Basic Training

In the military, you begin by going through Basic Training. Basic skills are taught such as physical fitness, marching, marksmanship, rifle maintenance, and war maneuvers.  

Perhaps the greatest objective of Basic Training is to teach young recruits to fear the commands of the drill sergeant more than any other thing.  
Swift and severe punishment is given to those who would dare disobey his orders.  

This aspect of training is critical to the success of the military’s mission, for war involves great fear and danger, and if the soldier gives in to fear and disobeys an order, he threatens not only his life but the lives of countless others.

In the spiritual life, there is a corresponding objective. As we begin our journeys with The Lord, he trains us diligently to heed his words, for disobedience to his words and inner voice will result in the endangerment of everyone that is associated with us.  

It is written, “Watch your lives and doctrines carefully, for if you do so, you will save not only yourself, but everyone that hears you”.  

Our lives and doctrines must line up with the precepts of the Lord, or many others will be led astray from the devotion to Christ and the faithfulness to his words that are critical to the success of the mission of the church.

The objective of military training is to produce a military that operates as a single unit and can accomplish great objectives. The objective of spiritual disciplines is to create a church that can move and pray as one, a church that hears and responds obediently to The Master’s voice, a church that lives and breathes to bring glory to the Father and salvation to men.  

This is no small undertaking and must not be taken lightly, for Our Father is un-distractibly devoted to this objective.  

He will not be denied.  
No matter how long it takes, his will will be done; the church will be disciplined and perfected to live and move as one.  

It is to our advantage that we get onboard early and enthusiastically, for then we will avoid many un-necessary growing pains.

~ Brad Heilhecker 

New Clothes, New Wineskins, New Wine

In Luke 5, Christ explains the new covenant and compares it to the old covenant.  

His purpose is to warn us about trying to mix the two covenants.  

The old covenant was to find our acceptance by keeping the law; the new covenant is to find our acceptance purely by our faith in the finished work of Christ.  
His point is clear: we should not try to mix the two covenants.

He gives three reasons for this. First, by mixing the two, you will ruin the new covenant and you will not help the old covenant either (“the new garment will be ruined, and the old garment will not be mended”). Secondly, the old covenant is not able to handle the new covenant; the “new wine” will be spilled out and wasted. Thirdly, if we try to live by the old law keeping covenant, we will despise the new covenant, saying, “the old wine is better”.

It requires much faith, but what Our Father desires of his people now is that we turn completely to Christ and let him become our new law, let him become our new life.  

It may be a little old fashioned, but let us remember the wristbands with WWJD written on them: “What would Jesus do?” 

This requires a whole new mindset and an awareness of Christ’s nearness and involvement in our daily lives.  

We must trust that he is with us, guarding and guiding our steps, and teaching us what to say, how to think, and how to pray.  

He wants to be both our security in life and our significance in life. As it is written, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”

Be still and know I am God.

I will take care of you.

Your burdens, I will carry.

My love, I’ll give unto you.

Let me know your needs.

I will see you through.

Trust in me, and you will see

The love I have for you.

Lord, grant now a restful spirit,

Full of joy and peace to share,

Born of hope, mercy, and kindness;

We are courageous, forgiving, and fair.

Bold, triumphant, we serve Christ.

We love others and ourselves the same.

Marching together, one body,

His word will be proclaimed.

 ~ Brad Heilhecker 

Just Breathe My Dear

I see your smile slowly fading

And the twinkle in your eyes growing dim

You carry the weight of the world

And every one else’s burdens

While stuffing your hurts and desires 

to the bottom of the pile

Made to feel unworthy by past mistakes

That others throw in your face

How long How long you cry

Till you can be free of the angst

The sadness you push down sometimes so far 

You don’t even know what it is for anymore

You perform and perfect all that is around you 

Hoping that will make things easier to bear

Or just to be appeasing to the eyes 

or not add to the stress

The stress held down by the bites on your lips

The quiver if started may not be able to quit

The flowing of tears held back by a unbreakable dam for far too long

Breaking free like a release of pressure 

long over due is your dream 

Tears cleansing and flowing can only make 

You feel better for a moment 

Then you compose and carry on 

Keeping guard of your heart 

And continue carrying all those things you shouldn’t 

You find yourself stuck between the life you thought and the life you now live

Wondering ….
Am I worthy of being loved just the way I am

Faults and flaws all beautifully broken open 

On display without need for hiding anymore

If I am truly forgiven and free 

Why do I live like I am still imprisoned  

Your heart aching and longing 

for something more

Something easy and comfortable and not 

this egg shell walking dance you perform 

Moment after moment 

Day after day

Week after week

Month after month

Year after year

Grasping at the why’s….

