Plan B
Wanda | November 7, 2008
How many of us have experienced life as we had planned… Plan A?
I’ve come to see that life is not always about Plan A. Life is about how do we adapt to Plan B or Plan C and so on.
I am nearing my mid-thirties and as I reflect on my life and the plans that I had, I can see that not many of my Plan A’s came to pass. That’s not to say that some good things can’t come my way and I am continuing to believe that they will.
The question is how do we handle the pitfalls, the disappointments in life, and the let downs?
The Book of Psalms gives many wise principles in life as well as promises that we can hold on to. It says to cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22) This verse was written for anyone who will take it and believe it.
Our bodies were not meant to worry and take on the ‘cares of life’. Our Plan A has turned into Plan Z because of detours and failures in our life but we can recover and our Plan B or Z can become Plan A.
The first step is to give our worries, concerns and stress to God. He didn’t ever create our bodies to carry that stress. Our health has been deteriorating and more and more illnesses have been touching our families. Could some of the side effects of worry, fear and unforgiveness by rooted in our health problems?
If we will give our burdens to God, He will sustain us. Sustain means to give support or relief, to support, to carry or withstand, to bear up under. God wants to be our Source of peace, support and relief.
He said that He will never let the righteous fall. The righteous are those in right-standing with God; those who have come to Him with open hearts and believe that He is and confess Him as Lord and Savior. Our Plan A may have gone ‘down the tubes’ but God has a wonderful Plan B or Plan Z.
God will give us a fresh start. Those of us in the agricultural world have had many plans go out to pasture. Our plans have gone up in smoke. There are real tough issues we all have had to face. But God wants to bear us up. He wants to give us support, relief. He wants to carry us. He wants to be our peace. Peace means ‘nothing missing, nothing broken.’
We need to humble ourselves to ask, to acknowledge that God is and that He wants to be divinely connected with our everyday lives.
I have heard the phrase that “we can either become bitter or better”. We have a choice to make. Will we let the cares of our life dominate our minds and families? Or are we willing to let our Creator, the God of the universe bear us up, relieve us and carry us?
It boils down to where we will put our trust… in ourselves or in our God. As we release our plans into God’s hands, He is given the opportunity to pour into us what we need and make Plan B become a wonderful plan for our life!!
It starts with each one of us
Selfishness makes Christmas a Burden
Wanda | November 7, 2008
Merry Christmas from all of us at Twin Lakes Ranch Ministries!! We pray that this Christmas season will be your best ever!
I love to receive Christmas cards in the mail. This year, one came from a special aunt and uncle. In it there was a quote that stuck with me. “Selfishness makes Christmas a burden; love makes it a delight.” Oh, such truth to that.
Joyce Meyer said something to the effect that we look for happiness in ‘getting’ but it really is found in ‘giving’. I have realized that truth as I grow older in the Lord. My sister’s and my Christmas, while growing up in the Silvester household, had a mixture of selfishness and love. Before you think bad about my parents, they made Christmas the delightful part! I have so many good memories!! However, I also encountered those who thought of Christmas as a burden. I could not figure out why it was that way to certain people. I finally realized the answer through this quote about selfishness and love.
Selfishness is all about ‘me’; Love is all about ‘others’.
Selfishness is all about getting; Love is all about giving.
Selfishness is all about my own agenda; Love is all about God’s agenda.
Selfishness thinks of me first; Love thinks of others first.
Selfishness is self-pity; Love is servanthood.
Selfishness is pride; Love is humility.
Selfishness is poverty; Love is prosperity.
Selfishness is about stubborness; Love is about yielding.
Selfishness is about my way all the time; Love is about adapting and going with the flow.
Selfishness is self-indulgent; Love is seeking God first.
Selfishness is mean; Love is kind, patient…
Selfishness hoards; Love is generous.
Selfishness is earthly; Love is heavenly.
