Christmas Reflection  Part of a 

Royal Family By Babs Kincaid

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into

His wonderful light;” 1 Peter 2:9

Christmas sets the stage for the Genius of Strategy, namely God placing His Son on earth to call his creation into His Royal family. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek word #1085 “generation” means “kin.” Did you catch the declaration that children of God are called a royal priesthood? Think about it! Wow, what an exceptional gift! That is who God says you are or who you can be if you accept His gift of salvation! The disciple John saw this remarkable scene: “Now I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…and on His head were many crowns… and the armies of Heaven followed Him on white horses.” Revelation 19:11, 12b. John continued to write in Revelation 19:16 “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.”  That takes my breath away, not that it is a prestigious gift but that it is profound and humbling! Granted you may have been part of an earthly family that was abusive or uncaring, but remember the God who is pure love wants to adopt you! You are invited to join Almighty God’s family which is worthy of praise!

Being chosen to be part of something of value has always been important to me. When I was growing up in elementary school, I was always chosen last for team sports because I wasn’t athletic. That was devastating and humiliating! I felt envious of others that had athletic skills! My parents didn’t see the need to add physical training to my childhood development so I felt inadequate! No wonder being adopted into God’s Royal Family is such a huge treasure to me! “He chose us in Him…having predestined us to be adopted as sons by Jesus Christ…” Ephesians 1:4a, 5a Nevertheless, sometimes I can get so complacent that I forget whose family I belong to. I am so thankful to be chosen to be part of God’s forever family and thankful I accepted His priceless gift! Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3b and “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:15b Christmas always reminds me of the wondrous and everlasting gift I received from my Heavenly Father!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, … that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” Ephesians 1:3a, 4b

Lauren Daigle has a song called You Say in which she sings “When I think I don’t belong, oh you say I am yours.”  Sometimes I can totally relate to that verse so I take comfort and encouragement in her song. This Christmas I am celebrating the fact that I am beloved by being a part of His Royal family. He is my “exceeding great reward.” Genesis 15:1b Wow, I am His and I am blessed to praise His name and it doesn’t get more awe-inspiring than that! Yea God!

Merry Christmas

Believing for a Miracle from God was my only option

Part Four

By babs kincaid

“We went…through water; but you brought us out to rich fulfillment.”

Psalm 66:12

“Oh, happy day” when my condo was finally listed after three months of physical and spiritual warfare! I couldn’t even contain my joy! God as Project Manager literally gave me the fulfillment of this verse: “to give them beauty for ashes,” Isaiah 61:3b God used a water leak from a faulty shower, interior pipes bursting in my living room and a leaking washing machine to force a sizeable home makeover. Thanks to my dear sister in Christ, Diana, I had a safe refuge from the storm while my condo was full of dust and debris! The process was long and challenging to my faith, but the outcome was a work of God’s beautiful artwork! My brown laminate flooring was replaced with grey Morocco flooring, my small baseboards were replaced with lush 5 inch decorative baseboards, my bright yellow walls were replaced with icicle paint (white with a hint of majestic grey), my cracked shower was replaced with a marble shower and my thread bear tub was refinished as a sparkling white dream tub! God surely knew how to flip my condo for ecstatic results and meet my personal needs in the process!

          I wish I could just fast forward through my trials in life, but God has ordained that I must go through them! Check out one of my favorite verses: “We went…through water; but you brought us out to rich fulfillment.” Psalm 66:12 Did you catch the word through? At least I don’t have to go so deep and long-term in the water as Noah did, right? At least I didn’t have to build a castle there and take up residence! Noah spent 364 days on board the Ark according to Mark Howard from Creation Ministries International! Other sources say 370! We could split hairs over it, but the bottom line is Noah and his family spent over one mega year on the boat! Now that was one test of patience and endurance!!! Wow. Noah had skills and giant faith! Makes my little water excursion seem like a cake walk!!! Did you stumble over the phrase rich fulfillment in Psalms 66:12? The King James Version records rich fulfillment as a “wealthy place” and according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance the Hebrew word #7310 means “satisfaction; runneth over, wealthy.” Now I believe there is going to be a wonderful end to my water story! I am so ready!!!

“Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have prepared for those who trust in you.” Psalm 31:19

        Wow, nothing short of miraculous was my older son’s recent purchase of his first home! On paper, his home offer fell short of others whose higher bids made his proposal look impossible. Remarkably, the sellers were moved by my son’s military service and sought to bless him for his patriotic commitment. Rather than negotiate with higher bidders, the sellers accepted his initial offer. It was a supernatural answer to prayer! Yea God!!! That’s the kind of God story that encourages my faith!!!! I became more inspired to believe for God’s favor for the sale of my condo and my purchase of another condo. My son’s Heaven drop story reminded me of God’s promise: “Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have prepared for those who trust in you.” Psalm 31:19 

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God

must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6

        God motivated me at the beginning of this journey to sell my condo, pay off my mortgage and buy another condo for a significantly lower cost for the goal of being debt free! That challenge from God was way outside my comfort level but, God ultimately wants to grow my faith! Now another tough test is on….waiting for the right buyer! I could have said yes to a low offer, but that would have sabotaged my goal of being debt free! So the heat is on and I cling to my faithful God as I wait to see God meet this challenge with victory!!! Stay tuned……

…to be continued

Believing for a Miracle from God was my only option

Part Three

By babs kincaid

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a

harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

When I decided to fix up my condo to sell it I had no idea I had signed up for major spiritual warfare! I was vulnerable enough to think that my project would be a simple process of several months of deep cleaning, minor repairs, decluttering and staging. What a shocker when my shower flooded my second bedroom ruining my flooring! The entire shower also had to be redone! As if that wasn’t enough, several water pipes busted and more water flooded into my living room and bedroom and utility room. Now three more rooms had to have new flooring! At this point, I was ready to build an Ark! Yikes!!!! The plumber had to cut through the drywall to find the leaky pipes so now the living room was in need of a new paint job! The list kept growing! The spiral downward culminated when the washing machine broke down and the plumber told me the air conditioner was on its last leg! Such an overload of good news was trying my faith and wearing me out. One of my friends quoted me this scripture: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrew 10:36 I hated the word persevere! Really! That was not the scripture that brought me comfort and encouragement! I felt beat up and wiped out with the dust and primitive décor that had rocked my peaceful sanctuary! My flooring was now a patchwork quilt of concrete and laminate flooring and my belongings were stacked in corners of every room with no order or design! My once peaceful refuge looked like a war zone! I wanted to run away and go on a long, long vacation! I wondered if I could wake up from my nightmare! The forecast looked really grim but the truth was “God is on my side, I will not fear.” Psalm 118:6 Now that brought me great comfort!

“The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 4:14

I wasn’t going to admit defeat or give up on my dream to live debt free by selling my condo for more money and buying another condo for less money! I hired a Public Adjuster to advocate for me and praised God for turning the tables on my behalf! The more obstacles I faced the more determined I was to sell my condo! The God who spoke the stars into being, who “gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command” Proverb 8:29, who made lightning for the rain (Psalm 135:7b) was fighting my battle for me! In my research I learned: “Lightning benefits the earth, keeping its electrical charge in balance and generating protective ozone.” C. Claiborne Ray from the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Yea God!

Praying to God became my persistent anchor to navigate through the treacherous waters of my storm! I realized I needed courage and strength to endure the trial! After the death of Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Knowing God is on my side was so reassuring and inspiring! I took peace from this verse: “…Be not dismayed,...I will strengthen you…For I, the LORD your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:10b,13 My disastrous situation need God’s dazzling miracles! My anxiety level was sky high, so I needed to turn it over to my Heavenly Father! I found encouragement in this verse: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 The fight to restore my home to a peaceful sanctuary was bigger than I could handle! Only God could stand in the gap for me and make it happen! So I rejoiced in God’s lovingkindness and claimed this verse to increase my faith: “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14 The next chapter of this great adventure was with me continuing to wait upon God. As my Master project manager, I believed he had surprise moves to dazzle and amaze me!!!

