We all scream for icecream!

Happy first day of summer! I know it's not... however, this is the word the Lord spoke to me this morning. 

And that word caused me to remember something that happened to me in church yesterday. I kept seeing this vision of ice cream. I had no clue what it meant but every time I saw it, it made me want to giggle out loud. I had to hold it in because it was so intense this desire to just laugh every time I saw ice cream! 🍦

So today I looked up what the spiritual meaning of ice cream could be....and this is what it is...

Joy, Happiness, Fun! 

(This whole blog was started on a promise that God gave me about great happiness coming into my life in a season that looked like anything but!)

And if that wasn't enough... I went to put this word into a very special journal that I only write about my happiest moments. 

And this is what was on the page... 

You know you just can't make this stuff up! When you have this intimate relationship with God He will amaze you!  He truly is the lover of our soul! 

A Hedge of Beauty

I always thought of being hedged in as a bad thing...like a thorny ugly thing for people who are in rebellion or need to be corrected. But recently on a walk God showed me how far from the truth that can be.  

I'm quite adventurous on a hike.  I'm not a girl afraid of bugs, snakes or critters of any kind. I'm not afraid to get dirty or break a nail. I clean up well and nails grow back.  So this one day in particular as I was exploring I found myself completely hedged in. However, as I turned around to look at everything that hedged me in all I saw was beauty.  Vines and trees in full bloom. Life all around me.  As I turned and took this all in the Lord started to speak to my heart. "Anna not every hedge is bad. My hedge around a life is beautiful and meant to bring protection and a time of wonderful intimacy.  Don't try so hard to get out of My hedge... enjoy this time with me for I am accomplishing something in you.".  

When I came home from that walk my devotional calendar was such confirmation. 

Here it is. 

I have build a hedge

Has not thou made an hedge about him? 

Job 1:19

I have build a hedge about you, even as was written concerning Job. I am keeping you,  My child and for one purpose in particular... that you be able to accomplish the task committed to you, therefore give diligence to your mission. 

Lord I pray right now for anyone reading this blog post that may feel hedged in by life. That You open their eyes to the beauty around them. And even more so Lord that they see the bigger picture, that You are accomplishing something great in them. And that You may be glorified when it is revealed.

In Jesus beautiful name amen!    

He goes before me

God knows I'm a visual girl. Not that I have to see to believe. However He often uses something visual as life lessons for me. So today's lesson was a simple, but comforting one. I was on a 12 mile hike with my son-in-love, as I affectionately call him. And as we walked this unfamiliar terrain he went ahead of me picking up branches, large stones or anything that might be a hindrance, throwing them off to the side to clear the path for me. I realized that if I just followed him he was leading me well. So I stayed in step with that and just enjoyed the trail. 

Then God started talking to my heart. 

He said "Anna this is how I go before you in life... as you walk and spend time with me, fellowshipping with me, I'm going before you and making your way straight.  I'm lovingly getting everything out of the way that may hinder you or cause you to stumble. Just enjoy life and trust me. I got this!" -Jesus

As we came to the end of our hike I received this timely text message of the scripture below from a dear friend. I love when God confirms our heart talks so clearly.

"Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you." 

Proverbs 4:25 

I'm expecting!

Every morning I pass by this little nest tuck away in a wild shrub in the middle of a field I walk through. A month ago that shrub looked dead and barren. However, in just this short time it's budding and about to hold mama birds bounty! I love to see the miracle of life even in the smallest creatures. So each day I check it expecting to see life come forth. 

God has been talking to me about living my whole life with that same expectation I have checking that nest for eggs everyday. He wants us to live with such a heart of expectation and to believe that even in the most dead and barren places of our life, He's about to bring forth something alive and beautiful! 

“Thine expectation shall not be cut off.”

And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Isaiah 30:18  

Set apart not aside

Sometimes life's disappointments can really makes us feel set aside.  However there could be a higher and greater purpose when things don't line up the way we planned. Consider Joseph for a moment.  At first glance his life could look like a story of being set aside. He was thrown into a pit then sold into slavery. All by the hands of his brother's who were jealous because he was "daddy's favorite". And that's just the beginning of his 13 year ordeal where most of it was spent forgotten in prison for something he did not do. Well if that's all we knew about the story we would surmise, yes he was set aside.  However because we know the whole story, we know what Gods ultimate plan was for Joseph. We realize he was really being set apart not aside. He had been given an assignment that required preparation. Sometimes God's preparation for our life requires a season of being set apart.  Don't mistake that season for being set aside. Like Joseph, know at the end of that season you will be able to confidently say ....what was intended to harm me, God intended for good to accomplish what is now being done, so I could save the lives of many people.  