Christmas can be a delight to all of us… IF WE CHOOSE to make it a delight. As we choose to make love our aim, we will see delight in this season. We will also bring delight to others as the Love of Jesus comes through us. “Whatever is good, think on these things.”
“For unto us, a child is born, unto us a Son is given…” Jesus came to bring delight to our lives. He came to bring abundance and life. As we press into the love of Jesus, it will ooze out of us,transforming us and others.
May Christmas be a delight to you!!
Let The Words of My Mouth
Wanda | November 7, 2008
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
We have a very strong tool or weapon at our disposal every day. This tool/weapon can be used to bring death or life. The tools/weapons that we have been entrusted with are our words. These words that come from our mouths can be used to bring death or life into our own lives, our families, our communities, our nation. God is releasing more authority to us and that authority comes through our words. We need to be aligned with what God says, what the Word of God says.
I see a couple things that we can learn from the verse found in Psalm 19. It says to let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable. This shows me that what is in our heart is directly connected to what comes out of our mouth. We need to be immersed in the Word of God to bring a harvest of good fruit from our lips. Proverbs 12:18 says, “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The wise is one who gains wisdom from God’s Word. The result of meditating on God’s Word is wisdom which brings forth healing.
We have spiritualized the word meditate. But really, meditating is something we all do!! Meditate is the Greek word hagah which means to reflect, to moan, to mutter, to ponder, to make a quiet sound such as sighing, to contemplate something as one repeats the words. We all meditate. The question is what are we meditating on?
I believe the answer to this question is in the last part of this verse… O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. There are three foundations upon which we need to meditate.
- Lord – as we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ, we give Him the permission to do what He needs to do in our lives.
- My Rock – as we build our foundation on The Rock, The Cornerstone, The Foundation, we cannot be moved. The winds may blow and the storms may come but our foundation is secure. Building comes from hearing and hearing and hearing the Word of God in whatever way we can!
- My Redeemer – as we believe that God erases our pasts, that we are new creations in Christ and that He has a great destiny for us, we have hope and excitement for what God will do in our lives and through our lives! Redeem means to buy back, repurchase, to get or win back, to free from what distresses or harms, to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental, to release from blame or debt, clear, to free from consequences of sin, to change for the better, reform, repair, restore, to convert into something of value, to make good, fulfill, to atone for, to offset the bad effect, to make worthwhile, to retrieve or rescue. Wow!! When we serve a God who redeems us, we have a winning destiny!!
As we meditate on the Lordship of Christ, that we have the Greater One in us and that we are redeemed from the curse of the law and all that is in our past, we will have words and a heart that will be in right alignment with God. It is then that we will see our hearts bring forth good treasure.
The good treasure that is brought forth from our hearts is the fruit of life coming from our lips. Treasure is a collection of precious things, something of great worth or value. Our words can be a collection of precious things, having great worth or value. Our words have the power to change the atmosphere around us in our homes, workplaces, communities, country and nation. A lot of weight hangs on the balance of our words!
God has given us authority in everything we do and say everyday. What are we doing with that authority? We can speak words of destiny into our children, our spouse, our boss, our co-workers, friends and strangers. Just the other day, I felt I was supposed to give a ‘cool’ teenage guy an encouragement from Jesus while we were at the ATM machine. It took a step of faith (and a deep breath!), but I believe it was a seed of destiny planted in that guy’s heart.
As we learn to meditate on the Word of God and speak forth His words, we will see a dramatic change in our lives and in those around us!!
What Not To Wear
Wanda | November 7, 2008
I must write about something that is very strong in my spirit. I continue to see it time and time again and I wonder why there are not more who see it. I am talking about the ‘looseness’ that our society has begun to embrace. Our society in this context is including the Christians, the Bride of Christ. My heart aches to see what we have stooped to. To be specific, I am talking about what we wear. It is time that we as Christians assess what we are wearing, change what we are wearing and live our lives in a modest way.