…to be continued

Believing for a Miracle from God was my only option

Part Two

By babs kincaid

“It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect” Psalm 18:32

            This photo is me plunging into the deep waters of the unknown for a dive into faith!

       “All hard work brings a profit,” Proverbs 14:23 I kept telling myself as I diligently prepared my condo ready for resale. I would go to work and then come home and work on my condo, trusting God to renew my strength! The intensive project required painting walls and deep cleaning everything, purging belongings, repairing and decluttering my condo. My anchor of hope in all my labor was trusting God! This scripture motivated me: “And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” Proverbs 16:20b According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance the Hebrew word trusts #H982 “be confident or sure, be bold (secure), put confidence, and (make to) hope.” According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the Hebrew word “happy” #H835 means “blessed.” I had to face reality, truly my plans were bold and required me to step out of my comfort zone! Check out the truth:  Jesus said “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.” John 15:5 That was my anchor of hope by remaining in a relationship with Christ and following Him in my venture, I would be productive and fruitful!

God armed me with strength with a winning team! Teamwork is what God used to make my condo dream makeover work! God provided an electrician who wishes to remain unanimous, Diana Phelps with God-given decorator/organization skills, and a resourceful realtor Ethel with God-given wisdom and unique skills, to help me succeed! Diana organized my closet and utility room and helped me to shop and decorate my condo with key design elements. Listen to God’s concept of working together: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil.” Ecclesiastics 4:9a Another verse shows the blessing of teamwork: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,” 1 Peter 4:10 When you trust God to provide for your needs, be prepared to be exceedingly blessed by the best!

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see

the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

Taking a leap of faith is a decision and commitment with God navigating, but crossing the finish line is hundreds of individual steps. Picture a puzzle with 1000 pieces and you have just visualized my project to get my shabby chic condo ready for selling. One piece at a time seems caterpillar slow, but that is how faith works in real life! I feel like Nehemiah rebuilding the wall in Israel one brick at a time! Growing in faith is being stretched in trusting God to provide all the necessary ingredients for a successful outcome! “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and … I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God, must believe that He is and that he is a rewarded to those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

My earnest prayer was that God would repair and set up my condo! I realized God’s help is crucial: “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;” Psalm 127:1a According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance the Hebrew word “build” #1129 means “to build literally and figuratively, begin to build, make, repair and set (up). Consider these verses: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11a “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.” Psalm 37:5 Crystal clear was my decision to turn over my house makeover to God!

With God’s help, I wanted potential buyers to see my home as a sanctuary to personalize as their own. When you lean on God  you have no idea what your incredible future will look like…

to be continued…

Believing for a Miracle from God was my only option

Part One

By babs kincaid

Believing for a miracle from God was my only option to sell my condo at top market value, pay off my loan, and buy another condo to become debt free. One of my friends at church had actually done this so I was inspired to follow her wise example. I decided to claim a promise from Jesus who said profoundly: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 Let me give you a more comprehensive visual so you can understand my predicament. Built in 1985 my condo had seen better days in its 33 years old. For sure my location was a high drawing card for any buyer. Unfortunately, my lack of an updated kitchen and updated bathrooms was not a buyer’s delight! My shabby chic Key West décor was perhaps not the most desirable for staging a stylish presentation to score a sale. God so graciously ministered encouragement to me in His word. A beautiful promise jumped off the page of my Bible and locked into my heart: “The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” Psalm 10:14b That’s me I said! God was my hero when it came to turning hopeless situations around for happy endings! So it was time for me to believe God for a huge miracle!

