Tag: Prayer

And The Sun Stood Still

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Moses struck a rock and water flowed from it. He lifted up his staff, parted the sea and the ocean floor became dry ground. Elijah called down fire from the sky and it burned up people and earthly things – or in other words, Elijah’s prayer manifested a power that was seen and had effect in this earthly dimension. He didn’t start a fire, he called an already living fire down from an unseen location at the sound of his words.

And Joshua. He looked up and charged the sun, ‘Stand ye still!’ and the heavenly body obeyed.

How by scientific calculation can the earth continue to rotate on its axis and the sun remain still? Did the sun move, for this one day through space at the speed of earth’s rotation? Or did the earth turn vertically on its axis so that for those 24 hours Israel was situated as the North Pole, the sun never having to set? Did the earth indeed stop rotating?

In The Beginning Was The Word, Living Word

Can we even begin to imagine charging the natural world by decree and it obeying our word?

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3.21-21

When God spoke, creation listened. Whatever He speaks, His creation listens. ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ God spoke once and the decree never ceased, but multiplied exponentially.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55.11

What would happen if we took God’s words into our mouth and spoke His words out into this earthly dimension having the faith that Jesus had? Or better yet, Jesus said all we needed was faith the size of a mustard seed and we would see mountains moved.

God’s Word Transforms Our Relationship To The Earth’s Rules

Jesus defied physics. He spoke to weather patterns and changed them instantly, leaving His fishermen friends in awe. ‘Have faith in God,’ He continually told them.

Elisha defied physics in the strangest and weirdest of ways. A worker dropped their axe head into the water and Elisha threw a stick and the axe head floated to the surface. God made the human being out of the earth; Jesus spit in a clump of clay and molded it around the hallow edges of a blind man’s eye socket, told him to go wash with water from the lake and there it was formed, a human eyeball where there was nothing.

We think about Jesus reaching out and touching people. Or people, like the woman with the issue of blood touching Him and being healed. But Peter’s shadow fell on the sick and they were healed. The man’s shadow, a simple scientific understanding of how light shining on an object creates a shadow, but the shadow is now imbued with the power to transform ailing bodies.

“As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 5.15-16

What Is Going To Mean The Most To Us?

I ask you Church; what are we missing? What’s missing behind the decree that if I spoke today, nothing would happen? What are we missing on our words? What are we missing in our lives, what do we need for our shadows to fall on a passer-by and they immediately are set free from oppression or chronic sickness?

A different focus? Paul said, ‘Covet earnestly the best gifts.’ I don’t deny his wisdom. But he did go on to say the greatest of all is Love.

Might we be missing the only purpose needed to gain the power of the Spirit of God on our lives? That being Agape love? In one fell swoop, love cradles all that is needed to bring the human being into subjection to the higher order of God and the proper alignment with our neighbors.

What else is needed?

Maybe less time in front of a manmade screen and more time in front of God’s living word, learning ancient secrets, words that hold within them, like seeds, the transformative power of a living Spirit?

God is love the Bible says. How can we possibly become anything without total dedication to it, much less if we are trying to embody the idea of God’s Agape love. There is much to learn and much to put away simultaneously in order to take hold of God’s heart in this manner.

Draw Near to God and He Will Draw Near to You

(James 4.8)

God is hiding from us. Not so that we cannot find Him and lay hold of the power to do all the wonders that have already been manifest in the earth, but instead so that we will seek Him for those wonders.

If someone’s shadow could fall on you and heal you, would you accept that as a good thing? Or would you say, no, let me avoid being healed so easily. Would it not be a good thing then if it was our shadows freeing people?

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..” Luke 4.18

…..’all these thing I do you also will do, and greater things….’

The Question of Purpose Has to be Asked and Answered

But I have to ask myself, why would we seek Him for these things? There’s no need for our sun to stand still. So what do we need? It goes back to love, no? Maybe I’m not thinking it through properly. But what other aim would not be pure arrogance? Doesn’t love cap ego? If our hearts aren’t focused on people, then what are we doing?

And once we determine that, we have to ask: are we making a Kingdom of Heaven decree to change the world for the better? Or to just amuse ourselves.

‘Call those things that be not as though they were,’ and ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven,’ and ‘..all these things that I have done you also will do, and greater than these will you do because I go to my Father.’

It seems to me that those who worked the greatest of signs and wonders were those God called the most humble and the meekest. So then, what can be done? What should be pursued?

2024: Finding God In Your Cooking Pots

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Diligence

What has God given you to do? Whatever it is, no matter how menial it may seem to you, it is tied into your purpose in the kingdom of God. Despise not small beginnings the Bible says. I like that. So we can get busy doing what God has put before us no matter how small, knowing we are building and investing in a much higher purpose for the future.