If we read in Jude, it is a warning about the very thing I am talking about. Our morals stink. Our standards have slipped to an all time low. Statistics state that the church doesn’t look any different from the world. How sad. How disgusting. Jude says in verse twelve that these sensual persons were still a part of the church. They were not only teaching false doctrine but gathering others around them to believe that they were the more spiritual. This is something very serious that we need to guard against in our own selves and the Body of Christ.
My husband and I have a seven-year old daughter. We have already had to make a determination of what is right and what is wrong for her to wear. There is already opportunity to be seductive even when she has no idea of what seduction is. Our little girls are running around with bikinis, low cut shirts, and very short skirts. Why can we let that go now but a few years down the road, it is not acceptable? I believe this is a plan of the enemy to have us become so desensitized that our daughters will eventually become sex objects and have no thought of morality. If we don’t have standards now, why will we later?
What is modesty and what does it mean to live a chaste life? Modesty, by definition, is to be decent or chaste. What does chaste mean? Chaste means innocent of unlawful sexual intercourse, celibate (abstention from sexual intercourse), pure in thought and act, free from all taint of what is lewd (coarse, vulgar, rude) or salacious (scandalous) another question. If God has asked us to be modest, then it must be important. Why, even on Sunday morning, does a man have to look the other way because of very low cut blouses, very short skirts and bra straps being a part of a woman’s attire? What are we thinking? Joshua Harris says this –“ Is your wardrobe an expression of your love for God? There’s a big difference between dressing attractively and dressing to attract. What’s your motive ? Have you ever asked your father or another Christian woman to honestly evaluate your clothing ?? Are you willing to sacrifice fashion to be obedient to God ??”
First Timothy 2:9 says that the women (should) adorn themselves in modest apparel.
First Peter 3:1,2 says Wives, likewise be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the Word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct.
Our little girls need to be raised to value their bodies and their virginity. This is a pure and precious gift that God has given to them. This is a special part of who they are. They need to be protected in our care. We need to protect them from others taking advantage of them. Let’s be real. What attracts men? They are aroused through the ‘eye gate’… their sight… what they see. Why are we letting them look? We should value our bodies enough to walk pure before God and man.
It is when we begin to compromise, we become shifting sand. Our foundation begins to crumble and with it comes destruction. It’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. We need to look at the very way we dress. This is a testimony of either godliness or worldliness. People should be able to make a distinction of ‘whose’ we are just by how we dress. Our body is the temple of the Most High God. This is where He dwells. Let’s keep it pure and chaste not only in our thoughts and deeds but also in how we dress!!
Give Honor Where Honor is Due
Wanda | November 7, 2008
Mother’s Day has just passed and Father’s Day is just a couple weeks away.
This is a time to celebrate and honor our parents. These special days are ones in which we can be reminded to do what is important to those who are special in our lives.
God asks us to honor our father and mother. Honor… this carries a weighty definition. To honor our parents is to pay due respect to them, to regard or treat them with respect, to give recognition, to privilege, to credit, to show esteem.
This commandment does not come with conditions. We are commanded to respect our parents, to give recognition, to privilege, to credit and to show esteem to them regardless of whether they are deserving of it or not. This is a principle in the Word of God that will bring good results. It is when we are obedient to what the Word is asking of us, that is when we can ‘rest’ and let Him take care of it all. We do not show respect and honor only if our parents do their required part… we are to sow honor, recognition and privilege to them in faith.
This is a freeing lifestyle to live in… in our marriages, relationships with our children, family or neighbors. When we walk in love, sowing the Love of Jesus, God will take care of the other end of things. It releases us from the result of hurt and offense. So many times, we have been hurt by the ones we love. Our parents are ones who will fail us, by not walking in the way of the Word. However, when we sow our honor in faith, we will see and reap a harvest from it!!