Financial freedom was a high motivator for me to declutter my home and make as many improvements as I could afford. Regrettably, my budget was extremely tight. I had to humble myself and ask my friends to do volunteer ministry work. No joke, my talents and skill set for home improvements was totally lacking which put me to another disadvantage for sure! My realtor informed me that the condos in my development that sold for the paramount prices were all remolded and updated!!! Ouch! Could potential buyers look past the outward appearance of my humble condo and see remarkable potential? When I looked at all the flaws in my condo I felt disheartened, but I had to trust the Master who turns crazy imperfections into creative possibilities.

Jenny Davis ties the knot with Kyng Ryan on Singer Island Municipal Beach.
Such a beautiful couple!

Was it a coincidence that Jenny recently shared with me her extraordinary story of believing God for a miracle when He was the only option? No!!! God was giving me more confidence in trusting Him. Listen to her Heaven drop story. Jenny’s idea of a happily ever after wedding was one on the sandy beach. It had to be held on the sunset beach at 5 pm. She wanted to feel the sand under her feet and the smell of salt spray on her face. Joyfully she woke up on her wedding day, and looked outside to be devastated with an ominous black sky threatening to burst into rain! Yikes! She immediately talked to God about her dream to be married on the beach without liquid sunshine! Check out God’s heart: “the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Proverbs 15:8b She refused to give up her hope for a beach wedding! She had contracted a company from Miami to bring all the decorations, chairs and design elements for the event. Her conversation with God continued throughout the day as she prayed and persistently believed God for a miracle. She proceeded to her hairdresser appointment with the fearless notion her special day was to be a beach setting. When she left the hairdresser at noon, it was raining so hard her hairdresser walked her to her car with a big umbrella. Her fiancé called her and suggested they move the wedding to the inside and she said emphatically no! By 3:00 pm it was still raining and her Mom told her to call the company and cancel. She gave lip service to her mom and then didn’t call the company. She was relentless about believing God would be faithful to allow her to have her romantic storybook ending at the beautiful beach! She was late arriving at the beach and when she did her eyes gazed into the sparkling sunshine and white sand. The sand appeared to have been untouched by rain! Yea God! Against all hope, she believed! Check out the nature of God: “For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 I know God was smiling that day as He watched that wedding unseen from a front row seat on the beach. Yea God!!!!

         The question is could I be relentless like my friend Jenny in putting all my confidence in God? Could I believe that all my hard work would yield a profit? Could I trust God to sell my condo and help me purchase another one so I could be debt free when all the odds were stacked against me?

...to be continued

Peace Comes When You Transition From

Anger To Acceptance

By Babs Kincaid

     Anger is a cruel drill sergeant, is what I learned growing up in the home of an angry alcoholic dad. God expresses it best: “Anger is cruel.” Proverbs 27:4a According to Strong’s Exhaustive concordance the Hebrew word #394 for cruel means “terrible.” My dad was a ticking time bomb who expected daily perfection from me. His tongue was like an arrow that pierced my heart as he tore me apart daily with disapproval and rebuke! Check out the perspective of the Creator of the universe: “A deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4b  I felt pulverized like salt! As I grew up my love tank was depleted as the years progressed, until my love for him was replaced with pure anger and hate. 

          I spent many years carrying a backpack of anger that I felt justified to share with others. I had no idea that anger was ruling my life! God’s word shines the light on this issue: “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7b I had relinquished my control to anger and it ruled me! I could not shake off the painful scenario, so I replayed it for others any chance I could. I wanted the world to know how I had been wronged! I was a bitter woman with a deadly poison infecting my mind, body, and spirit! Reliving my pain over and over again only prevented my painful wound from healing! I was unable to move forward in my life. Resentment filled my thoughts, as I felt my dad had stolen my childhood. Check out God’s viewpoint: “The godless in heart harbor resentment,” Job36:13 That was an accurate description of me. “Resentment limits our ability to live in the present. Holding on to resentment causes anger, stress, anxiety, depression, and frustration. Resentment keeps us focused on the person or situation causing the negative feelings. It prevents us from accepting God’s healing.” Twelve Steps for Christians by Friends in Recovery.  I viewed myself as a pitiful victim in life. I had no idea that my negative drama was offensive to others. I was stuck in a toxic cycle:

