Jesus is able to defend my honor. He looks past the lies, the hate, the impurities, the shame, and the guilt and says that it has all been taken away through the Blood. It is then and there that we can be honored. In the Presence of the Great Defender- the Glory of Love!

overwhelming!

Wow! It's been a while since my last blog. By the way I had an incredible time at the beach- and of course I did praise the Lord for the works of His Mighty Hands! I was just sitting here and thinking that it was high time I blogged again and so I am. School has started back and I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. I've really not wanted summer to come to an end. It's been a whirlwind and I've been swept away.
This summer has been quite overwhelming. From one degree to another. It's actually even hard to describe what transformations have taken place around and most importantly "in" me. I've learned of relationships, both with man and with God. There's a great correlation. This lesson started rocky and with much saddness. A broken heart, feelings of rejection and abandonment along with unfaithfulness aren't the best emotions to carry along. But thanks be go God that we don't carry them along. He begs us to allow Him to carry these for us. With some hesitation and resistance I slowly began to allow God to take these broken pieces of me and begin to piece them back together. And to my amazement and delight He did! Piece by piece I was being put together. I was being transformed. I was being made new. I was being revived. I was becoming whole- I was becoming wholly His! He has revealed so much to be about His love for me. I have been swept away by the ultimate Bridegroom. "with one glance of my eye, I have stolen the heart of God"- Song of Songs 4:9. He has called Himself my Husband and promised His faithfulness and love to me. "For your Maker is your Husband- the Lord all mighty is his name..." Isaiah 54:5. Isn't that amazing! I have just clinged to those promises and have cherished the love that He has been lavishing on me.
I will also confess of the multiple times that Satan has so eagerly tried to creep through and steal my joy. I've woke up several mornings with thoughts from the Enemy, but I have also learned and have grown fond of the promises that I am an OVERCOMER! Revelation 12:11 promises that I have overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and by testimony. That is some powerful stuff. God's truths are always winning against the schemes of the Enemy- when he says I've been rejected, God says that I have been accepted into His embrace...when he says I am worthless, God says I AM most WORTHY!...when he says I am ugly, God says you are beautiful and I delight in you.
This has all been overwhelming for me. It's been amazing! These words on this page doesn't do Him justice. But His Word is truth. His Word is power. His Word is love. If you don't know Him or His Word, He calls us to "draw near to Him and he will draw near to us." This is a powerful promise. He desires a relationship with us. He wants us to be so close and in love with Him. Let Him love you and begin to love Him!

There's something about...

There's something about the ocean that makes me rise up and praise!
Well for those of you that don't know, those of you who do know, those of you who don't care, and those of you that do care, I'll be departing for Myrtle Beach, SC tomorrow morning!! I'm looking so forward for some R&R on the shores of the Atlantic.
More importantly, I am looking so forward to hearing the whispers from God to my heart and soul. There is always something about the ocean that makes me stand in awe of who God is and His Greatness!! I love squishing the sand between my toes and cherishing the thoughts that God has for and about me! The psalmist said it best "how precious are your thoughts about me O God, they cannot be numbered! I can't even count them! They outnumber the grains of sand!" Psalm 139: 17, 18. And then to stand on the edge of the land and the beginning of the vastness of the great sea. And to think He holds the waters of the Earth in his palm!
How foolish we are to try and question His love and forgiveness for us! How crazy it is for us to turn and walk away from such a powerful God! How radical is it for us to ignore His majesty! If we are to be foolish, crazy, or radical, let it be toward serving the ALL MIGHTY, ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING MOST HIGH GOD!