Be ardent in your work, and you will find God in your cooking pots.

from the film ‘SĂŠraphine’ (2008)

This was first spoken by Teresa of Ávila whom Seraphine requoted.

I like the literary term for ardent: burning; glowing

I like the idea that even through the darkest of nights, if I’m tending diligently to what God has entrusted to me, His glowing fire will be upon my work, be evident in the results of my work, and will light the way of many who are without His light.

And we all know the world is growing darker day by day~

Prayer Is The Honeypot That Reveals Incoming Information

Nothing gets done on earth for the kingdom of God without prayer. There may be people who don’t even believe in God who are fulfilling the plans of God – that’s because there is an intercessor somewhere on their knees praying fervently, being led by the Holy Spirit. I’ve heard it said like this: God will not do anything without us, and we cannot do anything without Him. And isn’t it comforting to know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Remember this, what God has ordained no one can stop. It doesn’t matter what it looks like right now. I promise you, He is faithful.

Psalm 103: Bless the Lord all ye His angels that excel at the sound of His word. The Archangel Gabriel is a messenger. So he brings answers, visions, prophecy from the throne of God. I’m sure there are others who do this, and I’m also sure we hear directly from God and I know He speaks to us through other people as well. So there’s no lack of avenues to gain revelational knowledge and wisdom. I like the one below from Benny – he is speaking right into my heart.

Paying the Price: Is God in your Cooking Pots?

If we’re going to pay a price, let’s make sure we are paying the right price for the right thing. People are constantly paying the wrong price for the wrong thing because of ignorance. If you’re not praying, what price are you really paying and is what you’re getting rendering a net gain to your life? If we suffer for the sake of suffering, we gain nothing at all. And we do this all the time, it’s the human condition. ‘Why are you cast down, oh my soul? Hope in God.’But prayer causes the answer to excel to our understanding. THIS is the power of God’s divine word when its revelation becomes known to us through prayer.

Let prayer be your cooking pot for 2024. “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27.13-14

I’ll find my answers in disciplined prayer. Where else? He reveals all knowledge to those who ask.

“…never give up. You pray everyday, don’t miss one day because the day you miss is the day you lose. Stay in contact with God, daily.”

Coupling prayer with fasting and you’ll be on a fast track to God’s heart.

May your 2024 be brighter than ever, burn more fervently for the Lord, and may God dance among your cooking pots, all you beautiful people~

Featured Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan

Unplugged: A Week without the Internet

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter Morsels5 Comments

From noon last Wednesday until noon this Wednesday I spent an entire week not utilizing the internet. It was an eye-opening foray into the dark murky waters of-

>Eminent boredom and time stretching into an infinite blackhole<

My trepidation was a bit melodramatic but the anxiety was real.

In the wee hours of the first morning I sat down with my coffee on the couch and instead of reaching for my laptop I just sat there staring at the table. I had put my laptop in a drawer out of sight. I opened my notebook/scheduler and my bible and started reading, praying and meditating on a few verses God had impressed on my heart for this year.

I seriously had an anxious outlook on this whole unplugged thing. It’s hard to express it in words – perhaps you should try it yourself to see what I mean – it’s a habit or addiction almost. Something about the internet and the year 2020 has ingrained in us this idea of being cutoff with only social media to keep everyone together. Quarantine and lockdowns exacerbated this feeling.

Whatever it was, I knew I had to break that habit if for no other reason than because it is a false belief.

I went about my day as usual; workout, walking, swimming, cleaning and working: just a normal day. But every time I’d sit down or relax I’d catch myself wanting my laptop. Pretty sure it was the feeling of withdrawal I was experiencing, haha!

So, I got into a huge book. None other than Moby Dick. I mean, seriously. Of all things that could curb my internet withdrawals. But sure enough, it was the perfect book. Off on a great seafaring journey I went. Read the whole thing. (No, no, that’s a lie. I skipped the pretentious, ever-rambling expositions). And I now know more about the insides of a whale and the whaling industry of the 1850’s than I ever wanted to know.

I might write a blog post of what I think about this book in the future.

Anyway, on the third day something interesting started happening. The desire to get on the internet faded into the background and I settled into my immediate surroundings. I started going through some boxes in the closets and realized I had two aquariums purchased back in 2018 that I had yet to setup. A small 5 gallon and a larger 40 gallon.

All the equipment and most of the accessories were there. It was a treat really. Since I’ve been working from home and endeavoring to change my career, I haven’t had the luxury of shopping. I enjoy shopping. But I’m on a mission this year, so thrifty is the name of the game at present. Opening up everything which I had put away almost 3 years ago was fun and therapeutic in a way.

