No Action No Change

Dear reader, I’ve come to the realization that I want change without action. For example, I wrote a book called Set Free Through Christ Who Strengthens Me, I want a literary agent to pitch my book to a publisher. I have to write a query letter to send to an agent. I’m fully capable of writing the letter, but I haven’t yet. I have excuses like, I work full-time and don’t have the time. It’s not that I don’t have the time, it’s that I don’t make the time.

I can’t expect change without action.

I want change to come so I need to start taking action

How about you, dear reader?

What do you need to take action on today for change to come?

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

What's Your Stone?

Dear Readers,

                How many of you have faced giants this week in your lives? Did these giants fall? I so want to come to you from a place of victory. I thought that going to the church encounter would cause my giants to fall. They haven’t fallen yet. But I believe I am one step closer to living a set free life. As each layer is pulled back, as I become more aware of what is weighing me down, I can shed the weight and leave the burden at the cross. I heard my pastor say once, what’s revealed is healed. So the encounter and the days leading up to it showed me the burdens that I bear. I’m not sure how to leave the burdens at the foot of the cross. It seems so easy. Just set it down, Amy. That’s what I keep telling myself but it’s like getting rid of an old heirloom. Something that you’ve been holding onto for years. I have a vice-like grip on anxiety even though it doesn’t do me any good. How do I leave it at the foot of the cross? How do you leave your vices at the foot of the cross?

                First of all, you need a resolve that says, giant I will no longer cower at the sound of your voice. Giant, I will no longer allow you to stand before me day after day telling me that my God doesn’t love me and won’t stick up for me. Secondly, recognize your giant. What do you dread each week? What is it that keeps you up at night? Thirdly, face your giant. You must stand before the giant and declare his defeat. For me, it would be saying this, anxiety you no longer have a place in my life, you have to flee in the name of Jesus. Lastly, pick up your stone. Your stone is what will make the giant fall. I don’t know what your stone is, but mine is the word of God. All week long when the anxiety comes I’ve been battling it with the word of God. My verse that really stuck with me and that I kept in my pocket all week was,

                The Lord will be your confidence and keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:26 ESV

                I also pray a lot. When the anxiety comes I pray for the Lord to help me keep my focus on him. I do positive self-talk. I remind myself that the Lord calls me precious. I’ll tell myself no one is trying to hurt you, you are ok. I also try deep breathing sometimes. There’s many different things you can do to face the giants and make them fall. My giant is anxiety but I know that God is bigger than my anxiety. I just need daily reminders and to stay in God’s word to live a victorious life.

What’s your giant?

What’s your stone?

What is bigger than your God?

Who can defeat our God?

If God be for us who can be against us? Romans 8:31b

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

Confidence in God

Hello dear readers! I went to an encounter at my church this week. There was a session called baptism in the Holy Spirit. Pastor Paul prayed for us to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. He told us to hold up our hands if we felt the Holy Spirit. I didn’t feel anything so I didn’t hold up my hands. I had felt an emotional block to some of the sessions that we had. Several people came over and prayed for me. I just had my eyes closed and just waited to feel something. I finally felt some emotions stirring when one of the ladies praying for me said to let it go. I’ve got to tell you dear readers, I was holding onto a lot that I didn’t know I was holding on to. Finally after several minutes of prayer I started crying. I wept from deep in my soul. I let go of all the emotions that I had held back. I let go of the anxiety, the worry, the fear. I fell out in the Spirit and just laid on the floor and just cried. Two of my dear sisters sat on each side of me holding my hand telling me to let it go and that it was ok and praying God’s peace over me.

So I thought that after all that I would feel peaceful, thankful, full of joy. I just feel normal. Feeling normal is great for me though. I don’t feel anxious which is awesome. I was writing in my journal about this and I told myself I’ll know if this is real and true on Monday morning when I wake up for work. If I have anxiety or if I feel normal. There was a scripture on the page I was writing on.

The Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:26 ESV

This verse really speaks to me. God is with me. I can be confident in Him. I don’t have to consider what Monday will bring. I just have to put my faith in the Lord, that he will keep my foot from being caught in the snare of anxiety. I have truly let go of my past and all my hurts. The encounter cleansed me from unforgiveness, sin, anxiety and other things that I was holding onto that were not good for me.

So I feel like David. When he went to slay Goliath he had confidence in the Lord that He would be with him and deliver Goliath into his hands. David only needed a stone to defeat Goliath because God was with him. Therefore, I need only a stone to defeat those things that I let go from me picking them back up. My stone is the word of God. I will hold onto the scripture I mentioned because the Lord is my confidence.

What’s your stone?

What’s your giant?

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z