VICTORY

Greetings to all of you, my sweet sisters in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 38:16-17NIV personalized, “Lord, by these things people live, and in all these is the life of my spirit; You have restored me to health and let me live! Behold, for in my own belief before you rescued me I had great bitterness and hurt; But You kept me even then…because You love my soul from the pit of destruction and nothingness, and in Your great sacrifice You have hurled all my sins behind Your back.”

Today victory is mine…despite the doctors’ reports, despite what is ahead…Jesus saved me. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5MSG personalized tells me, “I know that when this body of mine is taken down like a tent and folded away, it will be replaced by MY new body in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and I will never have to relocate my “tent” again. Sometimes I can hardly wait to move—and so I cry out in frustration as my tent that is my flesh and bones age giving way to sickness. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and I am tired of it! I have been given a glimpse of the real thing, my true home, my heavenly spirit body! The Spirit of God whets my appetite by giving me a taste of what’s ahead. He has put a little of heaven in my heart so that I will never settle for less.”

I know that God will not relieve me from my earthly body not one minute before my great commission is finished. By now most of you have heard that I have been diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. God has given me comfort in this because victory is already mine, I have received my miracle, my victory…salvation, which is the knowledge that I am forgiven and the daughter of the Most High King, loved and valued!

As you know this year God gave me the word “Grateful”, He knew what was coming and He wanted me to focus on all He has done in my life, how He saved me in my darkest times, how He lead me to taste His love and experience His Design for His children in such way that I would sing…NO SHOUT His Truth… “We all belong to Him and He wants to restore all that has been lost and redeem His children!”

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about what to write to you, my sweet sisters and God had me open His Word like many times before…He whispered “Just let it fall open and read…I have something for you there”. This was just days before I received the news my tent was stricken by this intruder… God said, “This is for you my daughter let this be your comfort.”

“God—you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you! I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath; My arms wave like banners of praise to you. I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises! If I’m sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection. Because you’ve always stood up for me, I’m free to run and play. I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post.” Psalm 63:1-8MSG

God was telling me look at Me, not what you are hearing with your ears or seeing with your eyes…sweet daughter I AM your portion, NO MATTER WHAT! COME WHAT MAY!

There are tough days coming…surgery, reconstruction, chemo, radiation, hormone therapy…all of these things cannot…WILL NOT…disrupt or confuse the truth that Jesus is my King, my Forever Father! Father God, I pray for you to continue your work in me, cast out any thought or iniquity still in me…open any stronghold and destroy any fear for I am your creation God and You are my Savior in whom I trust.

2 Corinthians 5:7-8 tells us “for we walk by faith, not by sight… but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”

In closing, there are some lyrics of a popular worship song that has ministered to me, here it is for you to take in…be blessed and comforted.

CHAMPION by Bethel Worship
I’ve tried so hard to see it
Took me so long to believe it
That You’d choose someone like me
To carry Your victory
Perfection could never earn it
You give what we don’t deserve and
You take the broken things
And raise them to glory

You are my champion
Giants fall when you stand
Undefeated
Every battle You’ve won
I am who You say I am
You crown me with confidence
I am seated, in the heavenly place
Undefeated, with the
One who has conquered it all

Now I can finally see it
You’re teaching me how to receive it
So let all the striving cease
This is my victory

When I lift my voice and shout
Every wall comes crashing down
I have the authority
Jesus has given me
When I open up my mouth
Miracles start breaking out
I have the authority
Jesus has given me

You are my champion
Giants fall when you stand
Undefeated
Every battle You’ve won
I am who You say I am
You crown me with confidence
I am seated, in the heavenly place
Undefeated, by the power of Your name
I am seating, in the heavenly place
Undefeated, with the One you has conquered it all

Blessings, Sister Laurie

God’s Design

 “Older women similarly are to be respectful, loving reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine, teaching what is right and good, so that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children,  to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject (respecting) to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”  Titus 2:3-5 AMP personalized