Not to mention I now had another project to add to my unplugged week: what type of aquariums do I want to setup! I love planted aquariums, biotopes, little interesting and extraordinary fishes 🙂 Fish-keeping isn’t guppies and mollies and goldfish. That’s kid’s play. Fish-keeping is dwarf pea puffers and shell dwellers and honey gourami. Fish with personalities and adorable quirks. It’s cichlid tanks, blackwater biotopes and lush jungle tanks.

#GOALS…

So now all things were good! I had projects – I always need projects. Something to think about and challenge myself with. The internet was floating somewhere under the dark waters Captain Ahab was sailing through, keeping company with the Great White Whale lost in the darkness.

I can read and study forever. And the internet is full of any and everything a curious mind could get into. It’s the easy fix. And I’ve found it can be a big distraction from other interesting projects.

Let me not make light of my time in the word of God and the peace I experienced giving Him more of my time, at the very beginning of the day as opposed to just sinking into the billion dots on the screen.

I’ve decided on some rearranging in the house that I’ve been mulling over for months. A little unplugged clarity and I arrived at the solution – where to house the aquariums, what furniture needed to be moved, moved out or donated – and after my week unplugged I feel I’ve been through a cleansing and refreshing. The internet has been an excuse to delay things.

I highly recommend going unplugged for a week. I kept email going of course; I have to work and get back with people. I don’t want to miss opportunities but I think anyone can do without all the social media sites for a week.

I’m thinking of going unplugged for a week every month. Maybe not the entire internet – I will need it for my work. But Twitter, FB, etc can take a backburner far more often. Think about how many times we check our phones….

I have a ton of blog post ideas too – so much to talk about – diets, swimming, health, food….

Several of which will have to be about aquariums 🙂

Be free, be well friends~

How Positive Words Improve Your Health

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Healthy Living, Love:: Lifestyle:: HealthLeave a comment

The direction of your life will follow the words you choose to speak. It’s like when you’re driving, you follow the direction your eyes are focused on. Ever looked intently at that huge pothole saying ‘going to miss that one’ and instead you hit it dead-center? Same principle applies.

“A sound heart is life to the body, but bitterness is rottenness to the bones.” Proverbs 14:30

Be thoughtful of what you think of others in your heart. Sometimes we can hold unforgiveness which turns into bitterness after enough time has past without dealing with the feelings. Forgive so that you can be free. Unforgiveness is like a cage and can affect your own wellbeing while the person you are holding in unforgiveness is free and not bound by you at all. You in essence have bound yourself. Be good to you and forgive. It doesn’t mean what they did was okay, forgiving others doesn’t mean they didn’t do you wrong. It means you are saying ‘I release you into the hands of God so that I can be free of the thoughts and free of the bitterness and I’m going to move on with my life without this weight. I’m giving it all over to God’. Release the negative feelings and it will make room to begin again.

Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Provers 16:24

This sums it up. Be kind. It is one of the foundational expressions of love. Kindness is light, free and positive. Being mean comes from a very heavy place in our souls and leaves a bad taste in everyones mouth that sees us being cruel to others. If someone has done you wrong, turn them over to God’s justice. He works in mercy (which you probably don’t want to hear) but think of how many times you deserved worse, and God showed mercy to you. Be merciful to those who do you wrong. Speak kind words and let God deal with people in your life who are less than positive. Don’t fight fire with fire. Take the higher, healthier road.

 

My son my daughter, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4: 20-22

What this verse is referring to are the words of wisdom – that is – the words of God. Read his word. That is life to your soul and your body. God’s word is alive, not dead. It is active, not dormant. It’s living. So if you want active medicine for you soul and your body, devour his word daily!

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Thinking ill will towards others can be detrimental to oneself. How to exact revenge for someone who has hurt you or paying back evil for evil will only get you in trouble. Release them over to God. They will reap what they sow – just as you will. Sow mercy, reap mercy. Show kindness, reap kindness. Use your words to bless others not tear them down and you’ll feel better overall that you have control over the negative things that happen to you.

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Be joyful! Don’t refrain but let your happy out for everyone to notice! Don’t be shocked when some people don’t like it – some people are just grumps that would rather stay stuck in their negativity. Don’t let them control you. Remember there are seasons for everything – but don’t ever lose the joy in your heart even through the bad times. Happiness, peace and joy are found in the Holy Spirit. Learn about God and relating to him and he will be your strength and joy through the good times and the bad times.

 

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment or email me – you can also reach out on social media like Linked In or Google+. 