Why do I allow them to make me feel less than 

That I don’t deserve respect and honor

That I am here as a stomping mat to

step all over 

Why do I stuff it all down till I blow 

Why do they fling these dings at my already worn out armor

Why do I keep these calluses formed on the edges of my heart from every hurtful word slung my way

Dreaming of wants …..

I want to look in the mirror and see joy and light 

I want a purpose and freedom

I want to see laugh lines instead of these 

tear stained crevices 

I want to feel love and care and comfort

wrapped tightly around me

I want this lonely silence to be filled with praise and thankfulness instead of dread and regret

I don’t know what or how but I need…

           Something More….

I need a move from something so much 

more powerful than I

I need a Savior that can rescue me

I need a hope and a future 

I need a peace that surpasses all understanding

I need for someone to come and speak truth to my soul to replace all these lies 

I don’t even know how to invite You in

I barely have the strength to keep breathing….
Then as His still small voice pierces my darkness and fills my lungs with air 

I hear “Just Breathe My Dear”
simply inhale 

And say 

I need ….You Jesus 

as you breathe in …. 
Then as you slowly exhale 

breathe out ….

You are Enough 

As you continue do that over and over 

Remember

                  My Beloved ….. 
I hear your cries

I hear your wants

I hear your wondering and your whys 

I hear you…..

You are 

enough 

worthy

free

forgiven

loved

redeemed

Keep breathing Me in …. 

Moment by moment 

Day by day

Week by week

Month by month 

Year by year 

I am here. I am always here. 

I am just a breath away

           Just Breathe My Dear 

         ~ XXOO Michelle Bollom 

          http://www.restoredministries.org

          http://www.poeticallyprophetic.com

Promises Promises Promises

Promises, Promises, Promises!!!
“He has given us great and precious promises that we might be partakers of the divine nature.”  

The world often promises things that it cannot deliver, like peace, satisfaction, and joy.  
Our Father’s promises are different; they are iron clad; you can take them to the bank; you can stake your life on them.

And he is not slow in keeping his promises; some promises are for today, some for tomorrow, and some for eternity.  

We need them all!  

Finding all of his promises in the word is like a treasure hunt; however, when you start reading, it is not long before you start to find them.  
Promises for peace, for love, for joy, for hope, for courage, for strength, and for life.  

And his promises are backed up by his precepts.  

Following his teachings inevitably results in the fulfillment of his promises.  

His promises are also guaranteed by his person. He says, “Surely, I will bless and increase you.” Also, “In Christ, all God’s promises are Amen”.

Christ expresses a deep concern in Luke 18. He says, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” This world is a test of our faith. Each of the churches in Revelation was given challenges to overcome. There were fantastic promises given to each of them if they overcame. Our Father is generous; he does not expect us to serve him for nothing. He owns everything, yet he has bequeathed it all to his Son, and his Son now shares it with us.  

“Everything is yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” It is a perfect circle.

 ~ Brad Heilhecker 

You Are Somebody

The world clamors and climbs, searches and does not find the way to be Somebody.  

There is never enough money, pleasure, or prominence to satisfy our hungry souls.  

We are either important because God says we’re important, or we are doomed to a long, fruitless, exhausting search in the desert for a sip of cool water – that moment when we discover who we are and whose we are.  

This earth was simply not meant to provide the answer to our aching need to be important to Somebody.

That’s it. We need a Somebody to tell us we’re Something. In our desperation, we will turn to Anybody, just to feel that we are Anything.  

We are terrified that we might be Nobody to Nobody.  

What if we could hear the owner of Everything tell us that we are Everything to him? How good would that feel? Would we dare to believe it? Could we hold on to that fleeting sense of exhilaration? Could we rest there, live there, and breathe there?

Let us try, for through faith in Christ, we are now children of God, worshippers of God, disciples of Christ, loved, blessed and praised, friends of God, disciplers of men, and lovers of souls who delight in God and in whom God delights. 

This is certainly enough for one lifetime, and it is a great start to a blissful eternity!