Stay abiding in Him.

you're being set apart for something greater then you know. 

Your giving the devil a heart attack

Did you ever have one of those seasons were you're getting hit from every side?  Instead of getting all caught up in those fiery darts did you ever stop and wonder why? And I don't mean in a why God me kind of way. I mean in a why God is the attack so ferocious? What are you about to do in my life that the enemy is terrified of?  Recently in one of those seasons in my life I witnessed how terrified the devil trully is of God. I received a phone call from a distraught person. They spewed and cursed and even mocked my walk with God. Seriously all I could do was feel such compassion for this person who really is hurting and is allowing the enemy to totally control their mind and actions.  So at the abrupt end of that call, perplexed I looked at God and said,  "what was that?!".  Within that hour I received another phone call from a dear sister in the Lord who said, "I have a word from the Lord for you". God says "you are given the devil a heart attack." And immediately I was like you know what I know that because he just called! Now that phone call made total sense to me. When we stand in the face of adversity no matter what is hitting us and keep our face on God we give the devil a heart attack. He does not know what to do with people who continue to worship praise and honor God when everything around them says they should curse Him. But like Job instead we say...

"Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him"!

So if the devil calls you up today spewing some verbal vomit lie to you. Send him a dread bomb. 

Let me tell you what that is.  Based on this scripture in 2 Chronicles 20:29.  And the "dread" of God was on all the kingdoms of the land when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

Now pray this....

I send the dread of the Lord into the enemy camp....fear, apprehension, anxiety, worry, concern, foreboding, unease, fright, panic, alarm, terror and sheer horror! 

In Jesus name amen! 

Those are some of the definitions of dread that's what I call a dread bomb! 

STAND and let the dread of the Lord consume you enemies! 

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Water, Fire and a Whale

They say if you ever get caught in a riptide don't swim against the rip. 

I think that's a good analogy for how to battle the storms in our life. If we struggle against them we can become weary, even to the point of drowning.   But if we rest in God and allow him to take us into deeper places we will survive. 

This Scriptures is another way to look at it. 

Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.  Isaiah 50:11

What it's saying is when we are in a dark place we are tempted to try to find our own way out by lighting our own torch instead of waiting for God's light to shine on the situation to show us the true way out.  And the harsh reality of the last sentence is when we try to do it our way, not Gods, we will lie down in torment.  I think the story of Jonah is a good example.  I believe lying in the belly of a whale could be a bit tormenting. So I pray strength for anyone in a storm today. Yield to the wonderful work that God is trying to accomplish in you through this storm. Go deep and draw closer to Him. Let his purifying fire burn off everything that shouldn't be in your life. And remember the best is yet to come! 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

The Repo Man

He redeems my soul....

Recently I was doing a study on the word redeem. And I found one of the definitions is repossess. I like to look up different words in a scripture because it can give you a deeper personal meaning. 

And for me that word repossess did just that. 

When I was in my wild girl days, before Jesus that is.

I had a first date with a guy who was a detective. Which happened to be I rode along with him down to Jersey shore to repossess a car. 

(I know like every girls dream date. lol)

God used that silly memory to speak this to my heart about the word repossess. 

He said, "Why does a person get a car repossessed"?  My answer was, "because they didn't pay for it". He said "exactly!". That's why I have the right to go to repossess your soul...(your mind,will & emotions) when the enemy tries to keep possession of them, because he didn't pay the debt I did!  Jesus wowed me with that one and I can't tell you how many times a day I cry out "God repossess my soul!" 

And he always does. In the natural I saw how hard that detective worked to get possession back of that car. Which now gives me a clearer picture of how relentless God is to repossess our soul.  

Because He's the best repo man out there!

He has redeemed my soul in peace 

from the battle that was against me...Psalm 55:18

Keep your composure

Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who wanders from his place.  Proverbs 27:8

I love the story in the Bible about the prodigal son. Maybe because in many ways I can relate to both the main characters, the father and the son. I have been prodigal and I've also been that parent waiting for a prodigal.  To sit in a place of rest when someone you love is not just walking, but running away from God can be anguishing.  Because if you're chasing God it will feel like they're running away from you.  But it's not so, it's the God in you that they can't be around.  And actually the Bible says we're to rejoice if we are persecution for His sake. I know, wow easier said than done! Prodigals can be hard on you when they are in their pigpen.  I know because like I said, I was prodigal at a time in my life, and I know I broke hearts. 

(Thank you Jesus you have mended them.) 

But you know what I love most about the prodigal story is the father's stance.  He never got into the pigpen with his son but he watched and he waited with great expectation that his son would return. And we know that by this verse .... "and when he was still a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion. and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." Now if that isn't a picture of redemptive love I don't know what is!  Don't give up on your prodigal, be it a child, a spouse, a friend. Pray, keep your composure, know God is working behind the scenes. 