A = annoyance

N = negative emotion

G = grudge

E = enraging

R = resentment

“sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7b

       When I finally allowed God to take the lead in my life, I learned that Jesus wanted joy to be my strength! I had been misguided into believing that anger was my strength. Check out the truth in God’s word: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 To break free from my prison, I had to forgive my dad and allow God to heal my broken heart. I made a list of all the lies my dad had told me and lined them against God’s word. I learned I wasn’t created to be condemned by my earthly father. God’s word says it best: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 My dad had used anger to control me and my Savior Jesus has used mercy to love me! My dad had held me in bondage with his anger and my beloved Heavenly Father had set me free to love. 

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you…Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

         When I transitioned from anger to acceptance, peace was my amazing reward. Anger is the second phase of the grief process and acceptance is the last. The grief process goes from shock, anger, negotiation, sorrow, to acceptance. The first two lines from The Serenity Prayer* hold some vital keys to acceptance: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” by theologian-philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr.

Forgiving my dad led to my accepting the abusive childhood I couldn’t change and my reward of serenity. I can now be thankful for the gift of mercy God gave me to minister to others because of my agonizing experience. Reaching out to others in compassion had replaced my motivation to react in anger and curse my dad!  God says it best: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:13b Yea God for my victory and peace!!!

          *Serenity Prayer   “The prayer was originally conceived in response to the barbaric evil of Nazi Germany that threatened civilization itself during World War II…Reinhold was a first-generation German-American…who was safe from persecution but powerless to intervene against Hitler.” Susan Cheever from The Fix

Bullying: An encounter meant for evil

God turned around for good

By Babs Kincaid

“you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:20

My heart sunk the day my oldest son came home from school and said: “I don’t want to ride in that carpool anymore!”  My son Sam was enrolled in elementary school and I was working so carpooling seemed to be a great fit for our family. Immediately, I asked him why he wanted to withdraw from the carpool. Then I heard the words every mom dreads to hear from my son: “They made fun of me and call me names!”  So I learned he was riding to school with a mini group of girl bullies! My blood was boiling and my first reaction was to remove him from the scene of the crime! “How dare they attack an innocent person who means them no harm?” I thought. The truth was Sam was going to a Christian school, but the girls were not living after the role model of Christ. The bullies had not understood or learned the scriptures: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers…Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you…And be kind to one another,” Ephesians 4:29, 31, 32a Ending the carpool seemed like the most obvious solution, but I was checked in my spirit to pray to God for wisdom!

According to Parents Magazine, bullying can start at an early age and has possible root causes. Allan L. Beane, Ph.D., author of The Bully Free Classroom gives insight on the subject: “Research indicates that bullying behavior can start as early as age 3. Research also shows that children who are exposed to aggression on a consistent basis may imitate the behavior they observe. Such children, for instance, may live in an abusive household, witness their parents' uncontrolled anger, or feel neglected and unloved. Children must understand that bullies have a need for power and control over others and a desire to hurt people.”

“Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things

 which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

To my surprise, God gave me an astonishing and creative response to my prayers that I would never have dreamed of! Some of my favorite scriptures motivated me to dig deeper in prayer with God into my son’s dilemma: “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 and “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says 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.” Isaiah 55:8-9 Meditate on those two scriptures to get a colorful visual of God’s brilliant ways! God told me to give Sam a pad of paper and a pencil to draw with on the ride to school! Are you kidding me, how will that ever help the situation I thought? God knew that Sam could draw and he had an extraordinary plan to capitalize on it! Even though that made no sense to me, I followed God’s instructions. Reluctantly, Sam entered the car armed with his weapons of a pad of paper and a pencil. I remember Jesus said: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Matthew 10:16 Totally he was fully armed and dangerous to fight the bullies! Not! To my great shock, Sam came home that day with a positive report! He said the girls asked him what he was doing and when he showed them his drawings he became a hero! He had moved from jerk to genius in their eyes! Game changer! Immediately one of the girls asked him to draw them a picture of a horse! God works in mysterious ways, but profound ways that make for a winning outcome for sure!  That was the end of the carpool bullying for Sam! Yea God!!! The encounter that had been set up for evil God turned around for good! Yea God!!!

