It’s 11am and today is the day the Lord has made. I keep repeating that as I also recite proverbs 3:5-6 , lean on HIM… not your mind , Lizzie ! I’m uneasy, I’m scared , I’m nervous … let me explain….

Last Thursday I took a pregnancy test and To our surprise , it was positive… here we go again … We are thrilled, and terrified. If you scroll down a few months back you can read about our answered prayers and painful miscarriage in January. My dear husband and I have been trying to rejoice but we also have reservations after the last time and aren’t ready to believe it until we see the baby today. Well, until I see the baby today , due to Covid he is not allowed to come into the facility so that’s tough.

I feel alone right this moment. I know God is here , but I feel alone waiting the 5 hours until my “make it or break it “ appointment . Forrest is at work and I will not see him before my appointment, I have to do this all alone , I want my husband ….. praise God , Jesus promised to never leave me or forsake me , that he will be my husband.

Usually when I blog I try to have more structure. I try to include more scripture. Today I’m struggling with this. Today all I have is “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” today I have fear. Fear Does not come from God , we know this … but God addresses how we deal with fear , so he knew it would happen. Today; I’m on my knees, Help me Jesus.

We will be ok either way. God is still good either way. We are not alone and we are not forsaken. His ways are above ours … We are prepared for the worst and hoping for the best. Thank You , father for this baby. We trust you. Today is the day that the Lord has made and today I’m having a baby in the spring!

Prayers welcomed today. Thank you.

“Many will come in my name”-Jesus Christ

We live in a world that is not right.. sin came in and it’s not at all what it’s supposed to be. We would be fools to think that everything is “business as usual” but there is one thing I see gaining more prevalence and it’s deeply disturbing. What I am referring to is a Jesus that is simply “Jesus” by name alone. He does not possess the attributes of the Jesus of the Bible who is God in the flesh , therefore , he is not Yeshua Hamashiach – the messiah who came died and rose on the third day.

We see this Jesus in Islam , his name is Jesus but he is not at all who the king of Glory…creator of the world and savior is. This Jesus is a prophet and the one who will explain to Christians their error in believing he is God. THAT is not the Jesus of the Bible. The catholic catechism #841 affirms that Muslims serve the “same merciful creator” however Allah of the Quran has no son… they do not believe Jesus is the Christ … this is not the same father, and not the same Jesus. We see this other Jesus in certain denominations who is referred to by the daughter of bethel founder , Bill Johnson , as “the genie in Aladdin” who is here to only give us all we ever wanted and one who will not ever allow for sickness and pain. That is also not the Jesus of scripture.

Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him wascalled Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes WAR.

If this verse above startles you, maybe you are not sure WHO Jesus really is. He does not need his earthly mother to intercede, he does not need your works… his work on the cross is all sufficient and HE IS ENOUGH. HE CAN SAVE YOU BY HIS BLOOD ALONE. I find it so sad that I see bible believing Christians affirming a false Jesus. He is in the Catholic Church and many prosperity / new apostolic churches. He is not the Jesus of scripture , and the last thing on earth a regenerate Christian should be doing is affirming this false Jesus or defending those that follow him/ not telling them the truth! There is ONE and he is the living God in the flesh, he is hosanna , He is Emanuel , He is God. He is the sacrifice for our sins and all things were created through him… all who will be saved will be saved by Him alone.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus Christ shares his glory with no one on earth. He needs nothing , but out of obedience obeyed his father and died on the cross. He is unmatched , He is unchangeable no matter what any tradition of man may teach. There are no words in my language that can give him enough glory for what he has done, and does. He LIVES to intercede for us.. He needs no help.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Matthew 24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

He told us, he was graceful enough to warn us , why do we take him so lightly? This is serious business. If we have the wrong Jesus that Jesus can not save ! Souls are at stake , and your very own may be one of them if you affirm “another Jesus” or believe any other way to salvation is “Jesus and…” there is NO “and” … we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. He does not need our works. (Ephesians 2:8)

Matthew 24:5
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

Do you serve the real Jesus ? Or another Jesus ? Do you tell others in error the truth in love ? There is a way to know… what does the Bible say? Who does the Bible say Jesus is? How can we be saved ? This is who Jesus is. He is the one that the whole Bible points to, even if the verse isn’t a direct reference , it all points to HIM! The all sufficient savior! He is salvation, his sacrifice once and for all …is ALL … He is ALL, he PAID IT ALL. I encourage all who may come across this to seek after the true Jesus , the one in scripture alone. You will not find him in many churches these days. You will not find him in tradition, you will find him in the precious word of God, because he is the word ! Praise Jesus Christ !

