“Then your children will be taught by the Lord, their prosperity will be great...” ~Isaiah 54:13 CSB

As Christians we pray every day, either in thanksgiving or praying for our needs. But there are times where we become weary in certain situations and we exhaust every means of finding a solution except prayer. When we look to other ways other than prayer, our actions may bear the fruit of those decisions.

For example, raising our children. As parents we tell our children all the time things like:

• Make sure the door is closed when you go outside or come in the house.
• Clean your room.
• Make sure you’ve done all your homework!
• Stop fighting with each other.

No matter how much we say it over and over again, our directives are not followed, and we get frustrated.  In this frustration we fall into that ‘Spiritual withdrawal’.  This is where we must stay fervent in our prayers.

Don’t fall into frustration because that will lead you to negative decisions. When it comes to our children, instead of seeding direction in them, we push them away with our anger and negative responses. We allow them to search for peace in others, and in turn the world will fill those voids in them.  These voids should be received from God through us as parents.

Ask God, in prayer, “God, please allow me the wisdom, guidance, and strength to raise my children according to your will. I believe and receive your will for my life as a parent to my children that you have blessed me with. Please seed in them, though me, the guidance they need to follow the path you have chosen for them.”

Allow God the controls of your position as parent and then watch the Lord work miracles in your family. He will do this because you are His family, and He loves you so very much. May God bless and keep you covered as you continue your journey in Jesus name.
Amen

Blessings,
​Billy

​​“…My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 ~CSB

When I made the decision to join the Army it seemed like a great idea at the time.  But when I stepped onto that base at Fort Jackson, so many regretful thoughts ran through my mind.  We got in late, so after feeding us they put us down for a night's rest.  I found myself in a room with 60 or 70 other men I did not know.  Metal bunk beds lined up in rows in an open barracks.  I started thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” But what kept me going was that my goal was bigger than my fear of the unknown.  I was twenty-five years old, married with two children and at a point in my life where the jobs I was working just didn’t pay the bills and limited the food for my family.  The Army was going to give me a better chance to take care of my family.  Their provision was more important than me wanting to change my mind about my current situation.

I think we all go through a time in our spiritual journey where we come to a point of weakness and fear in our lives that attempt to make us quit.  But we must not forget that God has us on our journey for a reason.  The bigger picture is His will for our lives. 

In the scripture above, Jesus knows exactly what He is about to endure.  The humanity in Him was seeking an alternative path, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.”  But He knew it was not about Him.  In Matthew he prayed the same prayer three times, and you can see in verse 42 that He surrenders to God’s will in His mission, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 
In Luke 22:43 after saying this the scripture says, “Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him strengthening Him.” Jesus knew how and when he would die, but He knew that His death on the cross would cancel our ‘sin debt’.  His resurrection would be for our salvation.  The victory was a blessing worth more than the pain and suffering. This is what we must see, God is bigger than our problems, fears, and pain.  There is a victory in blessings beyond what we are going through.

My time in the United States Army not only allowed me to provide for my family but it opened doors of opportunity for me to have a career and move forward in God’s mission for my life.  As we live in the image of Christ, we must trust in the Father’s will for our lives.  We too must drink the cup that is before us as it will lead to a blessing in victory for the kingdom of God.

​May God bless and keep you covered in His strength, peace, and love on your journey in Jesus name.
Amen

“But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” ~Luke9:62 CSB

A husband and wife should have the type of relationship where they trust each other’s judgement, no matter how the other feels about the decision being made. For example, in my walk in Christ, I know that the Father will grant me wisdom and guidance through my daily digestion of food from His word. This wisdom and guidance, because He has anointed my marriage, will also come from Him through my wife as she has surrendered and committed to His will as well.  The Lord may bless me with a vision for our mission in one situation and He may bless my wife with a vision for another.

In the process of coming to a solution, I may not be comfortable with what is brought to the table so I will lay out my concerns. My wife will then either consider my concerns and agree with me or she will share the ‘conviction’ of her vision.  It is this ‘conviction’ that comes from the Spirit.  It is my relationship with God and my trust in Him that I release my concerns and follow His will in the vision He gave my wife. 

A husband and wife work well together when they rely on God first.  When they give God their concerns and receive His ‘conviction’ for the direction in their lives; whether that ‘conviction’ comes from the husband or the wife, they receive from God that it is meant for both to follow without reservation.

​In the scripture above Jesus was traveling and encountered several individuals that said they wanted to follow Him but were not willing to make the commitment.  One said in verse 61, “…I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”  This leaves room for a family member to talk him out of going or the individual to rethink his decision to follow Jesus. 

Tony Evans says in his commentary, “To all who want to have it both ways—being the Lord’s disciple and maintaining control of their own lives—Jesus insists, “you have to get off the fence and follow me. You must not allow even family relationships to override loyalty to Me.”

We must have total trust and surrender to God for everything in our lives.  God will allow great things for you if you just seek Him first, above all other people and situations.  He has been good to Yolanda and me because we follow Him first. Whether I get it from Him or she gets it from Him, when we receive His will, we both get it. And so will you.

May God continue to bless and keep you on your journey in Jesus name.  Amen

Blessings,
​Billy

“A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” ~Proverbs 16:9 CSB

​When I graduated from High School and began my journey toward college, I chose Political Science as my major.  At 19 years old I decided that I was going to become either a lawyer or go into politics.  At 19, with the aspect of becoming a college student in my face, I had to make the decision of what I was going to do for the rest of my life and begin that educational training.

Speaking for myself, I had no clue what career I wanted to pursue.  But I made the decision anyway.  Many things changed on that journey.  After three years, I fell short of graduating from college.  I became a father my junior year.  Eventually I joined the military and after seven years as a U.S. Army Aviation Soldier, I transitioned from that to becoming a Metropolitan Nashville Police Officer. 

Wow, what a transition from my original decision!  After giving you about the last 31 years of my life, career wise, you can see that my plans changed drastically.  It seems I may have had some plans in my heart, but where did they actually take me?

Eight years ago, I gave my life to Christ.  I’ve learned in the Word of God that He has already prepared our paths.  What I did, was attempt to prepare my own instead of surrendering to His will for my life.  This meant receiving the directions for the path He prepared for me. 

But look at what God did for me. Even though I made decisions in my life without His guidance, He took what I thought were my setbacks and turned those results into tools for Him to use for my purpose. As confused as I was about my career, God showed me that, falling into the military then law enforcement, that I was a servant to His people.

And when the time came and He revealed Himself to me, I was ready to surrender and commit to His will for my life.  That will of His would be for the kingdom.  It doesn’t matter what decisions we have made in our lives.  It doesn’t matter what we have done.  Along with God’s forgiveness, He is still ready to take all our ‘results’ and turn them into tools that He will use for our purpose. 

This year don’t set your goals without God’s direction for your life.  Today, spend time in prayer. Praying in thanksgiving for wisdom to hear His voice on your journey. We must be a part of His plans for our lives, not us asking Him to be a part of ours. “…the Lord determines our steps…” not us.  And when we receive this, we will begin to move in a direction already established by the Father. 

​May God continue to bless and keep you covered as you journey in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ Amen

Blessings,
​Billy

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