It is time to take time to honor those who have given us life. We could make special effort to pray over our parents and speak words of destiny into their lives. Some other practical ways to show honor to our parents is to make a nice meal for them, take them out for a special meal, write a letter telling them how much you appreciate them, give them a hug, say ’I love you’, find a card that says what you would want to say to them, or set aside some time to do something they enjoy. Give credit to them where they did do a good job. Show unconditional respect. They may not even be receiving of the love we give, but if we are obedient to what our Savior is asking of us, we will receive from Him!!
For God commanded, saying “Honor your father and mother” and “He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.” Matthew 15:4 (NKJV)
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12
They eye that mocks his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it. Proverbs 30:17
Are You on the Road to “Correction” or “the Canners”?
Wanda | November 7, 2008
A good horse is known by his willingness to yield. If he resists and is unteachable, most often he is sent to the ‘canners’.
In wisdom, we are willing to yield to God’s correction. Most often through Holy Spirit’s direction, we have issues brought up that He wants us to take responsibility for.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. James 3:13 (NKJV)
Why is it that we don’t want correction? Our flesh does the squirming, doesn’t it?! Pride gets in the way. The root of pride is fear. We fear that we are losing control, we fear that we aren’t capable, or we fear that we may lose our position, etc. Fear speaks strongly into our lives and thus we lose the battle right there with our flesh because a lack of accountability to the Spirit of God.
But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. James 3:14-16
This verse plainly shows what happens when we allow bitterness, envy and self-seeking into our lives. We are setting ourselves up for confusion and EVERY EVIL THING!
This opens us up to the demonic. We wonder why we are double-minded and unstable in our ways… why life is hard. We have not allowed the Spirit of the Living God to mold us and shape us.
It is when we are accountable that we are moldable. It is when we take responsibility for our sin that we are being made into the image and likeness of God. It is when we are willing to yield that He produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness in us. I have seen in my own life that when I take responsibility for my actions that God empowers me and takes me to a new level of humility in Him. It is a willingness to be wrong and to be corrected. In our willingness to receive correction, we move into more power and more anointing. Praise God, I want the peaceable fruit of right standing with God in my life.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17
I have begun to realize that when the squeeze is on in my life, it may not be satan at all. First of all, God is calling us to have clean hands and a pure heart. He is calling us to live a life, holy and pleasing to God. He puts the pressure on to see what will squeeze out… willingness to yield or rebellion.
Second of all, when we’ve been squeezed, we may see that we’ve let bitterness, envy or self-seeking exist. This is when we have laid our own trap and invited demonic activity into our lives.
It is when we take responsibility for the seeds we sow into our lives and the consequences of those seeds, that God sees our willingness to yield to the Spirit.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you so you also must do. Colossians 3:12-13
The horse that is willing to bend, to respond, to yield is a horseman’s friend. You can get the job done!!
The man/woman of God who is willing to bend, to respond, to yield is a person who can be used by the Spirit of God to move mountains, love people to Jesus and do signs and wonders in His name.
There is a call going forth to the church in Canada to have clean hands and a pure heart.
Father, I declare today that the clarion call that is placed upon the heads of each man, woman and child within this great nation of Canada will go forth and bring with it the peaceable fruit of righteousness. I declare that we will rise up in willingness to yield to the Spirit and take responsibility for the seeds we’ve sown. I say that we will make right what needs to be made right. Lord, teach us to walk in forgiveness and love.
Make straight our path. I decree that we, as Christian cowboys and cowgirls and western-minded people will come into our calling and destiny and see a miraculous move of God in the rural areas. I pray that we will be the aroma of Christ to those around us.. that people will ask of us the hope that lies within us, in Jesus’ name. I declare that we will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. I declare that whatever we put our hands to prospers. I declare that we are seeing a new thing and that we will not pour the new wine into old wineskins, but that we will have the eyes to see and the ears to hear what God is saying to us RIGHT NOW!! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Be empowered as you are willing to yield to the Spirit of God!! Praise God!!
Today is a new day! It’s Time to LOOK ahead… leave the past behind!