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus is the word . Jesus is The son of God. Jesus is God

Yesterday we woke up to the sad news that a man named Kobe Bryant , his 13 year old daughter and seven other people were tragically killed in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, Ca. One thing that I could not shake was that he said goodbye to his wife and three other children that morning and never came home ….. they are left with the aftermath of their beloved family members passing on , as well as the others who have not been identified publicly. What a tragedy… one I never want to live.

Naturally my first thought as a Christian was “OH LORD , I pray they all knew you!” After some research I saw that Kobe claimed to be a catholic and all I can hope is that someone explained the true gospel to him… other than that I am not God and cannot judge another’s salvation, and this is not my purpose of writing.

We walk around and don’t think that today could be the last day of our lives. Only God knows the beginning and the end . You hear people say “ live life to the fullest , live every day as if it were your last , or do all you want before your time comes “ all of that is lovely, and we should enjoy this life we are so blessed with but those things, are not the objective of life. Many ask “why are we here ?” The answer is written in scripture , from the beginning to the end of the Bible. We are here for Gods good pleasure and to labor for Christ , to preach the gospel of repentance and keep the commandments of God, which are LOVE. We are here to know God through Christ Jesus. This life isn’t about us, but about the Glory of God. He is the giver of life and the only reason any of us have this borrowed breath in our lungs.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 says Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” And Ecclesiastes 12:14 goes a bit further to say “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil .”

Many of us don’t have much , many of us have much! None of this matters , God is no respecter of persons. We are all the same in Christ , and will be judged the same. Our works will be tried by fire if we are in Christ. The good will remain, and the useless will burn. 1 Corinthians 3:13 says “ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”

Every person who leaves this earth wether they were prepared (in Christ ) or not (denied Christ ) will stand before the God of the universe and give account for their life …. I pray all are ready although that is not reality , sadly.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Money won’t save us, good works won’t save us , status , priests , a church , Hail Marys, nothing saves us but the blood of Jesus Christ. we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This is what the Bible says. This is the truth I share with you today , in love.

I am not here to judge kobes salvation or anyone else who sadly passed on that helicopter , that is not the purpose of this post. The purpose is to plead with anyone who may read it to let this be a lesson that we are but a vapor (james 4:14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.) tomorrow is not promised and what are you doing today? Are you trusting in yourself? In your church? In a prayer you prayed ? Or are you trusting in Jesus Christ the only son of God , who is God in the flesh and is the only one who can save us on that day…

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” That name , is Jesus.

Please , examine your walk, your life , your soul , your relationship with Jesus Christ , and if you do not have one just know he is willing and able to give you a new life , the Bible says in Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” HE LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION! Meaning He is always interceding to the father on our behalf when we come to God through him in humbleness and in repentance .. There is nothing that can keep you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

One of the last things Jesus said was in Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “REPENT , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Please let the terrible death of these people open your eyes to your own mortality. God is the author of life and we do not know when our last day will be and we must be prepared for eternity ! There is no other way but by Jesus Christ the lover of our souls… we cannot save ourselves , and we are not getting out of here alive but in Christ alone, we have eternal life… where do you stand with Him today?

Prayer for today : GOD, thank you so much for your son , thank you that you lowered him for a short time to be the substitute for our sin if we put our trust and faith in him. Please bring anyone who may not know you to examine their life and walk , to see their need for a savior and to know that the only savior is Jesus Christ. Comfort the families of those lost yesterday and give them strength to face the day … we ask that they will come to YOU in this time , in Jesus name, amen.

How do I do this , father? How can I trust you when I feel that the only thing I’ve ever wanted with all of my heart beside a relationship with you , has been ripped violently away from me… from us … how do I trust you in tragedy?

I can’t , that’s how …… these thoughts have been in my head since 4pm Saturday January 18th , When just 8 days after we rejoiced over a miraculous positive pregnancy test… we lost it.. The joy was over in such a short amount of time I wasn’t even able to process what was happening. We were on top of the world planning and naming, daydreaming of what he or she would be like … what color will their room be ? Where will they sleep in the beginning? We wont be able to bear to be away from them so we will use the bassinet that has been in the family since my grandmother was born in 1915 …. will we homeschool ? What about vaccinations? We were so excited and in a few hours an ultrasound and a blood test , it was over. Our baby was dead… we don’t understand and This hurts so much…..