While waiting for my granddaughter to come out of Zoo Camp. God gave me this scripture; He began to speak to me about His design and how we His children have abandoned His Truth. As I sat in my car right in front of me another car parked.  A gentleman (the father) and a young woman (the mother) got out of the SUV.  The father opened the back, and the mother began organizing their wagon with all the snacks, water bottles and other necessities for a day at the zoo. The couple worked together in harmony, each keenly aware of what needed to be done.  The father got their youngest out of his car seat.  I was witnessing God’s design right before my eyes…God spoke clearly and said, “This has always been my design”.  Keeping an observant eye, the dad and mom watched as more littles poured out of the SUV, there were 3 girls in pink shirts and 2 little boys in orange shirts all matching so dad and mom could quickly identify their children.  As the father lovingly held one of the daughter’s hands and pulled the wagon with the youngest riding. Mom was walking alongside with the others.  Tears came to my eyes as I thought of how we have corrupted and abandoned this beautiful design of one man and one woman teaching their daughters and sons how to be who God created them to be…

Children today have been abandoned by their parents.  Fathers and mothers are consumed with their own lives, selfishly existing, electronic devices, social media has destroyed relationships, sadly the parents look to how many “likes” their TickTok, Instagram, Snap Chat pictures are receiving to find fulfillment. Broken families now Co-parent as if to say, having one Mom and one Dad together is no longer valued. They put their children in a variety of sports and activities that move everyone further away from God’s design for the family. Parents google how to handle everyday life raising children instead of going to their parents or other older adults for wisdom and answers who have already experienced raising a family.  These same parents never consider that the answers to raising a family and having a loving, fulfilling marriage is found in God’s Word. The internet has taken the place of Godly instruction, subtly corrupting God’s design.

The principles of teaching our sons to be gentlemen and daughters to be ladies has been abandoned to girls wrestling and playing football.  Likewise, boys are not being taught to be gentlemen, leaders, to love and respect girls. Scripture is clear…God knew this time would come, that people would dismiss the importance of training a child in the way that he or she should go, the Bible says…

“Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 AMP

The pressure is on for our children to fit in an ever changing and corrupted identity.  The Barbie doll image for girls which put pressure on girls to be arm candy for men with no real depth has changed into girls dressing as boys and wanting to be identified as male.  How wrong both are for females…God created each of us to be beautiful and unique, God is the “ beholder” and true beauty is through His eyes. The devil has twisted our sexual identity and made it something perverted.  Instead of women feeling blessed to be female and cherishing our position as the ones who carry new life as mothers, women believe they are sexually and physically aggressive,  one example is serving as combat soldiers in the military.  The word “equal” has been twisted, we are not “equal” in this context and should not desire to be.  Please don’t miss understand…we need women in the military to serve in many areas, but combat is not one of them. The devil has tried to destroy the distinction between men and woman however complete breakdown will never be achieved because every time we put a female in a position meant for a male we compromise the outcome.  A clear example is young girls wrestling against young men.  If our young men are being taught (as God planned) to be gentlemen (respect and protect) then grabbing a girl and pinning her on the ground is an uncomfortable task for the young man.  Likewise, on the battlefield, if a woman is partnered with a male, in a critical situation the male soldier hesitates as God’s design says protect “her” the female soldier at all cost.  I pray you see what I am trying to desperately to explain.  Hollywood tries frantically to show women as aggressive and physically equal to men.  Humanity and the devil attempt to destroy God’s design for us however since we are spiritual beings placed in our earthly bodies by God deep within us the Truth, God’s Truth is there.  We are extremely strong and capable but not in the way world portrays us.

If we read and embrace the Proverbs Woman, our qualities are revealed, she is strong, gifted and capable.  Each of us has all of these characteristics in us.  God told us here in scripture and throughout the Bible who we are and what a wonderful position we hold in God’s design and kingdom.

So, what am I asking you? Go back to the Titus scripture…stop gossiping, speaking poorly of one another, don’t be corrupted by any substance that distorts your ability to hear God, communicate, think and walk in God’s ways.  Love the women around you lifting them up and building confidence.  Teaching one another the truth of God and how to be leaders and mothers to the future generations according to God’s design.

Love, Sister Laurie