I'm living proof! 

#aprodigalnomore

Birds of a feather flock together

Did you ever hear that expression? I had it go through my head yesterday.  It means people who are like minded, same morals, same likes, similar interest, similar character. But it got me thinking... what does my flock look like?  I think a person's flock says a lot about them. I think it's a good way to take a self-assessment to look at the peeps in your life. I'm not saying in a judgmental way. I'm saying what are their qualities....what do they have that you want to be flock together with? To often we can dwell on that one person in our life that don't have the qualities that make life enriching because of their own hangups, hurts or bondage. So I did this little mental assessment, even the bible says "be sure to know the condition of your flocks"...ok so it's talking about cows there. But it made me start to realize I have amazing people in my life! Generous, kind, loving, self sacrificing, lovers of God more than themselves. I started to well up with such hope as I dwelled on the amazing qualities of the people in my life. So if you don't have these kind of peeps in your flock it's time to pluck some feathers... Most importantly is Jesus a part of your flock?  Actually is He's in the center of it?  

If so you'll find yourself in some pretty awesome company. 

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.  Act 4:32

Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 

1 Corinthians 15:33 

Little note: I was given that statue a few years ago. But just realized it has bluebirds on it. And of course it's named happiness!

Sing the louder still

He placed me in a little cage,

Away from gardens fair;

But I must sing the sweetest songs

Because He placed me there. 

Not beat my wings against the cage

If it's my Maker's will,

But raise my voice to heaven's gate

And sing the louder still!

This was part of my devotional last week and it just keeps resonating in my heart. Sometimes in our struggles we can start to believe they are because of someone else's actions, or a circumstance that's happening to us out of our control. We can be like the words of this poem, "beating our wings against the cage". Because the thought of a loving God putting us here just seems cruel. But in all reality it is a loving God who will hedged us in so He can teach us to sing a louder, sweeter song, that is by His design to set the real prisoners free.

Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.

(Acts 16:25-26)

Happiness always comes back around

So let me tell you the bluebird story.  

In a very difficult time in my life God started saying the word "happiness" to me. Which was the complete opposite of my situation.  Also simultaneously he started inundating me with bluebirds, to the point I had to pay attention.  I was seeing them on everything from cups to cards to signs, they were even given to me as gifts when no one knew this beautiful intimate wooing God was doing to my soul.  One day it just drove me to go research what a bluebird symbolized . And to my sheer delight I discovered it was happiness!  Again at a time in my life when that would have been the last word to describe my circumstance, it was a breath of fresh air. A promise I clung onto till happiness came back around, because it always does. 

In fact one of my favorite bluebird experiences I want to share with you today is this. It happened one night after tossing and turning unable to sleep I finally deciding to just get up and go pray.  I have this designated place that I like to sit and talk to Jesus at. I guess you could call it my prayer closet, although it's not a closet. But I just feel like when I go there He's already sitting waiting for me. It was a bit chilly so I wrap myself in the cozy blanket that was laying beside me and cried my heart out.  You know that kind of messy cry you only do alone before the Lord. This was around the time He first started speaking to me about bluebirds and His plan for me was happiness. He was encouraging my heart to trust Him with all that was so heavy on it. I basked in His comfort for quite awhile and when I was finished I stood up, dropped the blanket behind me were I was sitting, and as I turned to switch the light off I realized it was covered in bluebirds. I literally felt like God said "Anna I have wrapped you in happiness don't fret about these things any longer". 

I want back to my bed and slept that sweet sleep that only comes from knowing Jesus. 

Jesus is such an intimate God and so personal.  He loves to delight and woo us. Especially when life breaks us. That's when He is lovingly gathering all the pieces.... not one will be missed.  and He's about to make a masterpiece out of them. So don't quit! Happiness always comes back around. 

At that time I will bring you in; yes, at that time I will gather you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all the nations of the earth when I reverse your captivity before your eyes, says the Lord. Zephaniah 3:20

Welcome Feathered Friends

So why Bluebird House? Well I'm glad you asked. 

The bluebird is symbolic of happiness. 

I hope any time you spend visiting my blog that's just what you experience,  true happiness. :D 

I believe God has hardwired us to pursue happiness. Unfortunately what many people consider to be happiness is fleeting.  True happiness only comes when we live our life for the one who created happiness. 

So in a world filled with so much unhappiness, I wanted to create a place where you could sit down with a hot cup of whatever floats your boat (mine would be tea).   And get to know along with me the one who really brings true happiness, Jesus.  

  

So welcome to the happiness house.  

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous - with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble,who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!  Matthew 5:3