All My Ducks In A Row
Wanda | November 7, 2008
Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox. Proverbs 14:4 (NKJV)
I tend to like things clean and tidy. I like to have a clean house, a manicured yard and all my ducks in a row. This is partly my personality but I have discovered it is partly due to a problem I have had with perfectionism. I regarded perfectionism as a righteous attribute but I was sadly mistaken.
Life cannot be perfect. In our Christian lives, we pursue holiness and godliness but ultimately, our pursuit needs to be Jesus. If we are on the pursuit of ‘becoming’, we’ll miss the journey with our Father. Just as in my pursuit of perfection in my home and yard, I missed out on living.
As this verse says, we may have to contend with a little mess sometimes to actually come to an increase of some sort in our lives. This applies to our homes and our spiritual life. Our children will have freedom to ‘increase’ in their lives by having a home of peace and not perfection. Our spiritual lives become encased in a rut of tradition when we keep God in a box.
God wants out of the box of our lives. We think when we keep Him in our safe little box, that is the best place for Him. That may be a safe place in our mind, but no increase will come to our life if we do not give Him liberality to work in our lives. Much increase comes when we abandon our agenda and give God place to work.
Total abandon to God says “It’s not about me, It’s about You, God.”
It’s not about us anymore. If our trough is clean, we are saying that we want to live in our comfort zone. God did not call us to live in the comfort zone. He called us to live in the ‘obedient zone’. Obedience is to willingly do what God has called us to do. We need a willing heart to do God’s will. Our priorities need to be God’s priorities. We will increase when we pursue God… when we pursue His way of being and doing.
Jesus, I desire to live a life pleasing to You. Help me to not get caught up in the performance of life. I desire to live in Your presence. I ask for a willing heart to walk in an obedient attitude to what You have called me to do. Thank you that I do not have to attain a certain level of perfection for happiness or success. Help me to rest in that. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Matter of Perspective
Wanda | November 7, 2008
Your perspective determines everything.
Recently, I heard of a vision that a lady had that greatly illustrates the power of perspective.
In this vision, she saw a wolf growling and snarling in her face, being very ferocious and mean. She was afraid and wondered how she was going to deal with this very scary and dangerous situation.
Then Jesus came along and picked her up and took her with Him in the air. He told her that she needed to see things from His perspective. When she looked down, all the wolf looked like to her was a harmless little puppy.
That vision spoke greatly to me. Our circumstances may be snarling in our face, bringing terror and fear. It is when we have the proper perspective of life and our circumstances, we will see that we are over comers and we do have the victory. Jesus has already paid the price to overcome the ‘wolves’ in our lives!!!!
It is when I fly in airplanes, that it changes my perspective on life. I marvel at how little our troubles seem when I look down from the view overhead. I think “We just look like ants down there, why do we let such little problems make such a big deal in our lives??”
It is the perspective that makes the difference. When we look from God’s perspective, it will radically change our lives. We will look in terms of the end result, we will see through eyes of faith that the promises of God will come to pass.
The fear that Satan uses to control and terrorize us is only ‘appearing real’. He comes looking like a lion full of hate and ferocity, but when we see who we are in Christ and what Jesus has done for us, Satan won’t have any say in the matter.
Let the Word of God change your perspective.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2 (NKJV)
As we so fill ourselves with the love of the Father, He will pour out a harvest in our lives that will be full and overflowing. As we determine to change our perspective, we will see our lives change dramatically.
Change
Wanda | November 7, 2008
Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the days of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Isaiah 43:18-19
Change…
Thoughts of change may conjure up images in our minds of either fear, dread or maybe to some, anticipation or excitement. Some welcome change and others would rather avoid it.
Although we may look at change with trepidation and anxiety, God is asking all of us to welcome it. We will never become all God has planned for us to be, if we are not willing to leave the past or leave the way we’ve always done it and be ready to embrace a new day. Why is it that God planned to have day and night, seasons and years? Could it possibly be that we need beginnings and endings, change and variety? A lot of times, a new day brings with it a new perspective on life.