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Prayer… The untapped Gift for a believer

 to lead a rewarding life

by Babs Kincaid

Glorious prayer gave birth to one of my favorite mile markers in my life that occurred in a beautiful Easter pageant. I had been attending a small church and had been privileged to play the role of Mary. For me that was both intimidating and humbling! I surprised myself by agreeing to take on such a daunting assignment! I struggled with believing that I could do justice to such an eloquent task! I kept thinking it is going to take a miracle for me to do a credible job at this task! As we rehearsed the inspiring pageant, I felt so out of my comfort zone! I felt like I was just going through the motions at best! I was sure the choir director could sense my uneasiness! Easter is my favorite holiday beside Christmas, so I didn’t want my hang-ups to detract from the magnificent message of eternal life in Christ! The truth I knew in my heart was this promise: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 As I continued in prayer, I felt my confidence shift from myself to God! Talking to God has always made a huge difference in any challenge I have faced!

That Easter Sunday, it was almost as if that moment in time I was transported to “the Place of a Skull, which is called Golgotha, where they crucified Him…” John 19:17b in Israel. That morning, all other sounds and faces faded away and I believed I was there at the grief-stricken cross of Jesus. I removed the crown of thorns from the cross, studied it, and fell to my knees in excessive pain with tears streaming down my face. It was as if Simeon’s prophecy hit me like lightening, “a sword will pierce through your own soul also” Luke 2:35a. The Holy Spirit allowed me to feel a fraction of what Mary might have felt. When it was over, I marveled at what had just transpired! I mention it to my choir director and he said he had prayed all night for the cast by name. Wow, I felt so humbled and grateful for his fervent and passionate prayers! Truly the “effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b Because of all the collective prayers God moved mightily!    I can’t tell you how fulfilling that experience was for me. Literally it was a moment in time that took my breath away! I felt like Heaven had opened up and poured out a tremendous anointing on me! What was phenomenal to me that day was my experience for the second service was precisely the same! I felt like the powerhouse of the Holy Spirit was moving through me in a wondrous way! What a gratifying gift from God!

“He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6b

      The day that God flipped a public speaking experience of mine from catastrophe to celebration because of humble prayer was unforgettable! It was a mile marker in my life, I will never forget. God had divinely placed a joyful mentor named “Uptown Patsy Brown” in my life. One day she asked me to share one of my original devotions with her women’s group. I said yes, even though I was shocked and terrified at the same time. I invited my prayer warrior mom to come for moral support! My car was meticulously packed with my Bible, purse, a beautifully wrapped package, and my easel of paper. In my frenzy to get ready, I had forgotten one key item! You guessed it…..my notes! Yikes! Way to crash and burn before I even begin right? My mind flooded with fear! I felt like I was about to jump out of a plane with no parachute! “Help God” was my silent prayer! I opened the group with prayer and confessed to them: “Unless God brings the message today we will not be hearing anything but silence!” Well, my prayer ended and timidly I opened my mouth to speak as I smiled at the welcoming faces! God showed up majestically to my great delight and relief and brought an inspirational message! Yea God for answering my contrite prayer! My mom and I both were amazed at what came out of my mouth! Check it out: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13 Glory to God! Yea Jesus! What a Heaven drop blessing! What a Heavenly Father, who I can always count on to be my knight in shining armor! Talking to God is truly a privilege and His faithful responses to my prayers are a double reward!
      
      Take away: I wonder how many Heaven drop stories I could share if I sought out God more often in fervent prayer for my solutions?