Let me back up and explain what I mean when I say “I can’t trust him” because that may seem very concerning to other Christians, I know it would concern me if a brother or sister said this. John 15:5 says “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Jesus said “you can do nothing” that includes trusting God … without the Holy Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead I CAN DO NOTHING .. that is a gift of the Holy Spirit , and God sent his spirit the moment I saw the physical evidence that my answered prayers were dead….. we were engulfed by the love of God , we were held and comforted in that very moment. Sadly in the past My Go to is to get angry with God sometimes over small things and this was the biggest thing of my life , the largest heartbreak, the most painful thing I’ve ever endured and all I could say was “PRAISE GOD HE IS GOOD AND RIGHT AND TRUE “

That was not me, that was the grace and mercy of a loving father who is sovereign and has every single thing in the Palm of his hand, the one who holds our hearts as they break , and puts them back together By the power of his word, and has caught every tear of this life and this miscarriage…

Psalm 56:8 “you keep track of all my sorrows
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.”

Again, we are back to we don’t have to understand but we just have to trust that the same God who knitted our baby together in my womb , has them now and knows better than we do. We rejoice that our baby was made for glory and not this earth… that the moment they left my womb they were BORN in the presence of Jesus Christ and by his blood we will see them soon, in heaven. PRAISE GOD HE IS GOOD AND RIGHT AND TRUE !

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

HE is God and we are not…the author of time.. the alpha and the omega! He knows what He is doing although It still hurts and I’m sure it will for a long time , but not for one moment have we been angry with God , not for one moment have we blamed God. We have asked questions , that may never be answered this side of heaven …. but the power of God has gifted us peace in this storm of confusion and pain… that is not of ourselves but of the spirit of the living God because we are not able ! We can do nothing without him.

I could say a million things but I will leave with this thought. No matter what you go through, no matter how hard, Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” We know this is true because we experienced it and ARE experiencing it. He never left , we are not forsaken , he didn’t do this to hurt us , but to mold us and teach us. He knows what we don’t know and his ways are perfect. God does not make any mistakes! We are so loved and in awe of who God is in this experience. He’s Good, before this , during this , after this and forever.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Thank you father for answering our prayers. We are parents of a baby in Heaven! Thank you for the love you poured over us as we sat in the emergency room and as we drove the hour home in tears … thank you for holding us close as we went to bed and woke up and every second in between… thank you for bringing us closer to you and one another than ever before … you are good and right and true…. we trust you by YOUR power , not our own. We cling to you and praise your name no less than we did before , but MORE … in the name of Jesus Christ , amen.

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

When we read how our savior responded as he was being charged and later led off to the cross to be tortured and crucified , there is a theme I notice…He either made his yes his yes or remained silent. He was under great injustice ! This was not fair , this was not truth… yet he remained silent .. This is very telling of how we as believers should react in times of intense verbal persecution. We see it happening more and more every day where the world wants to silence us …. we don’t want to be silenced naturally , but is there a time when our silence will speak louder than our words ?

Times we should not be silent would be a gospel opportunity , or to defend the poor, the homeless , the widow, the orphan .. those are times Jesus was not silent and I believe we should imitate him, Just as Paul imitated Christ.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

We don’t always have to defend ourselves, because the God of the universe says in Jeremiah 51:36 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf”… David said this in Psalm 62:5-7: “I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelter.”

When those times come (and they will come) when you feel hard pressed on every side, you feel hated for standing for the truth let these words comfort you. Be silent and know that the same God who defended Daniel in the lions den, the Lord who walked through the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to king Nebuchadnezzar’s amazement when he saw four men in that fire …. is defending you

Jesus trusted his father to defend him.. shouldn’t we ?

Prayer for today: Lord , lead us in all we do , from our speech to our Silence. Help us to be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit.. when to speak, and when to “open not our mouths”. Give us strength to withstand to the end , and to lean on every promise of protection you supplied us with. When we speak , give us the truth in love. When we are silent , give us peace…We thank you for your son and your Holy Spirit , in Jesus name , amen

Some of us are laying back with full bellies and hearts as we have spent the day with our loved ones. We come together to give thanks for the immeasurable grace that God has given us … especially in America. We reflect on our salvation and the freedom we have been given in Christ. We thank Him for our loved ones, our health, and our comfort, in Christ Jesus. As Forrest and I unwind and talk about the day I can’t help but have those who suffer today and everyday in the back of my mind and sitting on my heart.