The Golden Scepter

Recently I've grown quite curious and interested in Queen Esther. I've started reading the book in the Bible and focusing close attention to the crown being placed on her head and the scepter of the king that was held out for her to touch. You may be thinking these are trivial things and really of no importance, but I have come to learn and study that these are key. For believers and for nonbelievers the golden scepter is key.
During the reing of kings and queens(for instance during the reign of King Xerxes and Queen Esther) it was illegal for anyone to approach the king in the inner courts without being summoned by the king. It was the law that they would be put to death. (Esther 4: 11) The only exception was if the golden scepter was extended from the king. When Esther was queen a plot to kill all the Jews was stirring in motion. The Queen had a perfect position to tell the King the plot and to share with him her family background and history (Esther was really a Jew). The only problem with her sharing with the king and making a petition was that she had not be summoned by the king. He had not invited her to share her petition.
Esther 5:1-3 says "On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king asked, 'What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you."
Wow! I read and read and read this scripture and prayed and prayed and prayed to see what was God teaching me. Then just like ALWAYS the ton of bricks fall and I began to see very clearly the meaning behind this passage. As born again children of the King of Kings we have had a crown placed on our heads, a royal robe has been given for us to wear, and we have TOUCHED the golden scepter. We have been invited to enter the courts of the Most High. He asks us to come to Him. Our golden scepter was Christ and the sacrfice that He made for us on the cross that allows us to come.
Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Do you see the same thing that happened to Esther. Because the golden scepter was placed before her, she was able to approach the throne of the king with confidence and receive what she was pleading for in her time of need. The same is for us. God desires us to come to Him and seek Him in our times of need. Hebrews 10: 19- 22 says it straight-forward "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
Again- WOW! If you are reading this and you are a born again child of the Most High then I am challenging you to draw nearer to God. Enter His throne room with confidence. Approach Him knowing that He has already laid His golden scepter before us- His precious son Jesus. If you have not experienced the saving grace and love of Jesus Christ, I am asking you why? What is keeping you from finding mercy and grace in the sacrifice that has been made for you? He is calling and inviting us to touch the golden scepter of His love, grace, and mercy!

He did speak indeed!

So this morning as I was getting ready for church (which I was doing later than normal- I had over slept) I was praying and thinking about what God would speak to me today...I had checked my myspace as I do everymorning (yes, this is quite and obsession) and had posted my status to be something along the lines of wondering what God would speak to her or something like that....I went to church...heard a wonderful message and definately knew the Lord was drawing me in and closer to Him....I left church and came home...still thinking about the message and went about my Sunday afternoon....dinner, cleaning the guest bedroom, and a good nap! (Sunday afternoon are great for napping!) I then woke to attend a friend's baptism (we can praise God for his decision!) and then to youth meeting as usual....this is where the story goes from good to great!....the lesson presented was fabulous....God was again speaking, but not like I was really wanting to hear from Him....I listened though and praised Him for His forgiveness and grace....I sat amazed at His righteousness and blown away at how He washed us clean and creates us to be new creations! Isn't that wonderful to know!?! Afterward I was reading a scripture in my dear friends Bible...this is a very neat Bible....The Spirit Filled Living Bible...(which I think I might purchase in the next few weeks)....as I was browsing through his Bible I was noticeing notes and papers that he had written...lessons that God was teaching him...I don't like to think that I'm nosey, but it's fair to say that I was being a bit nosey....I was enjoying reading some of the things that God was teaching him! I then came across what looked like a familiar envelope....it was addressed "Africa Mission"...it was mine from 2006! My friend had kept this envelope and had written all kinds of things on the front and the back....as I'm reading (being nosey) I find a paragraph written....whoa! this was something that my friend had shared with me in July 2006....this was a message he had jotted down that he thought I should hear...something that God had pressed on him to share with me....immediately I began to cry (not surprising if you know me) I knew that God was SPEAKING directly to me and through a message for me some two years ago! WOW! God has something planned for me and I've not been listening....I'm getting ready....I'm getting prepared....I have so much love and I'm to be lovsick for my first love- my Savior! I am His love!! He has something for me that no one human being can fill, that no one job, no salary, no home, nothing can fill, but the Spirit of God! He did indeed speak to me today! I pray that God will begin speaking intimate truths in your lives! Listen. He isn't pushy, He isn't loud, He isn't on a megaphone. My God whispers. He desires us to listen and to preceive all He has for us. Get ready, get ready, get ready!!