~ Brad Heilhecker 

Real Wealth

                      What a great quote! 

Have a wonderful day. ~ XXOO Michelle Bollom 

2 3 4 Get Ready For More

          

This morning I awoke at 2:34 am and I heard the Lord say…. 234 Get ready for more.

I got excited because I have been getting a whisper from the Lord for months now with the word “Windfall“.   

wind·fall

ˈwin(d)fôl/

noun

    * a piece of unexpected good fortune, typically one that involves receiving a large amount of money.”windfall profits”

    * synonyms:

    * bonanza, jackpot, pennies from heaven, stroke/piece of luck, godsend, manna from heaven

As I looked up the definition these 2 synonyms are what caught my attention.

           godsend, manna from heaven. 

So I asked the Lord to unpack this MORE; and Windfall for me….
I was taken to Deuteronomy 11. 
 “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. ~ Deuteronomy 11:13-15

 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known. ~ Deuteronomy 11:26-28
                    Bingo! Jackpot!
                    The godsend

god·send

ˈɡädˌsend/

noun

1. a very helpful or valuable event, person, or thing.

2. synonyms:

3. boon, blessing, bonus, plus, benefit, advantage, help, aid, asset; More
Did you catch that right there in the synonyms? -MORE 

The benefit, bonus, advantage, help and MORE is in the godsend, God himself and also His Angels He has put on assignment for you. 

The manna from heaven (miraculous provision from God) that’s our windfall. 

The building up for us to receiving more, the key that unlocks the more, the open heaven that makes way for the windfall is in our obedience to God and His Word. 
We build upon each right choice, each moment of uncomfortable obedience we tackle, that is what makes room for more and opens up the blessings of the Lord, our manna from heaven, our windfalls to fall down. 

Where there once was / God now supplies:

Lack / Abundance

Division / Divine Connections

Weakness / Strength

Curses / Blessings 

Fear / Courage

Grief / Hope

Confusion / Clarity

Despair / New Resolve

Disappointments / Determination

Sickness / Health 

Brokenness / Wholeness

Rejection / Protection

Rebellion / Obedience

Worry / Peace 

        2…3..4… Get ready for more! 
        ~ XXOO Michelle Bollom 

           

Found And Free

I was lost, but now I’m found.  

Blind, but now I see.  

Enslaved to the past, but now free.  

Broken, but now mended.  

Fearful, but now fearless.  

Anxious, but given peace.  

Alone, but now He’s with me always.  

Tired, but given new strength.  

Depressed, but now He’s lightened my burden and shown me that this life is worth living because it was worth Him dying so I could live this life abundantly; without regret, without fear holding me back.  

I may be my worst enemy, 

but God is my greatest friend, 

and because He’s greater in His strength 

than I am in mine, He’ll defeat me with His love and kindness and show me that 

when I’m weak, He is strong to deliver me from myself and the enemy’s grip on my life.  

As death is knocking on my door, 

so is God and his knock is louder than the enemy’s; the one who wants to kill, steal, and destroy me.  

Christ came so I might have life and have it abundantly.  

So, why have I not taken advantage of it before now?  
Because I was once deaf to His voice, blind to the light, and allowed the enemy to take me captive into a deep, miserable, and painful place of enslavement to that which God had freed me from even before I was born because as He hung on the cross He said, “IT IS FINISHED.” 

Those words encompass all that I have done, am doing, and will do in the future that doesn’t align myself with God. 

But because He is a loving God, 

He will keep showing up to grasp my hand and help me stand when I fall for the things of this world.  
I know I can’t fill the void inside with anything or anyone outside of God, for God created me with this void that ONLY He can fill.  
I want Him in my life more than this world has place.  

I want my life to be in align with God; 

a mind set on His will and plan for me, 

thoughts that are of Him, 

a heart that loves as Christ loved me, 

words that speak life, 

and actions that are pleasing to my heavenly Father.  
What He did for me at the cross I could never repay, but He gave me this life and these gifts and talents; what I choose to do with them for His kingdom is my gift back to Him.  

So, may I let go of fear holding me back from all that God has for me, and let God lead me into the way of the everlasting.

~ Bethany Anne 

Earnestly

ear·nest·ly

ˈərnəstlē/

adverb

with sincere and intense conviction; seriously.

   Love is serious business-seriously! 

          ~ XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Owning Our Story

Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do. ~ Brene Brown 

What a great quote!

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