Love will get you to where you need to be~

Doing Things God’s Way

On By Ashley GatewoodIn How to Follow Your DreamLeave a comment

I’m not trying to get my way in the world’s way. I’m trying to get your way your Word’s way. I’m staying on your trail; I’m putting one foot in front of the other. I’m not giving up. -Psalm 17:4-5 The Message

Aligning your way with God’s way doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams and aspirations. Many of us work because it’s necessary, not because we find it deeply fulfilling. Do you ever find yourself pausing at your desk or while you’re waiting at the dock for a shipment to be loaded on your truck and think surly there is something else I could be doing with my time that is more productive and gives me greater satisfaction than this. We’ve all been there. You may find yourself there right now.

But have you ever thought how you might take a step away from your current life and towards the one you always hoped for?  At this point is where we let our current reality dissuade us from making that first step. We get overwhelmed with questions of how and what to do about it. You may have family or financial strain that pops your dream like a frail soap bubble. One moment here, the next moment non-existent.

So we tend to start looking for the quickest way out because frankly, it just seems easier. And sometimes that’s addiction, sometimes it’s going numb and just doing the daily routine without thinking.

Get rich quick schemes that sound so legit, gambling and maybe even opting for crime. The world’s way is always going to seem easier and let’s face it, somebody has to win the lottery, right? But going the world’s way is never successful or fulfilling – especially when we are serving God. God’s ways are legit and so much more rewarding. Are they harder? You bet.

You have to dig down into yourself and pull up answers that you don’t want to wrestle with – the whys and hows of your current situation. It’s hard to look at our mistakes and own them. But sometimes that’s where we have to start – humbling ourselves before God and saying ‘I thought I knew the way, but I was wrong’.

God is always listening and ready to help. He never rubs mistakes in our face or makes us pay. Sin has consequences but God has answers! He will move on your behalf, he even states

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. – Isaiah 43:4 NIV

This is how much He values you! It is nearly unfathomable for us to understand his love. Not even the Apostle Paul could do it:

…that you may be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. -Ephesians 3:17-19 NKJV

If you are ready to begin stepping out of a life that is unfulfilling and into God’s life that is waiting for you, then He is ready to meet you at the crossroads. Pray diligently for direction, for knowledge and for the courage to begin the journey. Remember, small steps are all you need to start out.  Prayer is God’s way of moving on this earth. Don’t neglect this powerful intimate time with God to exact change in your life.

 

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment or email me – you can also reach out on social media like Linked In or Google+. 

Love will get you to where you need to be~

 

If God Gave You A Gift

On By Ashley GatewoodIn How to Follow Your DreamLeave a comment

We can get overloaded with life’s daily duties and not realize how quickly our time here is passing. It’s as if our list of obligations dictate to us how and what our lives are going to be like every minute of the day. And we can be so tired by the end, that we flop into bed without another thought and hope to sleep through the night. (Sometimes if things are really stressful, even a good night’s sleep is difficult to achieve.)

We slumber through our days without realizing that God has a purpose for us. He has a purpose for you. We get what we focus on the most – ever heard that you veer your car in the direction your eyes are going? Same concept here. If we are only focused on getting the next thing on our list checked off, we are stifling our creative side, our own dreams and hopes. The time we spend getting to know and understand what God has called us to and just who we are in Christ is precious. It’s like spending dinner with your family around the table so everyone can talk and share about their day. It’s bonding time, learning about each other and growing together.

We also need time like this to reflect on God and on our own heart’s desire whether it is something creative like painting, or starting that business you’ve been dreaming about for years (if only you weren’t so busy) or turning your hobbies into something more profitable. How much more fulfilled would we be if we pursued and worked at what we loved to do the most?

There are many things that can set you on the path to a more happy and fulfilled life, and the foremost step to achieving this is spending the extra time to get to know God, His word, and who you are in Him. Searching His word and understanding that there’s so much more to life than just the daily grind is a great place to start. God should always be the place from which we branch out in anything – He is our firm foundation. Then we can add on His foundation with confidence.

“If God gives you something you can do, why in God’s name wouldn’t you do it?” -Stephen King

Think about this for a moment. All good things come from God. What has he given you that perhaps you have forgotten about? Something that you are good at doing but maybe you thought it was a small thing of no real significance. What small thing have you always enjoyed doing but you never have time to do it? Could it be that this is the gift God has given you? That this one small (or large) thing could be the key to changing your life and being happier for it?

So I hope you take some thought of these things and begin to think about how you can take control and not let you schedule dictate your life to you; but instead dedicate a portion of your time each day to learn and to reach out and pray God’s will in your life so you can begin to direct your focus on what He is calling you to do.  Search your heart for what truly matters to you and don’t be afraid to begin pursuing it.

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me, leave a comment or reach out on social media like Linked In.

Love will get you to where you need to be~