Someone is going to bed this evening having spent the day alone, some are hungry and some have no hope. Someone is rejected by loved ones , some are not free to worship Christ where they live, some are addicted , and some are abused. These things happen all over the world and I can’t help but have a sense of sadness about how blessed I am…I give thanks to you Father for the mercy and grace you have showered over my life. I’m not worthy.. thank you.

Luke 14:13-14 comes to mind when I reflect on these things … “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” When is the last time we did this? Do we do this ? God’s word says we are to care for the less fortunate, to take care of the orphan and the widow.. to never practice favoritism.

James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

As we go to bed in our warm houses, as we wake up with plenty of food and a warm shower , a bank account with a little money and people who love us .. as we get in our cars to go find the best sales the day after thanksgiving , Let us not forget the calling God has on every Christian who has received the gift of salvation… to Love others , to serve others, to think of others no matter their position or status as greater than ourselves. Let us remember what TRULY matters in the life. The incorruptible things , like Love. Philippians 2:3 “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

We thank HIM for our blessings, we thank HIM for the things we need and the things he gives before we even ask. Let us think of others this season and every day , to give freely as he has given to us , to offer of ourselves without reservation… to fulfill the greatest commandment..and that is to love others as He has loved us.

Matthew 25:34-40 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? …The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Every day is thanksgiving when you belong to the king of kings.

2 Corinthians 4:15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

1 Samuel 1:9-11

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

I’ve thought of Hannah many nights long after my husband has drifted off to sleep and I’m awake with thoughts swirling, pillow wet, and hurt that gouges my heart so deep, it’s literally sore….mainly of age, time, confusion, anger and WHY … Father , why? So many times I ask why?

I wonder if Hannah was ashamed and embarrassed, or if she felt the restriction of time, as I do…The guilt of being the roadblock to what the person you love more than anyone on earth desires… not to mention the daydreams of watching them fulfill that … or pretending you don’t know they comfort you even when they have disappointment they don’t share, because they love you .. We (women) were made for this right? How can I be a whole woman, and be broken…and Why? The window is closing and time is running out ..I wonder, did the “Why” come back to haunt Hannah over and over?…What did I do , father ? Are you angry with me? Is my past too dirty ? Do you really love me? Did you forget about me?

God, Can you hear me? Please tell me, Why……

Hannah, Ive read your story over and over, I wished so much to have your outcome.. I’ve cried into my pillow, trying to put my makeup on, in the shower, at work, in the grocery store, when the other woman is buying clothes to accommodate her growing bump… naming him or her… or the one who has severed the life God blessed her with … it hurts… why?

Does the Why need to be answered ? No, Some why’s will never be answered on this earth and I’m left to remember these words in Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

HE GOES BEFORE ME

He has never left. He has never failed. He never will. Romans 8:28 tells us “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ALL things….even infertility.. HE knows it hurts , HE knows I cry , HE knows I don’t understand and HE holds my tears … psalms 56:8 “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?

I serve the author of time , I serve the one who walked off to the cross so that we can walk free.. I serve the one who created the earth, created man, then came to earth to stand in the gap for the sins of man and my “Why”. I don’t have to know why I have to know HIM. I may cry 1,000,000 more tears, all of which He will catch… I may feel that gut wrenching pain, I may wish it were different , but I’m done asking why… the why is for HIM to reveal, if HE sees fit because HE is good , HIS ways are above my own, HIS ways are perfect… all I have to do is trust him and know that the “why” was decided for HIS Glory. Let HIM have that… the Glory.. I’m handing over my “Why” tonight.. Glory to God.

Galatians 1:5 To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

My name is Lizzie and I am 37 years old, I live in California. I can’t wait to share in this blog journey with you all 💕

I have been married for 4 years to a wonderful man named Forrest. We have no children , but I’ve taken a liking to farm animals and homesteading. This blog will cover all things from homesteading, to infertility , to life lessons …. most of all I would like to glorify the King of Kings , Lord of all, Savior of the world , JESUS CHRIST . thanks for stopping by and stay tuned. Lord bless you all 🙏🏻