We need to make decisions about letting go of the past, letting go of control and embracing the ‘new thing’ that is for us. If we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always got. Unless we refuse to let go of the way we’ve been, no change will come.
I’ve been through a lot of changes in my 30-odd years. Some of the change has brought about the most excruciating pain in the depths of my being, pain that I wanted to go away. But as I dealt with some of the issues that I had, there comes a release of the old and new begins to grow. The old stagnant me has started to emerge and grow and blossom. The pain is worth the gain.
Joyce Meyer says “Seldom do your circumstances change without first changing in you.” If your circumstances are unlovely, then let the change begin in you and you will discover that either the circumstances will change or you will change to be able to handle the circumstances.
James says in verse 17 of chapter 3 that ‘wisdom that is from above is …willing to yield’. Our will is an obstacle that we need to overcome! It is when we can say to our flesh to settle down, be quiet and be willing, we can embrace change. That is a big pill to swallow! However, when we can take the ‘medicine’ of God’s Word and be willing to receive correction and alignment and change, we will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
Oh Lord, we yearn to harvest the fruit of righteousness in our lives. We embrace change because you have designed us to change and grow and mature. We choose to embrace the changes you want to do in our hearts, even though it may cause pain, we know that You are our great Surgeon and You want to see us whole, pure and transformed by the power of Your Love. We declare that this is a NEW YEAR, a NEW BEGINNING, the Start of Change in our lives and hearts. We look forward with anticipation to what you have planned and in the meantime, we will draw from Your strength as You change and renew our hearts.
We love you,
In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!
Praise God!! I am believing with you for great changes this year, for answers to health problems and restitution in your families as you are willing to embrace change.
Mantled with Authority
Wanda | November 7, 2008
God has an arsenal that has been hidden for many years. He has secret weapons that are being prepared for the end-time harvest. The secret weapons are God’s girls.
The Church, as a whole, has bought into a lie that women are to be second-class and quiet, not used in positions of authority and influence except in the home.
God has placed a calling in my heart as well as in many other women. We are yearning for the move of God in our homes, in the marketplace, in the Church and in our country. Women are beginning to be released to be who they have been called to be! Praise God.
This said, men do not have cower or rise up in defense. Male and female have been created to work together! This move of God is about bringing us into wholeness and health, merging our anointings and together expressing His image in the earth.
The Lord is calling women to rise to the mandate and come before the King for ‘such a time as this’. We need to be fearless and bold and prepared to come present our petitions to the King. As Esther had the scepter extended to her, she stepped forward to touch it and thus stepped into a new anointing and a new authority. It is time to come forward to the King and step into the fullness of our destiny with a new anointing and a new authority.
In the account of the Proverbs 31 Woman, we see the word ‘virtuous’ spoken of. Virtuous is a warring word. The virtuous woman is a warrior woman; strong, able, forceful, powerful, willing to go to battle. As Barbara Yoder shares in her book, Mantled with Authority, the word ‘virtuous’ pictures her as one single woman coming with the strength of an army. “It comes from a root word which means to labor and travail in order to bring forth life…. She is a warrior. … She is tenacious. She is a birther and will carry His Word in the womb of her spirit until it is time to press against that which impeded and holds back God’s will.”
This very article is an example of what God wants to do with ‘His Girls’. This has been a place for me to express myself and my giftings. It has been a total “God-thing”, a blessing, and an opportunity! I have many seeds and dreams just waiting to sprout and grow and this is one of them that have been given the chance.
Ladies, no matter what your age, you have been born for ’such a time as this’! Stand up, arise, ‘…awaken, open your eyes and see the call of God before you. People and nations are crying out for you – for deliverers, builders, reformers, mentors, mothers; people who will come and equip them for the task ahead.’
I have dreams, ideas, and plans for my family, my community, my church and my country. How about you? Join me and let’s usher in the glory of God!
Serving Jesus together,
Wanda
If you have any questions or comments, or would just like somebody to talk to, contact me!