Changing Seasons

                                   CHANGING SEASONS WIGH GRACE AND GUSTO!

I heard God say today; "The ending of a season is just as important as the beginning. In fact, I want my people to finish each season in life just as strongly as they started it. It matters to ME how you finish!"

I love God's beauty in my yard. But when frost hits my plants and they begin to die, a sadness comes over me. I believe I will witness their beauty again next spring and that brings me hope. Now I begin my fall clean up. To do that with gusto I must let go of the summer season and embrace the changes that come with fall.

Many of you are coming to the end of a season in your life. Prehaps you will be promoted to a new job leaving your current job behind, or your child just left for college and you are saying goodbye to their childhood days. Whatever your seasonal change, embrace it. It is important to God that you close out the season with His wisdom and His strength. HE has wonderful things in store for you in this next season that you don't want to miss because you still have one foot in the old season. Finish strong and then let go and let God bless you!!

SURRENDER IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING!

SURRENDER IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING!

Today a friend had a vision of me, while she was praying for me. In the vision I was standing on a large rock with both hands held high to the sky. She immediately sensed the Rock was the Lord Jesus. Then she heard the word; surrender. I knew immediately what that meant.

I was having one of those days where I woke up with a plan for my day and nothing was going the way I had planned. I wanted to spend time with the Lord in His word studying. One thing after another came up that took me away from that. As my frustration escalated, my determination grew more fierce.  I suppose my Dad would say; 'That is the Italian in you Tina Marie.' I have often been told that I'm like a bull dog at times, I don't give us without a good fight. After the fight I might be bloody and bruised, but I can stand tall saying; "I gave it my best shot!" 

Many times in my life that spirit of determination has served me well and I am thankful for it. As I have grown with the Lord, the word surrender, has taken on a whole new meaning to me. Surrender is not so much about surrendering to an enemy or giving up on my mission, as it is yielding to my Heavenly Father and trusting Him to fight my battles for me. 

Today the Lord is asking me to surrender my time, my schedule and my plans to him. He is standing lovingly at a distance waiting on my response. I know HE will love me either way. Yet, I love the Lord so much I want to obey Him. One of the things I love about Papa God is, He understands the reason my hands tremble as I surrender. 

In my mind I hear the Lord whispering; "Tina Marie, surrender is not always a bad thing. In fact, I long to give you so much more than you are surrendering to me."